Benefits of having a job as a High Schooler :
Work experience: Getting a job while you’re still in high school can help you build a foundation for your career. Being able to reference your previous work experiences and what you accomplished in such roles can help you secure your next job after graduation or while in college.
Skills development: Developing the fundamental skills that most professionals need to succeed—such as time management, organizational and communication skills—can help you in your high school studies as well. In addition, depending on where you work, your role may teach you specialized skills that can help you advance to your next role after graduation.
Socialization: Having a job in high school can give you the opportunity to socialize with others outside of an academic or extracurricular environment. Working with others can help you develop important interpersonal skills and form lasting professional relationships or friendships.
Compensation: You may want a job to earn spending money or save for future expenses, such as college tuition. With this, having a job in high school can offer you more financial freedom as a teenager and young adult.
College applications: Working in high school can help you develop your resume for your college applications. Listing job experience on your resume can help show your work ethic, maturity and responsibility to admissions counselors.
There are many locations to search for a job, just try and don't give up !
There are a wide variety of jobs that high school students can do, so before you start your search, consider all the roles you may be eligible for and make a list. Jobs in retail, restaurants or child care are common choices for high schoolers.
When initiating your job search, start with wide criteria. Be flexible with your preferences for scheduling, pay and responsibilities to increase your chances of finding a role that fits your needs. During your search, it may be helpful to keep in mind that entry-level roles are a good stepping stone for gaining experience and learning about various industries, and you can always shift paths if the job doesn’t suit you.
You may be able to find a role in your local community or through your personal connections with your neighbors, family or friends. Speak with local business owners and your connections to determine whether they have work available for you. For instance, babysitting, doing yard work, house sitting and pet sitting are jobs you can often find through personal relationships.
If you aren't successful in finding steady employment at first, consider taking on a seasonal job. You may be able to work during the holidays or over the summer to gain enough experience to move onto another role afterward.
Once you find a few open roles you want to apply to, you can write your resume and fill out your applications. Being strategic with your resume and applications can help increase your chances of securing a role.
If you haven’t heard back from potential employers one to two weeks after submitting your applications, follow up to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the job. In addition, contacting a potential employer directly to ask for an update about your application can show initiative and help speed up the employment screening process.