Most 16,17, and 18 year olds need a job to help them pay for their daily necessities and activities. Childrens.org has published that the average employment rate for students at this age to have a job is about 50% – Oakmont exceeds that percentage. 

According to a survey of 50 Oakmont seniors, 39 of them (78%) are currently employed, and 4 of them will have a job this winter. Jordan Augusto, a freshman, works for 3 hours a day and 18 hours over the weekend. “I work for Brett Smith. I do yard work and I work everyday after school.”

The most popular type of job to have is in the food business, the second most popular ties with family business and retail. Students work most commonly at the Colonial Hotel, and Mount. Wachusett. Market Basket also seems to be a very popular workplace, since there are many of them in the area.

The average work week for Oakmont teens is 10-15 hours, but there are few who work up to 28 hours. Many students said that time management is a crucial part of their job, having to balance homework and sports along with their work hours. 

The survey asked students if their job helped them grow; their responses varied. 

One response stated “I’ve learned to not rely on others, and do everything on my own.” 

Another stated “It’s taught me that school has prepared me 0% for the future and this generation is gonna have fun surviving in the real world”. Others responded that their job has helped with communication, and being able to talk for themselves. You meet so many people during your job, and this leads to an abundance of opportunities-new friends, new backgrounds, and a whole new set of social skills. 

Having a job can be very important as a teenager. It can prepare you for the future, and keep you more well-rounded. According to theconversation.com, “Working year-round at the age of 15 led to a higher chance of being employed at 17 to 21. Those who worked year-round at 15 had higher incomes at ages 17 to 25, and at ages 21 to 23 had higher quality job matches.” 

It seems the favorite part about their jobs was “getting paid” and “working with friends”. Responses also indicated that teenagers commonly spend their money on is their car, car insurance, gas, food, and clothes. Fast food and buying a coffee every morning can add up quickly. Car insurance also forces kids to make sure they set aside money from every paycheck so they can cover it.  

Getting a job can be really difficult, especially when so many people work at many different places. Lots of students had a connection or a recommendation for getting their job, while other students simply landed the job on their own. 

One Oakmont student, who has worked at Market Basket for 3 years, and soon will be 4 years in October, has had a job throughout her entire high school career. “Market Basket is a great first job, I would encourage it to anyone looking for one. It has its downsides of course, as does any other job. People can be very rude, or not listen to me if I talk to them because they are on their phones. It has also shown me that people can be really understanding, because I have had some customers who are very sweet if anything goes wrong. I’ve met some really amazing coworkers, ones that I can call a friend, not just a coworker.”

“Having a job throughout all of high school has taught me so much about managing my time along with homework and other activities. If you have an option to get a job then definitely get one. Although sometimes it isn’t the greatest thing, it teaches you more than you think it will.”