As we age, the desire for our “own” money grows. Suddenly, we want a job to make money and be able to purchase whatever we want, whenever we want. Maybe you want to save for college, or even something expensive your parents won’t get for you. Personally, I just wanted to make money to buy clothes!

Money is definitely a perk, but having an after-school job is much more: it’s responsibility! There are a myriad of jobs to choose from, but ultimately they all teach similar lessons. After-school jobs can teach boost social skills, time management, and independence.

I can attest to that; I work in retail – and working in retail goes hand in hand with being social. I’m supposed to greet customers and make sure they’re finding everything they need. Whether working at the cash register or not, I’m required to be social and talk to customers – and my coworkers as well! I’ve learned that it’s important to have a good relationship with your coworkers, and being involved makes the job easier.

I’ve also learned that time management is really important as being able to finish tasks accordingly and in a timely manner in order to increase productivity. Most importantly, working has taught me to be independent and learn to rely on myself. At any job, you need to make sure you know what you’re doing to avoid having three people working on the same thing. Independence allows you to finish tasks by yourself and is very important because there’s not always going to be someone to help or carry you. For instance, I’ve learned to be independent at the cash register despite how nerve-wracking it is. I know I should be able to ring someone up without a manager.

Additionally, having a job has taught me the hard work that goes into making money. Money truly does not grow on trees and needs to be earned. Yes, my job is not the most difficult but I have to put aside four hours of my time to do some labor in order to earn minimum wage. Because of this, I’ve learned to be more mindful of my spending habits and what I spend my money on. Having a job has also shown me that I need to balance my social life and work life. Work should come first and be taken seriously. Hangouts can wait another day while work is mandatory. If you’re not willing to possibly miss out on hangouts or compromise, maybe an after-school job is not for you. 

All in all, having an after-school job can be very beneficial. It’s given me real-world experience and has taught me many skills and lessons I wouldn’t have otherwise learned. Although I need to compromise time and sometimes it gets exhausting, I personally think it’s worth it! Who knows where your after-school could take you?