Many students in the United States choose to work during their spare time after school, weekends, and/or holidays. The clearest benefit of students going to work is that they can earn money. The money earned on their own gives teens a high sense of accomplishment. There are many ways for students to find a job, such as checking online and asking people around them. Finding a good job is crucial to the growth of young adults. As a result, what kind of work is worth doing by students has become a meaningful debate.
Suitable jobs are not limited to just the type and pay, but focus more on cultivating students’ sense of responsibility, learning from experience, and improving their ability to communicate effectively.
According to Randi Borosh, Career Specialist at the Brecksville Broadview Heights High School, “The best job for students would be a job where they link their skills, talents and abilities. They can find enjoyment in personal growth and direct connection to the things in the world they are interested in and meaningful.”
Borosh says the most suitable job for students can help them find talent, accumulate experience, and enhance self-confidence. A good work experience will enrich students’ cognition and contribute to a perfect resume for social work in the future.
“Over three-quarters of teenage workers are employed in two major occupational categories: ‘Service’ and ‘Sales and Office.’ But closer inspection shows only one occupational category that might be labeled as a teenage niche—food preparation and serving.” says Sara Mclanahan prominent sociologist/published writer.
Working hours for teens need to be flexible, and be a good match with the students’ schedule for a teen to stick with their job.
Students need to find a more detailed and more specific job according to their own needs and want to develop their skills in a certain direction, more specifically to focus on their interests. If both their interests and skills combined with hours and pay are in alignment, they will be more ambitious in that particular industry or field. As long as they have the value in their own heart , and are willing to work for it, they are heading in the right direction.
It’s crucial for students to find suitable jobs to do in their free time. But willing to take the initiative to find a job is by itself a remarkable achievement. Society should applaud every brave student who dares to challenge themself and forgets about fear and failure when it comes to looking for work. After school and busy work needs to be balanced with reasonable time management, work, and rest.
