Having a Job in High School

     Growing up, I have always been the baby of the family because I have three older sisters and they have all graduated high school and two of them have already started their adult hood by having children. Basically for me growing up, I have always tried to do what my sisters did when they were in high school so that includes, what classes they took, sports they played, jobs, etc.

     After my sister turned sixteen, Shelby, she took a job at our local grocery store, so I always knew that I was going to get a job when I am sixteen and try to balance sports and school with it. A job has always been in the plan because that is what I grew up with. As I am going through high school though, I have noticed different ways people look at jobs. Some of my friends have been working since they were fifteen because they want to get a jump start on saving for college or they just want money. Other people I know, do not have a job because the sport they are interested in and committed to does not give them any free time to work. Then there are the kids who focus solely on school and have no time. At work I sometimes get questioned why I am working at young age, but it is because I want experience, and I want to show future employers that I can stay committed to one job for a long period of time, also I need money for college.

     Getting a job in high school has given many good experiences and has shown me what I do well at in the real world and what I do not do so well at. For my job I am a cashier and a floor worker, and to be a cashier you have to be very friendly and patient. I have learned I am not friendly to people who are not friendly to me, and I am not a patient person, I thought I was but after doing this job for over a year I know I am far from it. I have also found out that I do better with hands on things, like getting a list of things to do for the night throughout the store and that could be stocking shelves, cleaning, making sure everything looks neat, etc. When you get a job, you are not just earning money, you are learning new things about people, about how things work in the real world, and how to follow rules so you don't get fired.

     Personally I believe that if you have the time and you balance many things at one time, a job is something you should do in your high school time. At times you feel like quitting because your  friends are hanging out and you never can because your free time is spent at work or school is becoming too difficult to balance, but in the long run you will look back and be happy that you had a job. Here is a tip, make sure you get a job in a place where you know you will be somewhat sort of happy doing because you don't want to look back on high school and have horrible memories from your job.