Throughout the school year, students’ lives are filled with the hustle and bustle of schoolwork and extra curricular activities. Yet another responsibility is added to the mix when students get to high school: finding a job.
While the thought of getting a job does not cross the mind of some students, others have become proactive and have already entered the work force.
“I decided to get a job because I almost never had money to spend,” sophomore Alyssa Wahrman said. “My parents also offered to help me pay for a car if I got a job.”
Most businesses hire at the age of sixteen, mainly because of child labor laws. There are very specific laws that need to be followed.
If a company chooses to hire people when they are 14 or 15-years old, employers have to make sure that the student does not work more than 18 hours a week during the school year or 40 hours a week in the summer. When the employee turns 16, there is no limit to how long he or she can work. There are safety regulations that must be followed, though. One of these regulates are the types of equipment with which teenagers can work. For example, teens cannot work using meat slicers, grinders, choppers or commercial mixers. Students must wait until they are 18 to do so. Despite these regulations, most agree that 16 is a good age to start getting a job.
“When you are 16, you can start to accept more responsibilities,” AP European History and AVID teacher Paul Stuewe said. “Having a job can help you with accepting more responsibility.”
Many factors contribute to the decision of getting a job, and a very important one is how school work will be managed with the job.
“I would not recommend having a job with school,” Stuewe said. “Especially when you’re taking AP classes. It’s best to work a minimum number of hours so you can focus on school.”
Some students, however, does not see a problem with balancing school with her job.
“When I didn’t work I was able to do my even class homework one night and my odd class homework the next,” she said. “If I worked during the week I’d have to double up, but it wasn’t too hard. It actually helped me not procrastinate.”
Another factor that comes into play is whether or not teens will have time to have a social life with their jobs and other activities.
“I did have to give up some weekend nights to work,” Wahrman said. “But I was able to meet kids from other schools and I also had money to spend on gas and over the weekend.”
While there is certainly a trade-off in working with having a social life, there are benefits to having a job.
“When I was a teenager I worked on a farm and I also drove heavy equipment for a production company,” Stuewe said. “I learned a lot about things such as agriculture and cattle, but I also learned other things such as a value of hard work.”
Even with the benefits that come with a job, it is important for students not to overload their schedules.
“Having a job in the summer is really the ideal situation,” Stuewe said. “You can still learn all of the things you can without having to schedule it around your schoolwork. When you’re in school, you really have to remember that your primary job is being a student.”