Should High School Students Get Jobs?
By: Marian Connolly
Tags: High School, Teen Job, Work Life Balance, Responsibility, High School Life

Many children cannot wait to grow up, and they often dream of the adult-like things that they will do. They dream of becoming someone important, having a cool job, or even raising kids of their own. When they become teenagers, they soon forget those dreams of becoming an adult and often put off the responsibilities they need to take in order to become an adult. Becoming an adult is a very important time in a teenager’s life, and getting a job while in high school will be one of the best ways to prepare them for their soon-to-be adult life. High school students should get a job because it will teach them the value of money, will give them a genuine work ethic, and will teach them money-management skills.

Having a job will teach teens the value of a dollar

First, high school students should get a job because it will teach them the value of a dollar. To start, having a job will allow students to comprehend and experience the value of money. Teenagers need to know the significance of money because they need to know how to spend it, how to save it, and how to properly use the money they’ve earned, like spending their money on school supplies instead of video games or food they don’t need. Furthermore, without knowing the value of a dollar, high school students will become careless with their money, which will become a terrible habit in their later adult years. Carelessly spending money will become an immense problem in their adult and teen life, and a teenager who spends money irresponsibly can look to a life of overdue bills, poverty, and even starvation because they don’t have enough money for food. Therefore, not having a job will have high school students rely upon other’s money. Having to rely on someone else’s money will never allow them to rely on what comes out of their own pocket. In doing so, they will also be placing a burden on all who have to help pay for the things in their life because they might feel obligated to due to the fact that they can’t pay for anything themselves. High school students ought to find a job because it will show them the worth of cash.

Having a job will teach teens to have a genuine work-ethic

Next, high school students should get a job because it will give them a genuine work ethic. Namely, having a genuine work ethic will teach high school students responsibility. According to Verywell, “[responsibility] will help [a teen] become a proactive adult who is invested in solving problems and supporting others” (https://www.verywellfamily.com/raising-a-teen-to-become-a-responsible-adult-4092353). Having responsibility will play a very important role in a teen becoming an adult because it will teach them dependability, will earn them trust, have them learn to be accountable for their actions, and will teach them to do right when others aren’t there. Along with that, having a genuine work ethic will give them the integrity to do what is needed when it needs to be done. Integrity — having enough character and responsibility to do right, even when no one is there — will have teenagers being trusted in their workplace, which will have them being trusted in their adult life because they will not steal, they will work with others, they will put others before themselves, and they will get things done on time. Also, having a genuine work ethic will have them get what they need to do done punctually. Being able to get tasks done in a timely manner will have them be able to manage their time, which will come with being an employee. Without having any sense of time, no one will want to hire them; and learning time-managing skills, while at a young age, will be very important in their adult years. High school students ought to find a job because it will give them a reliable hard-working attitude.

Having a job will teach teens how to manage their money

Finally, high school students should get a job because it will teach them money-management skills. For instance, when they have a job, they will need to be able to handle that money correctly by creating a budget. Being able to budget their money at a young age will significantly help them in their adult life because they will know how to save and spend their money on and for the right things. Even more, having money-managing skills will have them carefully choose where their money goes; they will save some money for spending while also saving some for college, insurance, and gas money. This is also a result of budgeting because they will separate their money into groups of spending and saving as well as saving extra for anything unexpected that might come along in their life. Therefore, having money-managing skills will help them to avoid financial trouble; if any trouble comes, they will be prepared because they have saved money for it. This includes car wrecks, unexpected travel, or anything else that will come along their path in adulthood. High school students should find a job since it will have them learn good skills with money.

Ultimately, learning the estimation of cash, acquiring a hard-working attitude, and understanding good skills with money is why a high school student should get a job. First, high school students ought to get a job because it will teach them the value of money which will have them experience the value of money, will have them avoid carelessly using their money, and will have them learn to rely on their own money. Next, high school students ought to get a job because it will give them a hard-working attitude which will teach them liability, will teach them to do what is right, no matter the circumstance, and will teach them to get their jobs done in a timely manner. Lastly, high school students ought to get a job because it will teach them how to manage their money which will teach them to budget their money, will teach them to make the right decisions with their money, and will teach them to be prepared for anything unexpected. Becoming an adult is a learning experience, and being prepared in their teen years by learning many great skills by having a job will make it all the easier.