Should Your Teen Get a Job? The Benefits of Working as a Teenager, According to College Admissions Counselors and a Social Worker

The key factor that college counselors consider when it comes to adolescent employment is pretty straightforward—namely, what did the high school applicant gain from this experience? There are many winning answers to this question that range from “developed a strong work ethic and improved interpersonal skills while flipping burgers” to “gained insight into a field of study that the applicant wishes to pursue as a career.” Money and time management skills can also be boosted from paid work experiences, and all these things look good on a college application, provided the teen in question actually did reap any of the aforementioned rewards and can communicate them in their own words.

It’s also worth noting that college admissions is not the only thing to consider. The real value of work goes much deeper, and any of the benefits to be gained from it can only be recognized by others if the teen actually finds the experience to be meaningful, rather than just a means to an end. For this reason, Kelman cautions against kids getting a job or volunteer position for the sake of college admissions only.

As such, Kelman recommends that teens who are interested in entering the workforce also consider incorporating volunteer work into their schedule: “Getting a job is great and gives teens value and purpose, but I believe teenagers can benefit more from getting into volunteer work at a younger age to learn the art of selflessness and giving to others. This gives them a sense of purpose, direction and commitment to something bigger than themselves.” In fact, her own teenage children, Jordyn and Kyle, have done exactly this by leading a teen-led initiative that focuses on helping their peers feel more connected and less alone at school.

The takeaway? Families and teens can experience meaningful personal growth through work, and that’s what college counselors and mental health professionals value most. In other words, encourage your children to see the forest through the trees.

Question: From the perspective of college admissions officers, is it a good thing for student-applicants to have worked after-school or summer jobs? 

Answer: Not necessarily.

“Colleges seek involved students who stand for something. Why do they care about this? They want to understand what the student’s contribution on their campus might end up being. So, whether they are flipping burgers for minimum wage, washing cars in the neighborhood, volunteering at a homeless shelter, or studying an extra language on the side, they just want to know that the student is doing something meaningful, has a passion, or skill, of quality that will ooze onto their campuses should that student be admitted. [But bottom line,] grades are the most important factor in admission. No job trumps that.” —Lisa McLaughlin, National Product Manager for College and Graduate School Admissions, The Princeton Review

“Most college admissions officers do not put a lot of importance on high school jobs. An internship in the field that the student wishes to pursue can be helpful because it demonstrates further interest and knowledge about the subject. Otherwise, after-school or summer jobs are primarily key for extra money, not for college admissions.”—Rashi Jindani of college admissions counseling firm Synocate 

“In order to make a job experience stand out, a student must be able to articulate what he or she learned while working, how he or she was able to make an impact on a local community, or how that job relates to their current interests and future academic pursuits. The essay portion of college applications can be an excellent opportunity for a student to discuss the lessons he or she learned from working, which will stand out to admissions officers if done thoughtfully… Students should think of part-time jobs as a supplement to writing for the school paper or playing on the soccer team, not something they should take on instead of one of these activities.” —Dr. Katherine Cohen, founder of college admissions counseling firm IvyWise

It’s all about the personal essay, friends. If your teenager has a meaningful employment experience that shows dedication to their paid work, school work, extracurriculars and whatever other responsibilities they are juggling, the experts say this information can be a boon to the applicant when incorporated into a well-written personal essay. It’s also worth noting that whatever work experience your teen has should be described in a way that really focuses on their passion for the field or simply the meaningful life lessons learned on the job, whether it’s interning in a law office or working a minimum wage retail job.

Question: What types of jobs will help a student stand out

Answer: Anything that inspires them to evolve as a person or help their community—that they can then write about in their application essays.  

