Writing essays or solving math problems aren’t the only skills that sophomore Anna Kesterson wanted to know. There were other skills that could be taught outside of school, so she applied for a few part-time jobs to gain experience.
“The thing that interests me the most when I’m working is having a chance to take on responsibilities that I don’t get to learn inside of school,” Anna said.
Like Anna, who wanted to earn more money and gain a variety of skills, other students have started working part-time and have learned many lessons for life.
Senior Antonio Morrell said that the life skills students need to have when going to work are endurance and patience — a lot of patience.
“You definitely want to make sure you’re in the correct headspace for it,” he said. “You don’t want to go to work and be really stressed out, because then you’re going to take that out on your co-worker. You don’t want to lash out.”
Although most students just take on one job, some students, like senior Madalee Garner, want to try many roles at the same time to earn extra pay and challenge themselves. Madalee has one job but her position each shift varies.
“If I work in the kitchen, I make the salads and desserts, if I host, I seat people, I answer the phone, I do orders, and If I bus, I have to make sure all the tables stay clean, that the food gets ran and that everything is picked up and the restaurant runs smoothly,” she said.
To strike a balance between completing both work and schoolwork, students must also have good time management skills.
“Make sure you stay on top of your stuff and try to work out a good schedule for yourself, so that you don’t fall behind,” Madalee said. “And keep school and work separate so that you can make sure you get all your stuff done,”
Students have many ways to get jobs, one of which is to be proactive. They can apply for many jobs at the same time and then choose the position that best suits them.
“You’re not limited. Just don’t apply to one place and wait for them to get back to you.” Anna said. “Then you get to pick where you want to work.”