Jobs For High Schoolers
As we noted in our last post, having work experience on your college application can greatly benefit you. It can bolster the strength of your application throughout the process of admission. Looking for where to start with good jobs for high schoolers? Stay tuned.
A paid position gives a chance to highlight some of your skills and abilities to colleges. Therefore choosing the right job is important. It is often difficult, however, to find an appealing job while in high school. Many “top” internships, research positions, and programs fill up early; by June, they are no longer an option.
If that resonates with you, check out this list. For those of you still searching, these suggestions can clue you in! Here are more jobs for high schoolers that will help with college applications:
1. Receptionist:
Working as a receptionist can teach beneficial skills such as organization, leadership, and customer service. Receptionist positions do not usually require prior work experience, making it perfect for high school students. Being a receptionist means you will be talking to a lot of people, either in person, on the phone, or over email. Gaining skill in communication with clients is a useful skill; one that can be applied to many other jobs and scenarios in life, and colleges like that. Leadership is also usually a benefit of the job because sometimes you will need to take independent, initiative-based action.
2. Cashier:
Being a cashier might sound like a lousy job, although it can give you experience with money and provide social interactions with customers. Being a cashier is a good starting job, because it teaches about responsibility and hard work. The job will also teach you how to manage prices and familiarize yourself with how businesses operate. This job typically is flexible with student schedule and is ideal for someone who is involved with many activities and wants to gain work experience.
3. Assistant:
Being an assistant provides a unique opportunity to get experience in an area of interest. This allows you to determine if the field in which you are working could be a potentially career path for you. You are able to see the everyday tasks performed by people in higher-level positions. In addition, work connections could possibly be made, which could be beneficial for the future when applying for other jobs and colleges. As an assistant, you practice active listening and communication skills, which are very important skills for inside and outside of the job.
4. Lifeguard:
Being a lifeguard can teach responsibility and reliability, as well as the ability to act in high-pressure situations. Becoming a lifeguard also means you get certified in CPR and AED, which can also be put in your college application. In addition, lifeguarding can teach you about teamwork, time management, and cooperation skills, insofar as this field requires creating and organizing work shifts with the other lifeguards. The skills developed as a lifeguard can be transferrable to other future jobs and marketable when applying to colleges.
How do these jobs help high schoolers?
Having a job in high school can be extremely helpful with having your application by showing your capabilities and provides an opportunity to stand out from other college applications. The jobs chosen do not need to be prestigious; the skills you gain from almost any job can be marketed and are often transferrable. If possible, it may be beneficial to hold the same job for longer than just a summer in order to demonstrate commitment and dedication; in addition, doing so may allow you to climb the ladder to a higher position. So do not shy away from a job that you think might not look prestigious, and make sure to highlight skills you learned from that job in your college application.
For more help with college applications, why not meet with someone who does this for a living? Book a consultation below to assess your current standing and how a counselor might help you, below.
