As summer approaches, there’s one big thing high schoolers start thinking about: summer jobs. Having a job builds customer service skills as well as soft skills, which are important for the future.
To find job openings, Skyline students with jobs suggest going online, using Google, walking into stores, calling up an employer, or getting connected through someone else.
Brooklyn Welch (‘28) was able to get a job at Culvers. “My friend sent me a link to the job application after she got her job interview.”
The most important thing is to ask around, reach out, and actively look for work.
Most entry-level jobs that are available to high schoolers vary in the amount of labor they require. “Be prepared to possibly be doing a lot or nothing,” says Branden Broulette (‘26). Having a job can mean standing by a cash register for hours or spending hours teaching kids how to swim: very different levels of physical effort.
When looking for a job, it is important to consider what kind of work you would be doing and what the environment will be like. Commercial chains can cause high stress and anxiety because of the atmosphere. These kinds of jobs usually have a work environment where there can be unrealistically high performance expectations and long hours.
Sometimes it is healthier to find someplace local to work. Working at a fast food chain herself, Skyline student Thea Yoccum (‘26) says, “I’m glad I have a good work environment in a fast food place, but I know it’s not the same elsewhere.”
According to Indeed, some of the most common summer jobs for high school students are:
- Movie clerk
- Cashier
- Pool Attendant
- Barista
- Lifeguard
- Server
- Swim instructor
- Babysitter
- Camp counselor
- Tutor
Each of these jobs allows high schoolers to earn their own money and gain real-world experience.
