When you stop and think about it, the purpose of high school and college is to prepare young people for their lives in the work world. But how can we actually prepare ourselves for work life sitting in a classroom all day? We can’t. To become truly prepared for employment as adults, it is only logical for students to hold a job before graduating.

First of all, having a job gives students something everyone wants more of: money. It’s not like we do this hard labor for free; even if it’s only minimum wage, it’s more money than you would have without a job.
Parents won’t be around all the time to give us money, so we need to learn how to pay for our habits eventually. Jobs can teach us to be financially responsible, which will seriously help us in the future.

In addition, having a steady, part-time job gives students the opportunity to learn how to work professionally with others. Jobs teach kids that sometimes you have to sacrifice your personal time for the benefit of your place of work. Although we don’t have any big responsibilities like a family to support, we can’t afford to be selfish. Jobs teach respect, responsibility and organizational skills, all qualities that we need to be successful.  Besides these characteristics, jobs can also teach us time management skills. Balancing work, homework, and social life can be extremely difficult, but learning these skills now instead of in college will be quite beneficial for us.

Let’s be honest: we don’t absolutely love everyone we have to communicate with on a daily basis. Teachers, other students, family members, and even friends can be frustrating to deal with sometimes. Having a part-time job teaches you how to adapt to these unpleasant situations. We won’t always get to work with people we like; however, that does not mean that we should walk away from our responsibilities. Learning how to communicate with others helps your day run smoothly and it will most likely benefit your employer.

Improving your communication skills will help you build professional relationships with people who could help you find employment. After college, you will most likely have debt and other living expenses to pay for. What could be better than having a steady job immediately after graduation? These jobs aren’t guaranteed, but if you are passionate enough about your work and you develop good relationships with managers, you have a high chance of earning your way.

Not only can jobs help you during and after college, but they can help you get in as well. Besides grades and test scores, admissions councils will be looking for extracurricular activities too. Jobs offer leadership opportunities and a chance to show off your professional skills. Working during high school proves to colleges that you know how to manage your time and that you will take the initiative to get what you want. These characteristics can definitely make you stand out in an application pool.

Students don’t need to work 25-hour weeks all year long. Jobs during the school year just add to the enormous mountain of stress students already have. With homework, sports, volunteer work and a social life, it’s already difficult to stay balanced. However, summer jobs are definitely manageable. Even working once a week during the school year isn’t difficult to do. The work experience teaches students fundamental life lessons that will prepare us for life after high school.