Teen Years (13-18)

The part-time job has always been a teenager’s rite of passage, but now busy high-school schedules are making it much more difficult to work at the local pizza parlor or ice cream shop. Juggling a full-time academic schedule, a social life, extracurricular activities and other personal responsibilities doesn’t leave a lot of time for a job. Yet, working during the high-school years can be beneficial, as teens learn to be more responsible and independent while earning extra spending money.

    Because of all these considerations, experts agree that parents need to be cautious before allowing their child to work during the school year. When it comes to teens working, one has to consider the good, the bad and the ugly.

The good
    In many cases, it’s more than the money that pays off for teens. Most experts agree that working instills confidence, teaches time-management skills and exposes them to real-life situations. Amie Bernave, 18, of Buena Park (now a freshman in college) started working at Papa John’s her senior year in high school. At times, it was stressful balancing schoolwork, the job and water polo, but overall, the experience was very positive. “Since I had only so much time in my week, the job forced me to become very organized and I would plan out my days carefully,” she says. The other thing that helped was that Bernave eventually worked only on weekends, which did not interfere with studying. “The best part was that my shift ended early enough so I could still get together with friends.”

    What’s more, part-time jobs also look good to college admissions personnel.  “Colleges definitely view part-time employment favorably,” stresses Ellen Weinstein, a college admissions counselor and owner of Academic Advisors in Newport Beach. “It demonstrates a high level of responsibility and a commitment if the student stayed with a particular job over a period of time,” she says. But Weinstein cautions that if a job starts to interfere with a student’s performance or with schoolwork, it can suddenly become more harmful than helpful. “A job can teach wonderful lessons and is a positive experience only if the student is able to manage limited time effectively,” says Weinstein.

    Another benefit of part-time work is the opportunity it provides to learn about money management. When teens start working, they tend to spend their money more wisely, since they understand how long it takes to earn.

The bad
    Despite the strengths of a part-time job, there’s no question that it can have a negative impact on academic performance. A recent study at Virginia Tech showed that students who worked 15 or more hours a week while in school showed a decline in grades and performed less well on standardized tests. These students were also less likely to take more demanding classes, particularly higher-level math and science.

    Experts stress that teens should limit the number of hours they work during the school year. And college admissions counselors agree that extracurricular activities for high school students are extremely important because they help them to discover personal interests and possible career paths. “In addition to the grades and standardized test scores, colleges look to see how well-rounded a student is in terms of their after-school sports and other extracurricular pursuits,” Weinstein says. “Part-time jobs make it difficult for students to find time to do other activities.”

The ugly   
    Part-time jobs can actually be harmful if teenagers are mistreated or work in potentially dangerous situations. Recent studies have shown that teen workers (partly because of their youth and inexperience) face high levels of sexual harassment. In addition, many teens are reluctant to report sexual harassment. Susan Fineran, professor of the University of Southern Maine, found that in her study of 280 high-school students, 43% of those who worked part time (both females and males) had experienced sexual harassment. Co-workers were the harassers in about half the cases, and the other half was equally split between supervisors and vendors/customers. “The disturbing part is that kids are typically only working part-time, yet experience the same or higher frequency rates of sexual harassment than adults,” she says.

    Another concern is the accident rate among teenagers on the job site. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in 2006, 30 youths under 18 died from work-related injuries. In 2003, an estimated 54,800 work-related injuries and illnesses among youth less than 18 years of age were treated in hospital emergency departments. NIOSH reports that the most dangerous teen jobs involve driving and delivery, working alone in cash-based businesses, cooking and construction.

    Due to all these considerations, it makes sense to be certain that your teen’s job is not only safe, but a good match. Encourage them to start out working a minimal amount of hours and then evaluate the situation before adding hours. “If it’s a good job and does not monopolize their time, part-time jobs can provide enormous self-satisfaction,” says Weinstein. m

    Freelance writer Carol Daus is a contributor to OC Family Magazine.