Being able to finally buy my brother the pair of shoes that he wanted felt incredibly special and rewarding with the money I saved up from work. With costs of everything rising, a job may be a great way to spend the spare time you have, and help you earn the things you want, or help your family out.
Getting a job can be a great way to gain essential soft skills at a young age. Many retail and food service jobs allow students to learn skills that will benefit them later in life, like customer service, situational awareness, timeliness, teamwork, responsibility, and more. Jobs in safety fields can train you for specific job and health skills that you can take into your future careers, for instance, learning CPR as a lifeguard, or being a first responder as a junior fire or EMS recruit.
Applying for a job also gives students the experience of being interviewed which can assist with job hunting in college/as an adult. I was asked a lot of odd questions that I didn’t expect them to ask me in my first interview, but the experience from that interview now helps me give better answers on the spot.
Having a job can also help students meet new people such as coworkers and customers, and develop critical social and communication skills in professional settings. At my workplace at a youth center camp, I get to support younger kids every day and guide them through the activities of the day, whether that’s playing with legos, a fun game of dodgeball, or an arts and crafts project. Little kids are always the most fun to talk with!
Along with numerous soft skills, jobs are a great way to earn some money and save up for future objectives. This extra money can be saved in a savings account and can help sponsor future education, travel plans, or may just be saved until you can finally buy the car you’ve always wanted! I have been able to treat my family to celebrations, birthdays, spontaneous shopping sprees and salon trips, and more with the money I’ve saved up. The majority of the money that I am saving, however, will go towards my education beyond high school.
Lastly, getting a job prepares you for the real world. A sense of accountability can also be a great reward from a job. I’ve come to the realization that I am now responsible for myself at my workplace. When I can’t make it to work one day, I have to notify my boss that I cannot make it otherwise I may face serious repercussions. In the same way, getting a job will give you a taste of what taking care of yourself in the real world feels like.
Overall, after school jobs are a great way to spend your spare time, or your breaks from school, and can benefit you in more ways than just in your bank account!
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Prep for your future job. Work on your leadership skills with MySADD courses at sadd.org/courses.
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