In recent years, more and more students have been looking for employment opportunities. A survey that York conducts yearly called the College Career and Readiness Survey takes into account how many seniors are working.
In 2023, 421 graduating seniors out of 494 surveyed were employed. The survey uses employment data to determine the college and career readiness of students at York.
“Anything that you make a purposeful choice to do and show that you stuck with something is always good,” Amy Thompson, college and career counselor, said. “[College admission officers] will then also know that you’re coming in with a greater sense of the real world than if you have only done things in a narrow lane of interests.”
There are plenty of places in Elmhurst hiring teens and many students are taking advantage of that. Some of the more popular jobs consist of lifeguarding for the Elmhurst Park District pools, being a camp counselor, babysitting, a hostess, working in retail, and even starting their own business. Junior Jessica Schulz worked as a camp counselor over the summer for the YMCA along with coaching a YMCA boys basketball team in the winter.
“I really like the place that I work, because I have been going there since I was a kid,” Schultz said. “When I go to college I want to be able to have the experience and be able to buy stuff myself.”
While some students are just working for fun, to feel independent or just to have some spending money, others are working to support themselves and their family. Junior Milton Carrillo Ramos has family members living in Guatemala that he helps out financially. He works three jobs in order to do so. These jobs consist of working in a factory doing the packing, cleaning and working of machines, along with transferring to different fast food restaurants such as Burger King and McDonalds.
“I sometimes send money to help my parents and my brothers and my sister too,” Ramos said. “Some money I keep here to pay my bills.”
It can be hard for students to keep up with a job when you have school among other activities, while also having family responsibilities. Having a job isn’t only about being responsible for those you work with, but those you work for. Ramos on the other hand, works long hours at night and finds it difficult making time for everything.
“It’s kind of hard because you have to balance your schedule,” Ramos said. “I have eight hours here at school and then I have eight hours at my job. The weekends you have to do stuff like laundry and clean the house which makes it hard to keep the balance.”
Though having a job isn’t always easy, it can give students a sense of what it’s like to be a part of society. Junior Avery Jacobsthal worked at Egg Harbor this summer as a hostess and witnessed first hand how a business, such as a restaurant, runs.
“You get to earn money for yourself,” Jacobsthal said. “I get to see how people older than me are able to build themselves up in the company because a lot of them started out like me as hostess and now they’re managers. I think it’s important for people to earn their own money and understand how to work with others around them in an environment where you have to keep things running smoothly.”
Schultz got a chance to connect with people through her job, with little kids among people her own age, which enhances communication skills and one’s problem solving ability. Being comfortable in a social environment is crucial when going into the workforce.
“I think it really prepares you because you get to learn how to interact with people,” Schultz said. “If a problem occurs at work you learn how to deal with it which is definitely going to happen in the real world.”
Not every job is going to be perfect, so it’s more about finding the right fit for the time being. A student’s first job probably won’t be their profession forever, but it could lead them to a better idea of what they’re looking for in an occupation.
“I like working with customer relations,” Jacobsthal said. “At Egg Harbor I have to deal with a lot of customer issues, complaints and just interacting with people in general. I think I want to do something with that in the future.”
Jacobsthal had many reasons for getting a job, such as occupying time over the summer, making some fun spending money and even thinking ahead for future jobs by planning to put her hostess position on a resume.
“An employer is going to be really impressed by a high school student with a resume,” Thompson said. “If you have one and have done the application, go in and talk to them. When you hand them your resume they are going to be a lot more impressed then just someone who is sitting at home waiting to get called. That will definitely give you an edge.”
Taking initiative to talk with a potential boss can be intimidating to some students, so Thompson recommends practicing skills that are needed for an interview. Practice shaking hands, making eye contact and especially thinking about answers to interview questions.
“The more you put yourself through discomfort the better you become at it,” Thompson said. “From discomfort comes growth, I’m a big believer in that.”
Being employed as a student might not be something that everyone wants to do or has the time and need for, but it certainly comes with benefits. Jobs have helped students become more equipped for the future beyond high school.
“Having a job can really enlighten students and can help them figure out what things they actually like about a job and things they dislike and separating that out,” Thompson said. “You can learn a lot about yourself and what’s a good environment for you.”