Job hunting
The part-time jobs you had as a student can shape your career
Most of us start our working lives with part-time jobs in high school. We work bussing tables, bagging groceries, or cleaning houses.
You may see these experiences as nothing more than a means to an end. You worked part-time jobs until you moved on to better-paying jobs with more opportunities for growth. End of story, right?
These early work experiences provide more benefits than you think. Your high school or college part-time jobs may not have paid well, but you learned valuable lessons through them. These lessons gave you basic knowledge of how the world works and how you fit into it.
Key takeaways
- Your first part-time job gave you benefits you might not recognize
- Lessons you learned in your first part-time job helped shape you as a worker
- Every experience in life is an opportunity to grow
- Part-time jobs teach you about the value of money
- Negative work experiences can leave the most lasting impressions
Your part-time jobs in high school or college may not have paid well, but you learned valuable lessons through them.
What you learn about the nature of work in your first part-time job
Most of our first work experiences aren’t easy. The jobs involve a certain amount of hustle, grind, physical labor, or mundane, repetitive tasks. They’re the kind of jobs people view as boring or unsatisfying beyond the paycheck they provide.
However, everything we do in life is an opportunity to learn. Despite the work being less than engaging, you still benefited from these important life lessons. You learned:
The value of humility
Work needs to be done, and someone needs to do it. Nobody is “above” doing certain kinds of work.
The value of people doing the work
No matter the job people are performing, they are worthy of respect. Nothing teaches that lesson more than being on the receiving end of disrespect. When someone talks down to you because you’re in a lower position, you’ll remember (hopefully) not to do that in the future.
Work isn’t always enjoyable
To function in society, you need to be able to put up with some level of discomfort. Even if you’re lucky enough to work a well-paying job, you’re still going to have to do tasks you don’t enjoy. Completing repetitive, mundane tasks in your first part-time job is good practice for dealing with discomfort.
Taking direction
One thing you’ll learn in your first part-time job is that your boss calls the shots. Not all bosses are created equal. Some you’ll like, some you won’t, but you have to do the work they assign—within reason.
To please other people
The working world is all about relationships and personal interaction. If you’re in customer service, as so many first-time jobs are, it’s your job to help people. You learn pretty quickly that keeping customers happy is essential to having a good day at work.
How to work with different kinds of people
Just as you won’t love all of your bosses, you won’t love all of your coworkers. Some will be friendly and helpful. Others—not so much. You’ll never be done learning this lesson—none of us will—but you’ll get a chance to practice in your first job.
Learning the value of money
When you’re young, you don’t always connect things with their monetary value. Even if your family talks openly about money, you don’t understand that the food on your table equals the time and energy someone sacrificed so you can all eat.
When you get your first job, that disconnect about what it takes to get money clears up fast.
No matter how much your parents try to teach you “the value of a dollar,” it really doesn’t sink in until it’s your sweat that earns the dollar.
You gain more understanding of what things are actually worth. Suddenly, that pair of sneakers your parents won’t buy equals five or ten hours of your work.
Getting your first paycheck—and giving your first payment to Uncle Sam
Getting your first paycheck is a life lesson as well. You probably had your pay all figured out. You worked x number of hours, multiplied that by your hourly wage, and expected that amount to show up on your check. Then your eyes pop when you see how much is deducted from your pay for taxes and Social Security.
It doesn’t take long before you learn the difference between your gross income—what you earn before payroll deductions—and your net income, otherwise known as your take-home pay. From here on out, you know to factor in those deductions when you’re expecting your next paycheck. That’s another benefit of taking that part-time job as a student.
Negative experiences teach us about what we want and don’t want from our jobs. When you look for your next role, keep in mind the things you want to avoid in a work situation.
The things that have shaped your character
Sometimes the biggest lessons in life come from the most challenging circumstances. You can gather a lot of life wisdom from the challenges of your first work experiences.
As we mentioned already, you’ll find some bosses and coworkers challenging. These challenges can range from irksome behaviors to truly problematic dilemmas. Recognizing when you need to take action about such difficulties is a lifelong process.
For example, you may have a coworker who has an annoying habit, like breathing loudly through their mouth or snapping gum. You have to weigh:
- How much it’s bothering you
- Whether it’s interfering with your work
- If there’s anything to be gained by raising the issue
- If there’s anything that will be lost by raising the issue
In the case of a mildly annoying habit, you may decide it’s not worth it to try to do anything about it.
Then, there are more challenging scenarios:
- A coworker or boss doing such a poor job, it’s impacting your ability to do yours
- People doing things you know are going to lose customers—being rude, not helpful, etc.
- Bosses who expect people to work without compensation
- People pocketing office supplies or other goods
- Being asked to “fudge” something or do something unethical or illegal as part of your job
In all of these scenarios, you need to weigh the pros and cons of raising the issue. You always have to take into account your financial situation. You also have to consider your boundaries for acceptable behavior.
Ruling out things by experience
Many people don’t like their first part-time job. If you don’t like your job, think about what in particular you don’t like.
Say your first part-time job is working a cash register, and you dislike it. Do you dislike interacting with lots of different people during the day? Do you feel antsy standing in one spot all day?
Don’t love your work as a camp counselor? Is it the kids or the bugs? Or are you uncomfortable leading the activities?
Our first work experiences can help us rule out the types of work we don’t want to do in the future.
Part-time jobs can lead you to paths you may not have taken
Not every part-time job is something to be forgotten once you land a better position. Some part-time jobs open your eyes to a career path you hadn’t considered.
Think of the waiters or waitresses who go on to become chefs or restaurant owners. Or someone who sweeps up at a pet groomer and decides to become a veterinarian. Part-time jobs are a low-risk way to see if you like a certain field.
Final thoughts
Don’t be ashamed of your early work experiences. Those part-time jobs you had in high school or college helped you learn about the world, how to work with people, and about yourself.
Be proud of any work experience where you did the work and something was better because of it. That time you worked in a carnival? Put it right there on your resume—you’ll have a great conversation piece for your interview.
