Why You Should Work While in School
They say people who work for what they earn are generally more appreciative of their life experiences. Here are a number of ways you can benefit from working while in school.
By Al Dickenson — March 9, 2023
Attending school, be it high school, college, or technical school, is one of the most rewarding experiences in life in and of itself. There is nothing like continuous higher learning, preparing for your life after school, and making memories that will last a lifetime to come. However, by adding work into the mix, those benefits can be enhanced many times over. There are four main benefits for working while in school.
Earning Income:
Probably the most obvious benefit for working while in school would be the ability to earn some income. This income can be spent on so many things, everything from dorm room essentials to food to entertainment to saving for the future. Having a little extra cash to play around with never hurt anyone. One consideration to factor into the equation, however, is how your earned income may impact financial aid you are receiving from the state or federal government or your school. While this consideration may not affect everyone, you should be aware if it directly makes an impact on your life.Beyond earning income while in school, even volunteer work can be helpful. Taking unpaid internships or doing volunteer work can make a difference in how your life plays out during and after school. It shows drive and selflessness and a desire to make an impact, three traits many schools or employers look for. Plus, by having that experience, your starting hourly wage or salary may be boosted when you receive your first offer.
Preparing for Life After School:
Life while you are in school can be challenging, no doubt about it. However, chances are that once you have graduated, life will become even more difficult and complex. Without school, many people feel lost and unaccustomed to port-graduate life. However, by working while in school, the life skills you have learned can be reinforced more effectively. Things like keeping to a schedule, juggling multiple responsibilities both in home life and work life, and learning how to ask for help can all be important life lessons, useful in both your career and personal life. Additionally, as a tie back to the last point, earning an income every year could mean you would need to file your taxes. While at this early stage of your career and life, tax filing season probably would not be very complex, it can prepare you for the future after you have left high school or college and are working enough to reach a taxable threshold.Career Experience:
Do you have ideas about what you want to do, but are not sure that your destined career path is the correct one? By jumping into the work world early, through internship, part time jobs, or job shadowing, you can quickly figure out if this industry, role, or company is the correct one for you. There is nothing worse than going to school, thinking that this one career is the perfect one for you, only to have to completely change course once you are out of school to pursue something else. Maybe the cutthroat atmosphere of a particular profession is not the right fit for you, or maybe you are not suited for heavily customer facing roles. Whatever the case may be, by figuring out some of your options, it will be invariably easier to pivot to a new direction with the experience you gain. As they say, knowledge is power.In addition to helping you figure out what you would like to do for years to come, working in school can also lead to numerous other benefits for your professional life. It gives you the chance to make connections in a field you may be interested in and potentially allows mentoring in that role. Supervisors you have in high school or college part time jobs or internships can be some of the longest lasting references, mentors, and friends you can make.
Moreover, working in high school or while in postsecondary schooling gives you real, tangible items to talk about in a job interview, college application essay, or graduate school interview. Being able to draw on "real life" experiences from more than just your schooling can give you and your application an extra, noteworthy item. While these jobs and internships may not impact your thirty-year plan for your career, the doors they can open could set that plan in motion a lot faster.
Better Grades:
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and McPherson College, students who work while in school also attain better grades. These better grades can make a big difference in your life. Many schools will look at grades when awarding certain types of financial aid, and by having excellent grades, opportunities regarding scholarships and more may become available to you. If you are thinking of pursuing a graduate degree, having better grades will be even more important, and while employers cannot hire someone solely based on their grades, they may look favorably on you for having a truly exceptional grade point average.Though these are just four of the ways working while in high school or postsecondary education could impact you, there are many more. It is true what they say, however, that people who work for what they earn are generally more appreciative of their life experiences. Working while in school can make that statement a reality. Because you will have a little less time to fully enjoy life, you may find yourself becoming more present in situations with family and friends, and more understanding and appreciative of everyone else's situation.
Al Dickenson
Al Dickenson graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran College with bachelor’s degrees in history, communication, and English. He currently serves as an editor for an international equine practitioners’ magazine in and around Milwaukee, Wisconsin, his hometown, where he lives with his wife.
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