Getting a first job can be scary for most teens.  The intimidation of having an interview or learning new skills could give teens a reason to want to procrastinate on filling out their first job application.  However, there are many perks to having a job in high school, even if they do not seem so immediately obvious.

The first action to take while on the hunt for a job is to decide where to apply.  The majority of jobs for teens are either in retail or fast food, so the options will most likely be in either of those categories.  Senior Anna Labrecque works at Bob’s Stores, cleaning up after customers and folding clothes.

“I didn’t choose to work at Bob’s for any particular reason other than that they were hiring and I needed money,” Labrecque explained.

Fellow senior Kelly Neto works at Panera Bread both at the cash register and preparing food.  Neto says the biggest thing getting a job has taught her is how to save money so that she does not have to depend on her parents.  Having your own spending money definitely provides more freedom, and Neto is enjoying that aspect of it.

Labrecque and Neto also both agree that having a job has made them much more responsible, and it has caused them to grow up.  For most people, especially teens, talking to strangers is not the easiest thing to do.  If anything, speaking out to strangers is seen by teenagers as a struggle and fairly awkward and uncomfortable.  The majority of jobs cause workers to go outside of their comfort zones and learn how to communicate with unfamiliar people every day.

Neto claimed, “From working at Panera, I learned to talk to people and it has made me much more personable.”

Although both Neto and Labrecque initially only wanted a job for the money, they have both realized that they have gained skills that are more valuable than money.  Experience is priceless, and they can now bring the skills they have learned from their first jobs to many jobs they take in the future.  Money is definitely a plus, but stepping outside of a comfort zone can make a teen grow as a person in endless positive ways.