Career Advice By Randy

Office Jobs for High School Students

Jobs aren’t just for college graduates or people out there trying to make it on their own. Having a job while in high school can be beneficial on many levels. First, it teaches young adults to have a sense of independence and pride in their work. Secondly, it teaches them the value of a dollar. Having a part-time job while in school can also teach work ethic, time management, and people skills. In addition to these moral benefits, parents can also benefit from the ease this can bring to their financial situation, while high-school students no longer feel guilty for having fun on their parents’ dime when times are tough.

But with no previous work experience and not even so much as a high school diploma under their belt, where can high school students find a job, when even college graduates are having a hard time doing the same thing? There are the obvious default job options—grocery store baggers, retail clerks, waiters and waitresses, and even baristas. While these are all good options in terms of income, it is much smarter to choose a position such as an office job to start building a resume early on, putting you one step ahead of everyone else when it comes to future job searches.

Good examples of office jobs for high school students include law office assistants, receptionist positions (for any type of company), and even office assistants for doctor and dentist offices. Also, many real estate agencies often need clerical help, so this could be a good place to start as well. If the high school student has an idea of what field they might like to work in down the road, an even better idea would be to seek out office positions in a company in their desired industry. This could lead to valuable contacts and insights that can really provide a head start for the future. No matter what position a student ends up with, there’s no doubt that any work experience will prove very valuable in many ways down the road.