Hot take: getting a part-time job is the best extracurricular activity for a high school student.
In an era where kids scramble to create the fanciest-sounding “passion project” or gain acceptance to the priciest summer program, part-time jobs, one of the most accessible extracurriculars, are often left unpursued. After holding two part-time jobs, one as a student shelver at our local Bernards Township Library, and another as a cashier-operator and drink-maker at Dunkin’ Donuts over the past summer, I find that…a little disappointing. Here are five reasons why I personally think you should go get employed:
- Textbooks can’t teach us everything.
Pre-calc might teach you how to solve some pretty complex equations, but it won’t teach you how to solve interpersonal conflicts…likewise, English might teach you how to communicate eloquent ideas, but it won’t teach you how to actually communicate with a fully corporeal human being. Part-time jobs, however, are full of interpersonal relationships that teach you something that a textbook really can’t: how to actually navigate relationships with others.
Some of the interpersonal conflicts that come up in my own working experiences honestly feel more complicated than a physics FRQ (and that’s saying something, coming from me). How do you confront yet also satisfy a rude customer? How do you placate an angry boss while clearly explaining your scheduling conflicts? How do you cooperate and evenly split tasks between your coworkers? Every shift feels like a study session with the Textbook of Life, except this textbook is intangible, unpredictable, and a million times heavier than any textbook that can be found in RHS.
2. You might get fired.
Jobs are different from any other type of extracurricular in the sense that they’re not exactly voluntary. Yes, the decision to go search for a job and sign the working papers is yours…but once you sign up, you lose a lot of agency. You can’t skip shifts just because you “don’t feel like it,” like the way you could for club meetings (although please don’t do that for RDA!). You can’t alter your involvement based on how much “benefit” it’ll give you, like the way you might calculate the amount of hours different volunteering opportunities might provide. Finally, you can’t fine-tune your effort and focus based on what kind of “title” you want to get, like the way you might act differently in clubs where you want officer positions versus ones where you’re fine with just being a member…because bosses are absolutely unafraid of firing you.
They really aren’t. Typically, a kid would need to do something egregious to get barred from participating in an extracurricular…honestly, struggling club advisors and volunteer coordinators might find themselves begging any kid they come across to stay. But in job-land? A couple unexplained missed shifts might be all it takes (honestly, one could do it). Too many long vacations in the summer might bring the axe. Even seemingly smaller details, like tone or attitude, might send bosses looking for substitute workers in the market. And when you’re a high school student working part-time, you’re really…not that hard to replace.
I don’t mean to write this to scare, however. In fact, I think this facet of the job experience has taught me a lot about responsibility, grit, and time management. You truly commit to a job—it goes beyond an extracurricular. The expectations are much higher—you are held responsible to show up for the customers you serve and give them the service they deserve. You learn to work not just for yourself, but for others as well on the job.
3. It might help you in the classroom!
When Mrs. Ward asked my AP Economics class if anyone knew what New Jersey’s minimum wage was, why was I able to shoot my hand in the air and answer with full confidence, “$15.49?” Because that’s exactly what I’m being paid by the library for my student shelver job!
My part-time working experiences are a reliable context that I can lean on during Econ lectures. Economic or money talk in other humanities classes, like social studies classes, history, Gov, or current issues, also gain a whole new relevance. It also makes newspaper articles about the economy or social class come alive…I find myself better able to stand in the shoes of those who work full-time in these service-oriented, minimum-wage jobs that I have the privilege to pursue as a part-time, extracurricular activity.
4. $$!
Nothing really beats the feeling of a first check: you earned it with your own two hands. And nothing tops the feeling of being able to swipe your card at the register and know that you spent that money completely within your own means and desire. It feels like a first step, a big one, towards adulthood and independence.
5. Resume beautifier.
Yes, I’m a hypocrite. I’ve made all this talk about “interpersonal relationships” and “responsibility” and “independence,” but in the end, tied it all back to inflating one’s ego. Nice.
But in all seriousness…although I definitely don’t promote pursuing a job (or any other extracurricular) just because you want to add it to your resume, I think it’s one of the most concrete activities a high school student could have on it. It demonstrates long-term commitment, heightened responsibility, and high interpersonal intelligence. It’s one of those activities that can’t be padded or disputed, where no rough estimates or truth-stretching is possible in the “Hrs/Wk” and “Wks/Yr” reporting. I think it’s truly a trump card to have in your activities section.
Interested in getting a part-time job around the area? Here’s a list of possible employers around here that I can think of:
- Groceries/Essentials: Stop & Shop, Walgreens, King’s, Exxon
- Food/Drink: Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, Panera Bread, Domino’s, Coldstone
- Education: Kumon (multiple nearby)
- Township: elementary school aftercare, summer camp counselors, Bernards Township Library, pool lifeguard
- Going solo: tutoring, babysitting
You’ll probably find more opportunities online (such as through Indeed) and on employers’ specific websites.
The process of getting a job isn’t too complicated. Usually, employers will post their openings online, and you’ll apply online to get your offer. Per New Jersey law, all minors also have to obtain and sign Working Papers from their employers before they can be employed. Know your rights, too: in New Jersey, there’s specific laws restricting the amount of hours a minor can work per week and per year. After that, you’ll have to complete official documentation forms (I-9, W-2, W-4). That’s about it, though—once those forms are complete, you’ll start working!
I only started working part-time in my junior year. But honestly—I think some of my most valuable high school experiences have come from my part-time jobs. It’s something that I’ve enjoyed so much that my college dream is to commit myself to both studying and working part-time…ideally at a coffee shop, where I can chat with the customers in between brews, where I can put my experience from Dunkin’ into good use.