“It’s not the type of job that matters necessarily. It’s more what students are doing with the wages they make, how much time is devoted to employment and how that impacts studies and other extracurricular involvement. Stories gleaned from employment, in my experience, tend to make for some pretty colorful college essays. Holding down a steady after school job while juggling multiple responsibilities shows determination, consistency, etc. If a student is interested in an accelerated medical school program (BSMD), then a job shadowing a doctor all summer may be more useful than flipping burgers. For the most part, I don’t think colleges expect for students to intern over the summer. And often, it can be viewed as a sign of privilege (i.e., working in mommy’s law firm). The litmus test here for students is to find something you enjoy doing or a way to earn money and do it consistently for more than a month or two. Scoop ice cream all summer and then do it the following summer as well and hopefully earn yourself a management type position or raise.” –Lisa McLaughlin, The Princeton Review 

“If a student has the luxury of choosing a position based on personal interest, then he or she should seek out a job that relates to a field that they are passionate about. A part-time job that is relevant to a passion the student has will help show admissions officers that the candidate looks for opportunities to learn outside of the classroom. However, admissions officers understand that finding a position that relates to certain interests can be difficult, if not impossible, for high school students to secure. More traditional jobs such as working in retail or waiting tables still require maturity, humility, and organization, which are all desirable qualities for prospective students. A student who takes one of these positions and writes passionately about the important life lessons he or she learned by waiting tables and interacting with people from different walks of life will come off as a mature candidate with valuable real world experience.” –Dr. Katherine Cohen, IvyWise

Per the experts, there are a whole host of different jobs that can make an impression on the admissions team at a college. In some cases, an internship or job that shows a passionate dedication to a particular career path can be very impressive, but any type of employment can have the same effect if the applicant is able to describe what it did to build character and prime them for success. Needless to say, not every 17-year-old college applicant has already determined their career path, and those who haven’t should simply choose a job that will help teach them responsibility and other real-world skills that will help them during their college years and beyond. What matters most is that the applicant is able to identify the value of their employment experience and put it into words.

Question: What are some of the more exceptional jobs you’ve seen students get?

Answer: Sit down, Mom. (But really, it runs the gamut.) 

“A student of mine once wrote the most powerful essay about her job scrubbing toilets for her parents’ small family business. She discovered a great sense of pride in that hard work and wrote an essay about the value of this job. Another student wrote about a job at a car wash. He decided to make it fun and by doing so, the entire business was the most profitable it had been in months. He brought a sense of humor and fun to the work site that caused an overall positive change in morale.”—Lisa McLaughlin, The Princeton Review 

“One of my students was interested in law and the government so she got a job with the State Assemblywoman and the public defender for subsequent summers. When she worked for the public defender's office, she got to make PowerPoints for the lawyer and observe courtroom trials. These were unique jobs and directly tied to her future aspirations.” –Rashni Jindani, Synocate

“One out-of-the-box job that was particularly noteworthy came from a student who was employed by an oceanographic institute and had a deep passion for the natural world. This student worked alongside scientists in their efforts to conserve the bluefin tuna. She spent time working on a boat reeling in and tagging the 600-pound tunas, followed by organizing the research collected in order to protect the tuna's spawning regions. This helped her stand out amongst other college applicants because it demonstrated her passion and expertise for a specific field. Another high school student worked for an NGO and utilized her trilingual language skill set to help translate communications. The NGO was devoted to giving women around the world access to business opportunities, microloans, insurance and financial tools. This helped the high school student stand out when she applied as an international business major to universities.” —Dr. Katherine Cohen, IvyWise

What Teens Learn From Working: Skills That Last a Lifetime

As previously mentioned, a wide range of jobs (read: all) have the potential to impart a ton of invaluable life skills, including humility, responsibility, teamwork and organization—all important for the developing adolescent brain. A teenager's role in the workplace is an excellent indication of the valuable qualities they already possess, as well as an opportunity to, well, put those qualities to work in the real world. The experts also indicate that certain types of jobs (i.e., those that align with the teenager’s career goals) can provide a head start on honing interpersonal skills and other specialized skills required for their intended field of study. And any job goes a long way towards encouraging independence, whilst imparting a new and beneficial perspective on business models and personal finances.