For most teens, finding your first job can be an excruciating process. It’s hard to get one without experience, but how do you get experience when most companies pass over you once they learn you’re under 18 and you’ve never had a job?
When I was looking for my first job, I went through over 30 applications, two interviews in which I never heard back from the business, and finally, four months later, I took the only job that got back to me. Working in the drive-thru of a well-known, Chicago-based “casual dining” restaurant.
Once I finally got the job after months of searching, it wasn’t all sunshine and butterflies. I had gone into the “interview” with the impression that I would be working as an indoor cashier, as the application didn’t specify. When I went in for orientation, I was partially horrified as they handed me the bright neon vest and hat specific to the outdoors. Nonetheless, I persevered and donned my new attire, ready to gain the experience I heavily desired. The paycheck was an added bonus.
So for my first month, I didn’t end up working as a cashier, I simply ran the food back and forth from the window to the cars. This allowed me to develop friendships with my coworkers inside and wasn’t the worst experience overall. A month later, they decided it was finally time for me to train for the position I had applied for. But in the midst of a rush, I kept mixing up the sizes of chili and had to return to the previous cars to fix the mistake. After two of these incidents, I was pulled inside to speak to the manager, overwhelmed and frustrated.
The months went on and I became more and more confident in the inner workings of the restaurant. I began training others and began to be someone who was relied on. Every Tuesday like clockwork, a certain manager would come up to me and ask if I could stay an extra 30 minutes to help do a pre-close. What this really meant was an extra hour that I hadn’t scheduled for. Once the restaurant was officially closed, it took an extra 30 minutes on top of that to do all of the closing tasks. I found myself in the midst of my junior year, dealing with all of my classes, clubs and extracurriculars managing on little sleep. I had zero time to do my homework in between school and making the 15-minute drive to work and then back after these closing tasks.
At one point early in my training, I approached one of my managers, commenting on how my parents didn’t like it when I was out past 11-11:30 p.m. I was worried I would get pulled over as curfew still applied to me and the late hours were taking a toll on my performance at school. They jokingly stated that if I got pulled over, the cops would let me go since I was in my uniform.
Senior Will Meszaros corroborated this thought, commenting on how when he started working at a movie theater in the summer of 2024, he was often scheduled on weekdays. This hindered his performance at school the next day as he was forced to stay out late. Meszaros fixed this by making sure his schedule included Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. He makes sure to spend his weekdays doing schoolwork so he can save his weekends for work.
Although, when it comes to choosing whether or not to prioritize school over work, school always comes first for the senior. Meszaros said, “I feel like school is more important because it builds character, it builds community… whereas when you go to work, you’re just going there, doing your manual tasks… and then coming home tired… but at school, you’re with your friends.”
Meszaros shared the power of hard work, mentioning that after working at the movie theater for eight months, he’s just been promoted to team lead.
In a survey put out by the X-ray on Feb. 20, 2025, most of the 41 student respondents reflected that they work between 10-20 hours per week, with outliers working 35-36 hours a week during the school year and the summer. Most students reflected that working outside of school builds positive character skills. The majority of the ranking, 28 students, stated that they believe that working outside of school is not bad for their mental health. Contrary to my experience and that of Meszaros, 18 students selected that working outside of school does not negatively affect their performance in school. It was easy for the majority of students to believe they were doing their best at work and feel confident about their performance.
In April 2024, my time at my drive-thru job ended, and in July 2024 I started my current job working as an accounting assistant at a machining shop. Since switching, I’ve discovered how fulfilling a desk job can be. I’ve learned how to use Excel products, something I hadn’t previously been exposed to.
What this all accumulates to is that having a job during high school can have its benefits, but it also has drawbacks. Having a job is essential to gaining financial freedom during your high school years, but while many employers are less than enthusiastic about your school obligations, it can be hard to manage schoolwork, jobs and extracurriculars. Having both of these experiences, both jobs have been opposites and have given me the ability to balance both school and work. Having a job in high school can be a great way to give you insight into future careers, earn your own money and learn how to manage under pressure.
