In order to gain lessons and to be ready for what is to come, many teenagers are acquiring jobs throughout the year, especially during the summer.
A large percentage of teenagers in the U.S. are a part of the workforce.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 54.5% of teenagers had a job as of last summer.
According to senior Carolyn Mowery, a big motivator for teens to have jobs during the summer is the opportunity to gain experience early on.
“I think if you expect to just go into college out of high school and get your first job, not having any experience is really hard,” Mowery said.
A big concern for young adults and teenagers is what the future has to come.
For some, having experience makes it easier for them to ease into potentially unknown territory.
One thing that is helpful for the future is a well-built resume.
Mowery believes that summer jobs can help specifically with resumes.
“It also helped me with resume building, for college and for future jobs,” Mowery said.
Other teenagers agree. “You definitely learn how to take orders from people,” sophomore Deklan Linthicum said. “It’s a good experience to learn how [having] a job is going to feel as you get older.”
Many people believe jobs for teens help teach valuable lessons.
“It taught me that not everything can just be handed to you,” junior Ally Lemon said. “You do have to work for things in life.”
Lemon also has learned patience at her job.
“My job taught me a lot of patience,” Lemon said, “and that it can take time. But once you’re good at it, it’s very rewarding.”
According to sophomore Ashton Marshall, failure can teach teenagers lessons just as well as success.
“If someone doesn’t get a job,” Marshall said, “they can figure out why and try again.” Marshall trusts that even mistakes can help point kids in the right direction for a successful future.
Marshall believes summer jobs teach skills and “responsibility.”
While experience and valuable lessons are advantages of summer jobs, many teenagers also enjoy earning money. The money is a “good benefit,” Mowery said.
“You’re always making money,” Linthicum said, “which you’ll have to spend over the summer.”
According to junior Matthew Meehan, making money “always provided motivation” for his work during the summer.
“I would definitely recommend one for the money that you get,” Meehan said.
One thing that many teenagers have trouble with is keeping a routine once school ends and summer begins.
According to Linthicum, having a job is “nice” for keeping routine throughout the break.
“Some benefits of working over the summer is [that] it’s definitely nice to have some routine,” Linthicum said, “to keep you in check for when school comes around.”
Many kids struggle with having a job over the summer while still enjoying their long break, making it difficult for them to acquire or continue with their jobs.
Mowery suggests finding a place of employment with flexibility.
“Just get a job where the hours work for you,” Mowery said.