Jobs allow students to learn real-world skills, earn money, and gain a sense of adulthood. From simple jobs or extracurriculars with basic tasks to rigorous hours and intense training, outside of school activities give students a new perspective of who they
are. No matter what job or activity a student has outside of school, the outcome stands
the same; they all gain skills that they use throughout their lives.
Junior Camilla Flores has spent time as an intern, but also tutors middle school students in science.
“Working regular jobs like lifeguarding or at a fast food joint or tutoring is important because it gives you the skills to learn how to deal with people who aren’t being respectful, [and] be able to communicate with people more effectively,” Flores said. “You just learn basic skills and these are like the ones that you will need later on in life.”
Hard skills are obtainable by being taught a certain thing like programming or accounting. On the other hand, soft skills are personal qualities that show how well someone can work with others. When teenagers work jobs like retail or fast food restaurants they gain soft skills like how to work under pressure, how to talk to people of all ages, and how to communicate effectively.
Babysitting is popular for teenagers, including seniorPhoenix Schuler, who has been babysitting for over two years, credits her start to her mother, who first recommended babysitting after recognizing her helpful work taking care of her siblings. With
Schuler’s current job, she can make money to save up for college while still using her experience in child care. Even though child care is not what she wants to pursue in the future, Schuler believes that the first step to success is knowing oneself.
“If you learn more about yourself then you’ll learn if you want to pursue, or if you’re interested in this subject or field,” Schuler said.
USA Facts found that the labor force in general among teens has been steadily declining over the past 45 years, with 57.8% of teens working in 1978 vs only 36.9% as of Summer 2023 (USAFacts). Junior Kiley White believes that this is due to an overwhelming extension of school pressure.
“School piles on way more homework than before, and activities can go from early morning to late at night,” White said. “That means a lot of students don’t even get home until really late, or they have to leave super early, all while still trying to finish assignments. I think the pressure from school and the extra hours in extracurriculars are a big reason why there are fewer student workers now. At this point, there’s basically no time left for a job. And if someone does work, they have to cram it in with everything else, which just adds to the stress.”
Things like clubs and sports can take hours of commitment. However those hours of commitment can enable students to learn and apply similar skills that a job may have taught them.
Senior Jacob Basset participates in the CommUnity club at San Marin. Not only that but he also participates in rock climbing and surfing outside of school.
“I think my extracurriculars with my club alone have taught me gratitude and respect for my position and anyone who consistently considers the wellbeing of others,” Basset said.
“My more physical extracurriculars taught me patience and perseverance, because I don’t always accomplish my original goal right off the bat, and I have to understand and learn what I did wrong in order to learn how to improve.”
From babysitting to volunteering, jobs and work activity outside of school is ever
changing. Paid or unpaid, part- time or full, it comes down to one’s personal skills and choices to make the decision where to start.
