It is incredibly important to have a job. If you are bored or perhaps in need of some extra cash, then you could benefit from getting a job. Being able to work, specifically in high school, is crucial. Now is the time to explore the workplace and start practicing acting as an adult. The basic elements of your first job are practically the same for your first professional career. A resume, an interview, conversations with your boss; these are all skills that can be mastered now, while it’s much easier.

Here are four reasons why you should get a job:

1. Money. This is probably the most common reason students get a job. When it’s your own money, you can use it on whatever you want. You longer dependent on your mom, but now have access to your own funds. Not only are you making money, but you also learn to manage money as well. Having your own income is amazing because it’s easy to manage and allows you to have more freedom. How adult of you!
2. Time management. Having a job allows you the opportunity to make your own schedule. You can pick the days you want off, and decide how frequently you wish to work. A job allows you the opportunity of having an organized work and social life balance custom to your specific wants and needs. Not going to lie, having a planned out schedule is pretty awesome. Just imagine making money whenever you want, just get a job already.
3. Life Skills. It’s not the specific task that you do at work, that is a life skill, but the steps you took to get these. For example, a job interview is something you will use a multitude of times in the future. It’s best to practice it now, versus right after college. A job will teach you punctuality, a boss employee relationship, how to speak to a customer, all of these things are so important to learn. A job will teach you so much if you let it. In my opinion, waiting until you’re 18 to start learning all of this isn’t wise, do it now, and don’t stress later.
4. New Friends. Depending on where you work, you may make some work buds. Some may be 17 and some may be 28. It’s those fun random people that you meet at work that add to the overall experience. Having a job isn’t just about working, but you actually meet so many amazing people that you wouldn’t meet via your mom giving you a twenty. Life is all about networking. You might as well make some connections while working. Having a job allows you to socialize to, not just bust your but for eight hours.

Having a job now will make life so much easier later. With Covid-19 having cancelled practically everything, take your new ample free time and make some money with it. You don’t need to work 30 hour weeks to learn the basic skills a job can teach you. I highly recommend taking a leap of faith, and exploring the workplace. One easy place to get hired is usually at a food service; they are always hiring, these are usually easy hours due to the large amounts of employees, and the work is incredibly simple. Now go out there and get to work.