Side Hustles for Students in High School

Whether it be in preparation for going to college, making extra money on the side, or learning responsibility, having part-time jobs can benefit high school students in various ways. Post-pandemic, high school students are increasingly employed as servers, cooks, babysitters, lawnmowers, freelance writers, etc., which helps them gain work experience and increase in both independence and accountability. Most jobs taken up by high schoolers demand under 20 hours per week worth of work, which helps students not be distracted by school while also making money on the side. In fact, “37 percent of 16- to 19-year-olds had a job or were looking for one last year, the highest annual rate since 2009, according to Labor Department data." Clearly, this generation of high school students understand that work experience is an important component of the hiring experience. By jump-starting participation in the economy, students learn how to manage their finances early on and are able to pivot much more easily into other careers.

Jobs for High School Students

While students may not want to pursue a career as a server or cook, by starting off working at these careers, students learn basic responsibilities associated with working for a company with other colleagues. 

Retail

One part-time job students could pursue is working in the retail industry as a sales associate. By working a shift after school, students would be able to learn organizational skills that relate to inventory management, budgeting, and adopt a customer-oriented mindset. These skills extend far beyond retail and can open a wide variety of skills for students to use in their futures. For example, learning how to manage an inventory helps students understand the concept of scarcity in resources, purchasing, and cost allocation, which can help them in the field of business. Similarly, using and debugging computer-based inventory management prepares students for careers in information technology and engineering. By gaining a wide skill set of knowledge, students will be able to pick and choose which aspects of their job they enjoy, which may help with choosing a major and career path. 

Tutoring

Apart from retail, students can also work part-time as tutors. By working as tutors, students are able to become both better learners and better teachers. Any form of coaching, whether it be tutoring or teaching, requires a great deal of active listening. Students must understand the needs of their pupils and work to address gaps in their learning. As a result, high school students become better listeners, helping them in personal and professional relationships. Furthermore, teaching leads to better comprehension of course material, so as tutors, students can better their own understanding of certain concepts and ideas, making them better students. Going above and beyond in understanding course material, students may find that they want to pursue the study of a specific concept or topic after high school -- or even decide that teaching is a profession they may want to look into. 

Hospitality

Additionally, students may want to take up a part-time job at a restaurant after school. As servers or line cooks, students would learn aspects of cooking, allocating resources, and restaurant management. Jobs at restaurants can be particularly demanding in terms of workload, which can serve as a valuable experience that helps boost work ethic in students. In addition, they can learn how to work with other people. Whether it be a fast food or even a Michelin Star restaurant, any restaurant requires multiple employees to work together in order to be functional. Being a part of an assembly-line-esque system such as a restaurant, where multiple functions cooperate with one another in order to deliver a good, helps students learn the value of teamwork, which is an essential skill for any field of study. 

Cleaning

Another avenue high school students could go through are yard clean-up services, which help build entrepreneurial and time management skills. By operating a business, students learn about opportunity costs and start managing their time more efficiently. In addition to the physical activity promoted by this type of work, running a business serves as work experience that prepares students to be successful in other types of entrepreneurial ventures they may decide to pursue in their lifetime. Learning how to manage finances, budget, and run a petty cash fund would also teach students basic accounting principles.  All in all, there are a number of part-time endeavors students may want to pursue that can have several benefits on the future of students. As a result, considering a part-time job could both help a student save money for college and prepare for college by picking up valuable skills while working. Opponents of students being employed in high school cite a job being a distraction to students, focusing on school as the primary reason they should not be employed. However, as with almost everything, moderation is key. When students devote enough time to their academics and also have a job, they will hold more responsibility in the long-term.