During high school, many students seek jobs as an opportunity to explore the real world and make money. These careers are vital in teaching students not only to dip their toes into the realm of financial independence, but also to learn a great plethora of life skills, ultimately preparing teens for the world that they will inevitably encounter in adulthood. Below are several local businesses that are hiring high school students and will, without a doubt, teach them lifelong skills.
Hostess ($18.75/hr)
Senior Lily Chesler works as a hostess at NOLA in Palo Alto, a restaurant specializing in Louisiana-inspired cuisine. After a while of looking for a job, Chesler found an opportunity at NOLA through her connections with people who already worked there. When it came to the hiring process, her previous connections helped her to get an interview which eventually got her offered a job.
Chesler feels that working as a hostess has led to an improvement in many different traits. “Skills that have definitely improved are my people skills,” she said. “I’m constantly socializing and talking to new people at my job, and it has become almost effortless now to create small talk with strangers.” Working as a hostess is also incredibly flexible, and Chesler can book shifts that work around her extracurriculars. “The best thing about working at this job are the people I meet, not only working with me, but all the interesting people I get to talk to,” she said.
Chesler also stresses the importance of being passionate about your place of work. “Definitely apply for a job that you’re interested in. Nothing sucks more than working hours doing something you don’t enjoy,” she said. Chesler also recommends applying to multiple jobs, since many businesses are not consistent in getting back to applicants.
Counselor ($16.50/hr)
Junior Sophia Silver spends her summers working as a camp counselor at Mountain Camp Woodside. Silver found her job through her own experience as a camper there. “I saw that when I was older, they were hiring good jobs, and I was like, ‘Gosh, I really would love to have a job,’” she said.
Silver describes the Mountain Camp hiring process as very straightforward. “You just have to fill out a form online, just with recommendations from other people and why you want the job and other important information,” Silver said. “Then they take you on a Zoom call interview, and then they tell you if you have the job or not.”
Working at camp has taught Silver adaptability and stamina. “I learned a lot [about] resilience. Working with children, they’re definitely difficult, and they’re all a unique situation,” she said. “So learning how to adapt to that was definitely a valuable skill that I learned.” Just like Chesler, Silver appreciates the flexibility of the job, since it runs throughout the summer. “It’s primarily over the summer, so school is not really a big part, but if there is schoolwork, it’s very easy to handle it along with the job,” she said.
Silver also enjoys being able to participate in such a welcoming environment. “I think it’s just great. You just learn responsibilities and get that hands-on experience, so I would definitely recommend it,” Silver said. Her advice for high school job applicants is to be receptive. “Don’t come in expecting it to be easy cause it’s probably not. Just have an open mind and be flexible,” she said.
Clerk ($18/hr)
Sophomore Stella Huang spends her school year working at the front desk at Synergy Badminton in Menlo Park. Huang found the job because she was already training there, and her sister worked there. “The hiring process was super easy. All I had to do was get the work permit and paperwork done, and then give it to [the manager], and I was essentially hired from there,” she said.
Her work has taught her how to balance a job along with school and extracurricular activities. However, Huang says she’s able to manage since working the front desk is a part-time job that still pays well. “I only work on weekends, which makes it really easy to balance school work and my other activities,” Huang said.
She admires the flexibility of her schedule and her welcoming coworkers, along with the light workload and the emphasis on socialization. “It’s not overbearing on my life. I also like it because most of the people I meet are pretty nice,” Huang said. “Working with my manager is really easy since my manager’s super chill. And she’s really nice about a lot of things.”
Huang’s favorite part of her job is its easygoing atmosphere, and she recommends that other high schoolers look for businesses that have a lenient working schedule that allows students to focus on academics and other passions. “I recommend working during high school to other students if it’s a job where you know the manager will allow you to be lenient,” Huang said. “Especially if you have a lot of schoolwork that you want to prioritize over it.”
Lifeguard ($22.68/hr)
Sophomore Logan Weiss works year-round as a lifeguard at Burgess Park in Menlo Park. Weiss came across this job when his friend suggested it. From there, Weiss searched for the position on the Menlo Park website and sent in his application. “To get hired as a lifeguard, first you have to go to the website. It’s just the Menlo Park website where you need to apply for the position,” Weiss said. “You wait one or two weeks for them to reply, and then you come in where they will interview you.”
“As a lifeguard, you learn quick response times and being able to quickly identify the problem,” Weiss said. He admires the flexibility and social aspect of his career, as the freedom to make connections has become his favorite part of his job. “I enjoy working there. Coworkers are very social, so you’ll make a lot of friends while you’re working there,” Weiss said. “You get to swim for free, and occasionally you get some food. As a lifeguard, our schedules are very flexible.” He advises other high school students to apply for multiple jobs and have patience. “Definitely apply for as many jobs as possible, but don’t be in a rush to hear back from them,” Weiss said.
