Getting a job is a milestone in most people’s lives, especially considering most students are on the road toward successful careers in the near future. Work schedules are serious commitments that impact lifestyles, both for adults and also high school students, new to service jobs and employment schedules. 

Placing a job takes skill, but also key traits like communication and reliability. While some technical jobs require physical abilities, the more important resume impressions come from one’s responsibility, time management, adaptability, and flexibility. Students begin learning these skills throughout their school years but are more significantly put into action once they have a job. 

When is the right time to get a job? This is the question most students ask themselves as they get older. There really isn’t a correct answer that applies to all, since it depends on the student’s priorities and availability. It can be tricky to apply and compete with other possible employees for job positions, especially if someone also plays sports, or has other extracurriculars. 

Being a student with a job can be difficult. Time management is key to balancing everything revolving around day-to-day life. 

Grace Cannaday, a sophomore at Wilsonville shares, “I am a full-time student and I do theater, so I have to find time and manage it.” She continues, “It does become stressful at some points, but you just have to take a breath and realize that you’re doing all that you can.”

Above all, it is important to think about why you want a job and if it is necessary to add commitment and dedication to your life. Students in high school still have a long way to go academically and developmentally, which suits them well for some jobs and activities, but can hinder them in other areas.

Ms. Huggins, a teacher at Wilsonville High School says, “Be a kid while you can be a kid; you don’t have to have a job if you don’t have to have the money; be a kid.”