Teenagers: Do you want to work?

I believe most of them want to since at some point they will want their own money. Inheritances are always good but not something to plan a life on.
Most that I’ve met were a bit scared and thought it would be hard. But like anything else practice makes it perfect.

So kids. Don’t be afraid. You might like it :)

More than anything!!! When volleyball is over, I have nothing to do. Until lacrosse starts anyway. I mean, I know I have homework, but I would love to have a job. I could be training, but a job keeps me occupied and such. Plus, I get paid. You can;t get paid for being smart or fit. So, yes.

The thought of balancing working on top of college classes is very scary to me so I’d prefer to avoid it if I can. I think I could handle maybe a part time campus job as a math tutor or something though. I definitely want to work over the summers. After sitting around for the last year I never really want to sit around again.

I need to get over a feeling of ineptitude which is holding me back and making me feel really afraid about professional life, but I think it’s going to have to be one of those things I face head-on. I’m not sure what direction I’m headed in yet but I just want to be very competent in whatever field I choose.

I want to, but I’m only 14. In the summer, however, my friend and I help out at a small local farm picking the crops. My friend, however is 18 and says she has tried looking for a job, but it’s tough. Her family doesn’t have alot of money, and she wants to help out, but it just isn’t a good time.
@blueberry_kid I play volleyball too!

* Not Teenager * When I was a teenager, however, I did not want to work. Ever. I dreaded the idea. I kept telling myself that I would just write something fantastic and slowly publish new material over the course of a few years until I could finally make money off of it. That never happened either. I always thought that work would be tedious. I didn’t think it would be horrible, but I didn’t want to be bored. And I didn’t want to work with people – that was a huge issue for me. I didn’t feel ready to work until my senior year as an undergraduate.

I would not want to deter any teenager from breaking into the work force, but it should be something you are interested whether that is volunteering at a shelter, tutoring, working retail—whatever. But school should not stop being a priority. If work begins to interfere with your academics, then a reassessment may be necessary.

Not really, but I probably I’ll probably have to one of these days..

I’m 15 and am dying to get a job. Father says I have to wait until I finish my year 10 at school so I can enjoy my childhood but having a job would let me get out and have more fun with my friends, plus that way I could help around the house and pay for somethings. (:

I got a job at a restaurant, two days a week after school, when I was 16. I’m not sure if that’s the sort of work you mean, because it’s basically the norm for students to have a part-time/casual job on top of their study in Australia. At the moment I have two jobs, plus two more gigs lined up for the summer. I love the independence that you get when you earn your own money. I enjoy the responsibility, and the trust that has been placed in me. I also know that I don’t want to work in hospitality for the rest of my life, so it’s pretty inspiring, too!

I don’t really want to work though. When we were in our last or second-last year of high school, we got a book of all the jobs that were out there, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to go after any of them. I guess because it’s exam time right now I’d be happy to take any of them over studying, so my perspective is a bit skewed at the moment.

It seems to me that your work ends up defining you. So I aim to stay in academia for as long as possible, or until I get a better picture of what I ‘want to do with my life’. I’m afraid of ending up in a job I don’t enjoy. In a way it’s worse than being unemployed because you’re not actively looking for something better.

I had a job a week after I turned 15. I had really been working before that but this was an official paycheque.

My son has been working for the last 7 months (he’s 16) at our local grocery store. He’s finding it a hard adjustment and complains mightily when ever he works 8 hours. But he is loving the money. He’s saved up a few thousand dollars that will really help when he decides to move out. But better than that he’s building a great resume as he is very conscientious at work and his bosses really like him.

I’m thinking about applying somewhere so I can get some money for my sick dog and once she’s better I want to save for college. I’m probably going to try to get a job at market basket or something.
I do look forward to it. I think it will be what it is. Work that has to be done that provides me with money if I get it done right. I imagine it as something that will be annoying and will probably consume all my free time, but could be fun at times depending on the job.
My thoughts on having a job is that in this life you can’t get everything handed to you. You have to work to get the things you need and want. If you don’t work than your life is in the hands of your parents or whoever else is supporting you. They can easily deny you something you could have otherwise had.

I’m currently a cashier at Best Buy, and I’m actually pretty happy there. Sure, it gets stressful at times due to schoolwork and college applications, but I’m really enjoying that I’m now able to pay for my own gas and be more self-sufficient. Other than that, I rarely spend money- I’m a big saver, so it doesn’t have much to do with the spending money aspect. (I’m seventeen and a senior in high school, if it makes a difference.)

I personally do look forward to working as an adult. Having an actual career and working in a field that I enjoy is something that I’m really looking forward to doing in the future. Of course, I’m afraid of doing things all on my own- who isn’t? Not to mention that I have some pretty bad anxiety that causes me to incessantly worry about the future. But I imagine that work, though it may be difficult and trying, can also be fun and fulfilling if I’m doing something that I love and I’m making a difference in the world.

I’d love to work in a bookstore, a small homey one, family owned and everything, but they’ve been eviscerated by the likes of Barnes & Noble and such. Otherwise, no, not at all.

@Mariah We’re still teenagers?!
Depends. I ain’t working behind a fast food counter all day. Maybe taco bell, but that’s far away from me. I’mma find a job after this semester during the winter break to finance my trip to Amsterdam (To view Architecture, of course…)

Yes! I currently babysit but it’s under the table and won’t last long. Kids get older pretty fast.

I’m 19 and am looking for my first job now. I really should have started looking much earlier; I really regret not applying when I was 16, but my mother didn’t want me working at the only place in the area that would hire at that age, so I ended up putting it off until now.

Anyway, I would love to work at a book store. I applied to Barnes & Noble recently (the only book store in my area), but they didn’t call back. Thinking about applying again soon. I imagine working at a record store would be fantastic, but the nearest one is much too far to travel out to every day. Not having my own car is a major hindrance, but I’m planning to brave the bus system here soon, though I find it pretty daunting.

As for actual career paths – I imagine my feelings on working an actual career would depend on the career I had. I hypothetically look forward to having a job that I enjoy and feel good about doing, but I really don’t have any ideas as to what I want to be. I’m also realistic enough to know that not everyone gets their ‘dream job,’ especially when said person doesn’t even have an inkling as to what they want to do. So really, I’m more dreadfully anxious over even the prospect of choosing a career path than anything else.

Obviously, I’m not a teenager anymore, but I remember those days. I started babysitting when I was 11, and got my first real job at 14 (had to lie about my age to get it).

I remember being terrified by the prospect of interviews and applications, but we were pretty poor, so I was damn serious about getting a job. Having spending money was a completely new experience for me, and I made the most of it that first year. At 15, I started paying my own way, to take the financial burden off of my single mother. I mostly enjoyed working, for a lot of reasons. Still do, for that matter!

@martianspringtime If I can give you some advise on getting the job you want:

Find out who the manager of the Barnes and Noble is and give your application to that person. Ask if they are hiring and if they aren’t ask when that person thinks they’ll be hiring. Call back every two to three weeks to find out if the situation has changed. Visit the store regularly and try to chat up the manager if you see them. In other words show you’re interested and that should pay dividends for you.

I’d like to get a job, but first I’d have to get my permit, and then my license, and then a car! It’ll all happen in due time I guess!

I would like a job sometime when I’m a little bit older but not right now because I already have things to do all school year. I think it would be nice to have a babysitting job in my neighborhood or somewhere I could walk to every once in a while though. I could start to earn my own money instead of just getting it all from my dad.

Over the summer, they allow 14 year olds to be lifeguards! Or, you can help out at a few pet stores. AND! Clean up duty at amusement parks.