High school comes with a lot of different experiences and new responsibilities we have to learn. It’s the first time we start actually thinking about the fact that we’ll be in the real world pretty soon! With college feeling like more than just a word now, many students might want to practice and get the necessary skills for that rapidly approaching event in their life. A popular way of earning experience is through getting their first job. It’s not an uncommon thing, and I bet you know a classmate close to you who has a job. In fact, according to a recent poll with a sample of 52 responses, 26% of students in our high school have jobs! That’s more than a fourth of the highschoolers.  Interning and volunteering are also popular, with 14% of WT highschoolers doing that. In addition to students having jobs or internships, 25% of students do babysitting.  But what is having a job really like for students?

Aftercare is a first job that many WT students have since it’s right at the school! 26% of students with jobs in our school work there. Carolyn Suffoletto and Aniya Padiath both work helping with WTafter3s and Extended Day. This is a run right here at WT, it keeps kids entertained after school hours until their parents can pick them up. Students can apply any time for a job during the year, they’re always looking for more help with the insane children. Those who work there, like Carolyn and Aniya, help with activities from Clay Sculpting to Lego Building. In extended day they supervise kids at play, whether inside or on the playground. When they’re outside the children run crazy on the slide and monkey bars. “The really little kids get stuck on the monkey bars sometimes because they’re too scared to jump down.” Aniya laughed. There is never excessive amounts of chaos though, especially when the kids are distracted with fun WTafter3 activities. Carolyn helps with 3 of creative activities including, Claying Around, where kids get to play with clay, Camp Canva, which teaches them how to use Canva and Little Picasso which has a variety of art making. 

Carolyn has been working at WTafter3 for a while. “I volunteered last year,” she said, adding how the process of filling out the paperwork was long since there are a lot of forms, like getting a workers permit. “I didn’t get hired until the end of last year, around the last 3 months of school.” She explained. Carolyn had known Ms. Maggie, the head of the aftercare program, prior to getting hired. Carolyn’s been at WT since lower school and knows a lot of the staff, like Ms. Annie. Those teachers taught her when she was in lower school when she did WTafter3s. One of the highlights of the job for her is getting to see those teachers again. This job is also helpful because the longer Aniya and Carolyn  work at aftercare the higher status they can get. Both said how they plan to keep the job for a while. “I’d say until junior year.” Carolyn mentioned.

Customer service jobs are also a common choice for students looking for work. Frida Wright holds a job at Spark Books, a children’s bookstore in Fox Chapel. “I work at the register most of the time” She commented “A lot of the time I have to wrap things because a lot people get presents for their kids and for family members”. In the holiday season the bookstore also has special events, including visits from Santa Claus, weekly family storytimes and book club. Working in a place like a store is good practice for talking to customers and managing funds. Frida is in charge of the Young Adult section at the store. She chooses which books to order for that section of the store. Another special part of her job is making cards for different books, which say why she likes them to encourage customers to read them, also known as ‘Staff Picks’.

“Staff picks are definitely a big thing I work on,” Frida explained.

To get hired, Frida had to be interviewed and she learned the Spark Books Employee Handbook. Her family knew someone already working there so she had some prior information about it before she applied. During the interview she stated her good qualities and why she’d be a good fit for the job, then she got hired. Frida has been working there for 5-6 months now and she plans to keep the job through all of high school. “I like my boss and I really like the people I work with so I’d like to stay with it.” She explained. Frida also talked about how she is getting good work experience at the job. Working with people and kids, since it’s a children’s bookstore, is good practice for being in the real world and college.

Working as hosts or servers in restaurants is also a popular choice for students looking for a first job. It is the most common according to the poll at about 50% of highschoolers with yobs working in a restaurant or café! Sophie Clendenning-Kim works at Tepache, a Mexican restaurant in Fox Chapel. In addition to that she also works in aftercare during the week when she can. Despite having two yobs Sophie explained that she doesn’t find it that difficult to balance school, work and friends.  “I still have time for extra curricular stuff, I’m in a band” She mentioned. Sophie works as a hostess at the restaurant which includes cleaning menus, making kids menus and seating people. Her shift is sometimes slow since it’s on Sundays. Her job is mostly customer service based and she explained how she doesn’t find it that difficult. Sophie’s brother worked at the job before her which made the application process simpler.  “Basically he recommended me to the manager and that’s it.” Sophie said “I’m kind of a Nepo Baby.” She added jokingly. 

Sophie said how there are a lot of funny things that happen at her job with her work friends. Having a job can make memories and friends. One time during Tepache’s Day of the Dead celebration there was a face painter for all of the employees there. One server went to get face paint and nobody knew what he was going to get…bwt then he comes out in full clown makeup! This had happened right before the busiest hours at the restaurant and it could not be undone. “We just start seating him with tables with kids,” Sophie says funnily. “He walks past my work friends and I and he makes this creepy Joker laugh. And I think that’s the funniest thing that’s happened!”. 

While there are many different kinds of jobs, it’s clear that the experiences can be very interesting for students.“I think it’s just nice having a job in general. It’s good practice for the real world.” Aniya said, well said. Being prepared by learning skills like customer service, organization and working with children are ways that students get ready for what happens after high school (not to mention how it looks good on college applications). That explains why it’s such a common extra-curricular. Balancing school and homework can be more stressful for students with sports or doing theatre after school too, but that time planning is good experience itself. Students also can get more involved with their community by meeting new people, whether colleges or customers. It’s a milestone for students to enter adulthood that many do.