In life, it’s always school, work and  family. That’s what people base their life on. But can all that activity take a toll on students? Teens in 2017 deal with a lot of stress. There are more tests than ever, plus sports, homework and trying to fit in time for friends and family. That can be a lot on a young adolescent, especially with a job on top of that as well.

Many teens work up to twenty hours a week, working around their busy school schedules. Senior Marina de la Cruz said, “I like the money and it’s nice to be able to contribute to the community and have my own responsibility.”

As kids grow up, you constantly are told to be responsible, and jobs give teens a possibility to see what the real world is like. However, this can negatively affect grades.

“Once I get home from work, I have to eat and take a shower, and I’m really tired. I push homework to the very end,” junior Nicole Beasley said.

Some days, work doesn’t get done at all due to exhaustion, and that can bring student’s GPAs down. This can have a snowball effect and stress out the teen even more. However, it is all worth it in the long run.

“Follow your dreams…and money,” junior Sam Adams said.  

Although it is difficult to juggle social life and school, it is overall very worth it for the experience and responsibility; and very obviously the money.

Tips for getting a job:

• Bring a professional resume ready when you apply.
• Dress for the job when picking up an application, dropping off the application and especially for the job interview.
• Fill out application completely, keep it neat and honest.
• Practice answering interview questions. For example, think of some real life situations about the job and how you would handle them.
• Know what employers are looking for – is the job working with the public, working independently, working with others? What skills do you need for the job? 

“Students can always come to the Career Center for help and I often have job opportunities posted. I just had a law firm looking to hire a junior or senior for an office assistant.” Career Specialist Kim LaFortune said.