As I am nearing the end of my adolescent years, I have realized the importance of having a job and earning my own money. I began working at my high school the summer after my sophomore year, and I didn’t realize how crucial having a job during my teenage years would be.

Because I had a job when I was 15 years old, I learned to put effort into my work and do the best work I could, even when other people were not working as hard. I learned to focus on myself rather than others, and take pride in what I did instead of worrying about everyone else.

As I got older, I began spending the money I was earning. One of the most important reasons teenagers should have a job is because you learn the value of a dollar. Want to spend $170 on a concert ticket? That equals around 20 hours at your minimum wage job. This makes you budget when you are planning on buying things and makes you consider if the purchase will really be worth spending the money.

Having a job from a younger age also teaches responsibility. Going to school is stressful enough, but in order to learn effective time management skills teens need to take on more than just their academics. Not only does it help to increase time management skills, a job is also a nice item to put on a resumé. It shows that you have real world skills, such as interpersonal communication skills, plus you are able to stick to a schedule and be reliable.

From high school summer work crew to on-campus jobs to Panera Bread, all my jobs have taught me these important lessons during my teenage years, and I hope that other teenagers choose to join the ranks of the employed and learn these lessons too.