A lot of students in high school take up part-time jobs to make some extra money. Many students at JHS have jobs, particularly upperclassmen because most places around town require you to be at least 16.
A popular job is working in a food setting whether it’s a sit down restaurant or a fast food place. An employee could help seat customers, cook food, take customer orders, work the cash register, or help clean. If you work in a restaurant setting as a waiter or waitress, you should expect to make well below minimum wage because of the tips you receive. The downfalls of those jobs are that customers can be impatient, and shifts can be long and run late.
Senior Linda Selimi is a cashier and manager at Lincoln Gardens Family Restaurant. She says that she thinks working in a clothing store would be much easier than working in the food business.
Senior Bentley Stewart is a waitress at Norma’s Café, where she works on the weekends. Bentley also works at Big Brothers Big Sisters through JHS’s CVE class. She leaves after seventh hour to go work at BBBS and stays until around 4.
Senior Allison Hardwick works at Little White Cottage Catering. Whenever she is needed, Allison can help cook or wash dishes.
High school students wanting to work in a retail position usually have many opportunities for jobs in their hometown, including students in Jacksonville. Being located so close to Springfield is also nice for kids wanting to work at the mall because it’s a pretty short drive away. Students could easily get a job in a retail store, especially in a mall.
Some students in high school might work at a local movie theater. They could sell tickets, sell refreshments, serve as ushers, or help clean the theaters.
A few students at JHS even work at school. They could work in the main, attendance, student services, or athletic office.
Senior Erica Howell works in the main office after school during the week. She answers the phone, files mail, and makes copies, among other tasks.
Another job available to students 18 and older would be a grocery store employee. The stores will usually hire people throughout the year, so students have a fairly big chance of getting a job. Employees stock shelves, bag groceries, mop floors, or run a cash register.
Senior Natalie Flynn is an employee at County Market. She started as a bagger but has now moved up to a full time cashier position. At County Market, she works an average of 25 hours a week.
Another popular job for JHS students is babysitting. Babysitters usually work on the weekends so the students still have school nights to do homework and relax. Babysitters are paid pretty well for their time. It is also a job where people are always needed to work. It is easy to get your name out there once you first start because your clients will give other people recommendations. Babysitting is a great job for students who like kids and would like a job with little time commitment.
So should teenagers have jobs while in high school? A job can be a wonderful learning experience for a teen. Having a job could teach students responsibility, time management, people skills, and money skills.
When students apply for colleges, the counselors look for more than just school activities on your application. By having a job, schools can see what kind of person you are: a responsible one.
If you are looking for a job, I suggest you start looking and applying before the college kids come home for the summer. Many summer jobs can carry over to the school year if employers need the extra help and you are a good worker.