Getting A Job As A Teenager

In today's world, teenagers have a good number of options for jobs they can do as students. While it is rare to find one that pays much higher than minimum wage, finding a job is not too hard. The most common jobs that teenagers have are fast food jobs, lifeguarding, babysitting, and dog walking.

Keep in mind that depending on the state, regulations about how much minors are allowed to work will vary. In Arizona, no person under sixteen can work more than three hours on a school day and no more than eight hours on weekends. Overall, they can’t work more than an 18 hour week. Additionally, these shifts must happen between 6:00 a.m and 9:30 pm on weekdays. If the employee is either not attending school or their school is not in session, they can work 40 hours per week. but still not before 6:00 am or after 11:00 p.m. (Details can be found on the Industrial Commission of Arizona website.) Be sure to see what your state’s regulations are to find out when and how much you’re allowed to work.

I think that these regulations are pretty reasonable and I was grateful that I never had to work any closing shifts when I had homework to do and other commitments. I didn’t work any weekdays except Friday but I think that if I had, coming home at 10:30 pm wouldn’t have given me enough time to get things done. Because my shifts always ended earlier, on weekends I still had time to see my friends. Making sure that you have time after a shift to do the things you want or have to do is key to not getting burnt out.

I needed a job near my house so that if I could not get a ride to work I had the option to walk.

Initially, I looked for jobs as a barista but quickly realized that almost all of them, including Coffee Bean and Starbucks, hired workers no younger than 16. Three of my friends worked at Chick- Fil-A and another worked at Dairy Queen, so I figured that the fast food industry would hire younger people. When I saw an opening at an ice cream place near my house, I decided it was the best option for me because scooping ice cream requires little to no prior experience.

Since I worked mainly Saturday and Sundays, with an occasional Friday shift, my job didn’t impact my grades. I worked from 2 to 9 pm so I could do homework or study in the morning. What it impacted more was my social life because it is typically weekends where people get together and do stuff. We were able to request time off but it had to be a few weeks in advance so that could be difficult. Luckily, there is always the option to ask a coworker to take my shift in desperate times.

I also learned many skills as well like customer service, handling money, and the best way to cut strawberries. I know that these skills will help me later in life, and I was able to learn them while getting paid for it!

I believe that a teenager should have a job while in high school for at least a short time. It is great to have that work experience for future jobs and you’ll make some money to spend or save, as well. I understand that during the school year, getting a job is difficult. That’s why many teenagers choose to work during the summer instead, and I think that’s a great idea.

Depending on the rigor of your classes, getting a job during the school year might not be the right move. You need good time management for that because it will be tempting to go straight to bed after a long shift. If you can find a job that will only ask you to work weekends, it is likely the best option for you as a busy student. Most importantly, if your job begins to affect your grades or another area of your life there is no shame in quitting or asking about working shorter shifts.

1. Works Cited

Labor - Youth Employment - hours restrictions. Labor - Youth Employment - Hours Restrictions | Industrial Commission of Arizona. (2023, July 17). https://www.azica.gov/labor-youth-employment-hours-restrictions#:~:text=A.R.S.,(18)%20hours%20per%20week.