When is the perfect age to get a first job?

You should get it at about the age where your at least 15 -19 which ever you feel comfortable with. Just be sure it’s not a really HARD job!!! (: Good LUCK!!!!!!

Oh, and how old are you? Because it depends…-

“Extra money”?! – do teens not work because they need money any more?

Anyway…I say 14. Babysitting, yard work, bagging groceries. All good for 14-year-olds.

I’d say around 72.

@ratboy me:.....

There isn’t a right answer to this. When I was 17 I barely spent anytime on homework while my girlfriend struggled to pass her classes. I guess if you can still pull off passing your classes while working.

It depends on many things. The employee’s maturity for one. About 16.

2.5. Pick up your toys.

Thanks for the responses! To further elaborate, the job is a part-time job as a waiter at an old-folks home. I didn’t plan on working during my school year.

My kids went to work at 13 because we had no money and there were things they wanted but I couldn’t afford. They got a paper route job. Before that, they’d walk into small business and ask what they could do to earn a few buck.

I got a paper route when I was 8…the kind where I had to be up at 5am Monday through Friday and 6am on Sundays to deliver the daily newspaper. That was a good age for me.

25, After your parents have put you through college.

@YARNLADY: And what if you’re putting yourself through college?

Well my best friend has been working since she was literally 5 years old and she is the most industrious, smartest, and most well put together person I know…

64

No one would kick if you don’t stay for too long.

Welcome to Fluther.

@cprevite I took the question too literally and answered the perfect time.

16 or so. I started at 17 being a parking valet. $3/hour cash, when minimum wage was $1.65. I was pretty well off.

Two friends on the block had the paper route, and I was the sub from the age of 12, but my parents didn’t want me to take it long term because of getting up so early.

@YARNLADY: Ah, I see.

@Bryburn Oh, DO it! It will be more than a job. It will change your perspective on life.

No perfect time. Its fine to take the job if you can handle it and its legal. If its a summer job and its something you think you can handle, I say go for it. It’ll pay back huge rewards.

Note: I assume your pretty young so not sure if you can drive or not/if you have a car or not/if you can get a ride or not/if you even need a car to get around where you live. Just make sure things like getting to and from work and any other of these types of details are worked out before you accept the job. It would be really bad to accept the job and realize on your first day it won’t work out.

@YARNLADY If a person hasn’t had a job by the time they’re 25 then chances are they aren’t going to get one, college or not.

@Dutchess_III I took it to mean a real, career type job, not just the odd, part time work teens and undergrads do.

Hm.

Immediately after HS. You should have to actually work for two years before you are allowed to attend college.