Have you ever thought about getting a job as a teenager? Trying to find the only few places that will actually hire a teenager, going in for your first ever job interview and not knowing what is going to happen? There are many good and bad things about having a job so early in life, but is it really worth it? The struggle of trying to balance school, friends, clubs, sports and having a job is real. Will you really have time to do it all?
There are many pros and cons about having a job as a teenager and there are many things that you can
learn. One of the biggest cons about getting a job as a teen is finding somewhere or someone that will hire you. Personally, being a cashier or bagger at a store or restaurant is your best bet for getting a job. Research shows the pros and cons of getting a job at this age. The most obvious pro of getting a job would be a steady income of money rather than just getting some as gifts from family members for Christmas or your birthday. With your own money you can pay for your own things which can lead to you being more independent and having more freedom earlier in life. Having more freedom in your life can be a good or a bad thing. For example, having too much freedom at a young age means you could do bad things and not learn from it but you could also make more of your own decisions and that can help you be more independent in life.
Oakmont sophomore Gabby Comeau thinks “Students that have a job are more responsible than those who don’t.” Many colleges also look for a student who has a part time job which can make the student look better and more efficient in all areas.
Teenagers learn how to manage their money which is a very important life skill and it is good to start learning how to manage it young. Research shows that people who work 10 to 15 hours a week will earn higher grades in school. Another study shows that people who work more than 15 hours a week or none at all will receive lower grades than the other students. Students who work not at all or too much receive lower grades, but there is a happy medium to earn the best grades.
Another concern is the struggle of balancing work and school at the same time and because we have to go to school, teen’s can’t have too many hours of working time.
Junior Guliana Cucchi and senior Addison Roy both said that their jobs during the school week do not affect their grades or their homework. They said that because Oakmont does not give out much homework they do not have to stress about it.
World Language teacher Mrs. Rachel Klein says that she feels as if teens now have more pressure on them to get a job than in the 1990s and early 2000s. Klein also has students that work many hours a week and she thinks it affects them negatively as they are not able to get their work done for school. She also says that some kids can be too focused on a job that is not their endgame, rather than school which is more important for our age group.
Extracurricular activities are also harder to participate in because of the hours you work. Getting a job could be difficult if you do anything after school because for most places you would only be able to work on weekends. In Massachusetts, people of the age of 16-18 can only work legally until 8pm and 15 years can only work until 7. Teenagers under the age of 14 are not allowed to work. Most people have found the only store around here that will hire 14-15 year olds is Market Basket. Teenagers under the age of 16 can not work more than 40 hours a week, or more than 8 hours in a day. Between the ages of 17 and 18 you can only work a few more hours than younger teens.
Some teenagers get a job that will help them decide on what they want in the future which can be very important. Having a job will build a good sense of character and can teach you many skills that can be important for more important jobs. It will teach you communication skills within the job force. Getting a job will help you build your teamwork skills in the area of talking to your boss or manager when you need to. Also learning to get along and work with your peers, even the ones you don’t like.
Oakmont student counselor Mrs. Amy Dubovick says that she thinks getting a job as a teenager has more positives than negatives. Dubovick says that high schoolers that have a job can excel in many areas. The only negative mentioned is that it can take away time from school and can be bad if you work too much.
Another big thing about having a job as a teen is if you and your parents think that you are ready to have one and if it will be healthy for you and your schedule. Some things you might want to work on before getting a job are getting out of bed and doing things on time. If you can’t, start setting reminders or timers for certain things. Getting a good sleep schedule is another important thing for having or thinking about getting a job because they way you sleep. The way you sleep is very important for your mental health and if you do not have the best mental health it can affect having a job.
Statistics show that previous generations of teens wanted and needed a job more than we do nowadays. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics about half of people between the ages 16 and 24 have jobs. In the 1900s teens needed a job more than they did now for several reasons. A big one is the need for money and if you were in a lower class you didn’t have as much; therefore, the teenagers of the higher class worked less than the ones in lower classes.
A study shows that more than 70% of teenagers in 1970 had a job, where today 54% have a job. Teens now work for many different reasons. One article called wfyi says that most teens work for independence more than money because most families are more financially stable.
There are many pros and cons to having a job as a teenager. Is it worth it?
