Sloan Jambor ‘26, Sports Editor
As children grow up, they begin to realize that money does not grow on trees; it becomes apparent that money is not easy to come by at all. Parents often cut their teenagers’ allowance as they grow up, and suddenly, teenagers grasp that it is time for them to get a job. While working as a teenager should have its limits to prevent teenagers from burning out, jobs will benefit them in ways that only chores would not.
Working is not only beneficial because of the money that teenagers will earn, but by them entering a working environment can teach you life skills that you may not learn in other contexts. People working behind the registers at stores are growing their people skills and learning to deal with the responsibilities of handling money in the workplace. While it may seem easy to pack groceries into bags, there are also a lot of rules that employees must follow. Grocery workers are expected to memorize which items can go in which bag, and they are forced to deal with customers who are not always cooperative. It will benefit their patience, their face-to-face interactions with customers, and they learn to balance each bag through even weight distribution.
Similarly, in retail stores, teenagers learn how to deal with the specific products they are selling. At Ulta, teenagers are taught a lot more about makeup recommendations and at a home decor store, they are instructed more about how houses function in order for them to give correct advice to customers. Sophomore Ava Klotz said, “Working in retail helped me think through decisions and choose the right one.” Putting teenagers in these situations will give them the ability to learn more about how important their decision-making is and how they need to think through every requirement of a request before giving their opinions to customers.
However, working in grocery or retail are certainly not the only options for a kid on the job hunt. A teenager can work in a more labor-intensive job, or they could come be a server or hostess in a restaurant. For instance, if a teenager gets a job at Lowe’s, they will likely be expected to lift heavier objects, or they may have to find a way to lift the object onto a shelf. Being in a situation where the worker has to plan out how they are going to achieve lifting a heavier object can lead to a growth in their problem-solving abilities. Another beneficial option for teenagers is working at a restaurant, and they would be expected to work with the customers and move around the tables at a quick speed to serve everybody in a timely manner. It may seem stressful to have to deal with so many responsibilities at once; however, being able to maneuver around those demanding situations can completely change teenagers’ demeanors and thought processes in general. Being able to learn how to think through their challenges could help them later in school if they are stuck on an assignment or test, and they can keep up their positive mindset since they have been taught to overcome problems like this. They will be able to gain confidence in their ability to juggle multiple tasks at once and give them confidence with any tough challenges they may face.
It may feel like there will be no time to juggle a job, possible sports or clubs, school, and a social life all at once, but as long as teenagers can effectively utilize their time management, they will see that there is always time to fit everything. Minors are only allowed to work up to 48 hours a week, so they are not allowed to get scheduled for an abundance of time which helps with how much they can focus on themselves. Also, if an employee wants to work the hours they want, then they can advocate for it. Senior Grace Stoll said, “Dairy Queen is so flexible with hours and scheduling whenever I ask about it.” Employers understand that teenagers are balancing a busy schedule which is why when they speak up for themselves, they will understand the requests. Getting a job will teach teenagers how to advocate for themselves, and it will definitely benefit their time management skills.
The truth is that teenagers typically want jobs to earn money, but they do not necessarily know if they want to work for it. To receive the money they want, it should be worked for. Teenagers will get the reward of being able to buy their wants, when they want, and not have to worry about asking their parents for money or paying them back. Sophomore Taylor Wilcox said, “I would feel better with a job because although my parents do not mind lending me money for food and things like that, I want to be more independent. I want to buy things with my own earned money rather than theirs.”
Having money to spend is certainly a feeling that satisfies teenagers, so why not get a job and go earn the money? The benefits are undeniable, and the sooner teenagers learn life skills, the better. Go and find a job that interests you, so you can grow your knowledge and put a few extra dollars in your pocket.
Lyon Life 