Whether mixing malts at the mall, stocking shelves at the
shoe stor,e or flinging fries at the fast-food store, teenagers are working at
part-time jobs all over. After school, on weekends and during school vacations,
adolescents are sampling the working world and earning their own money, usually
for the first time.
Although most teens seek work primarily for the pay it will
provide, a job can offer additional rewards, such as professional and personal
training for adult life. After-school jobs for teens are not just about earning
gas money.
What money management
lessons can kids learn by holding part-time jobs?
1. Hard work pays
off.
For most people, easy money is not nearly as satisfying as
earned funds. Parents who do not encourage their teens to obtain jobs actually
may rob their young adults of this wonderful sense of accomplishment.
Does anyone ever forget that very first real paycheck? How
about the first pay raise, particularly if it has been awarded for on-the-job
merit or achievements?
2. Character actually
does count.
Many companies offer employee-of-the-month programs. Workers
who display reliability, dependability, honesty, effort, personal initiative,
and other positive character traits may see their names embossed on brass
plates and displayed at the workplace for all to see. Perhaps a photo will be
added. Maybe the employee-of-the-month will be featured on the company’s
website.
Recognition at the workplace is rewarding, particularly for
young up-and-coming future careerists. Regardless of the nature of the first
job, who doesn’t love to be appreciated and featured? What’s more, employees
who consistently display strong character will be most likely to earn
performance bonuses, which will spell greater earnings.
3. Punctuality earns
points.
Anyone can do the math here. Arriving on time for a job is
essential. A teen will quickly discover the need to be on-site before his or
her shift begins. Along the same lines, clocking out on time (no earlier or
later, unless the employer approves it) will reap rewards as well.
On the other hand, failure to adhere to the employer’s
schedule will lead to negative consequences, perhaps including the loss of the
job. Punctuality is a powerful statement of an employee’s reliability, and a
basic expectation of all employers.
4. Organization is
essential.
Personal organization is paramount to any profession. Teens
who hold part-time jobs will learn procedures for performing tasks and probably
also for record-keeping.
At home, as adolescents begin bringing home paychecks, they
will enjoy hands-on lessons in basic banking and bookkeeping. They will have to
file tax withholding forms, as well as annual tax returns. By doing so, most
will be pleased to receive tax refunds!
5. Delayed
gratification can be good.
Whatever the wage level, working teens learn to plan for
important purchases. Quite quickly, they begin calculating how long it may take
to earn sufficient funds for car expenses or other significant items.
Gainful employment also offers teens the ability to support
their own recreational interests, such as movies and dining out with friends. By
chipping hard-earned funds to pay for gasoline, a young adult may quickly
become an expert on the rise and fall of oil prices, as well as other current
economic trends.
Is there any more powerful way to learn firsthand the value
of a dollar, besides earning that dollar on one’s own?
6. Savings strategies
are super.
Wise parents will help teens to plan, right from the very
first paycheck, to stash some cash in the bank. Why not take a teen to the
bank, with that check in hand, and setting up an individual savings account? Perhaps
the family has established trustee or custodial accounts for that child, with
higher education and other interests in mind. However, the personal account has
another purpose. By setting up a separate savings account with the teen,
parents offer that youngster an opportunity to practice fiscal responsibility,
without granting access to important long-term investments.
A teen who learns to pay himself or herself right away, in
terms of savings, will benefit greatly in the long run. Even a savings deposit
of $20 per paycheck can pile up over time.
7. Tithing builds
trust.
Families who tithe will want to impress this upon teens,
once they begin earning their own money. Many parents begin this when children
are quite young, if they receive allowances or payment for babysitting or
chores. Learning this early sets a young person up for a lifetime of blessing.
8. Working is
worthwhile.
A teenager’s part-time job may require a certain level of
commitment from the rest of the family, particularly the parents. Perhaps
transportation will be needed, to and from work. Family schedules may need to
be altered to accommodate the adolescent’s work schedule. Trips and vacations
may be affected by hourly shifts and other job requirements.
Still, most families will determine that the teen’s job
experience is well worth the cost.
9. After-school jobs
can open doors for future employment.
Working teens often enjoy jump starts to their
post-education careers that non-working young people do not have. It’s never
too early to start networking, especially on the job. And how many working teenagers
gain helpful professional and character references after proving themselves to
be valuable employees?
Image/s:
Adapted from public domain artwork
Feel free to follow on Google Plus and Twitter.
