In a five mile radius of Wilde Lake High School, there are literally thousands of jobs available for teenagers. Many students work for Columbia Association as lifeguards, for Merriweather Post Pavilion as event staff, or at the mall as retail workers.
Having a first job is exciting, especially with many options to choose from. According to U.S. News, first jobs teach teens how to earn money, manage time, and work with others. U.S. News says this is why jobs help teens earn more money in the future.
Senior Siena Mullican works at the clothing store Aeropostale located on the first floor of the Mall in Columbia, which is home to over 200 specialty stores ranging from Main Event to Barnes and Noble.
Siena says she has learned new skills from her first job. “I think it’s important for teenagers to have jobs because it teaches them the life skills that we don’t necessarily learn in school, such as working with people who are not your peers or resolving conflicts,” she said.
Siena says it is also important to go into a first job with the necessary. She says that anyone interested in working retail should be social and assertive.
“I would say being good at customer service, overall organization, and just being a generally confident person are helpful skills because you want to be confident enough to help people and also confident enough to delegate tasks,” she said.
Additionally, the convenience of working at the mall is a large reason why many teens work there, including senior Katie Yarrish who works at Hallmark, a gift shop.
“I love working at the mall because it’s super convenient as an incredibly busy high schooler,” she said. “It gives me the opportunity to shop before or after my shift, allowing me to do errands for my family or myself. And because I work at a Hallmark store, it has made getting gifts for family and friends a lot more affordable and convenient.”
Although Wilde Lake students enjoy their first jobs, they still face challenges in the workplace. Junior Jack Kastburg works at Merriweather as event staff. Merriweather Post Pavilion is one of the most famous concert venues in the United States, having hosted musical acts like Tyler the Creator and Lana Del Ray. At Merriweather, event staff ushers, scans tickets, and controls the crowd.
Jack says managing concertgoers can be difficult. “Dealing with the people is most challenging,” he said, which is why new hires need to be assertive.
Outside of job duties, junior Sadie Baker says that one of the most rewarding parts of her job as event staff is enjoying the concerts for free. She gets to hear bands that she would have never had another chance to listen to live if she didn’t work at Merriweather.
Similarly, lifeguarding comes with a lot of responsibility. Columbia Association is a nonprofit community services corporation that has facilities including pools, ice rinks, and gyms.
Many Howard County students work as lifeguards for Columbia Association. With 23 outdoor pools and four indoor facilities, teens can join the lifeguarding team and work at a pool right in their neighborhood.
Sophomore Ike Hughes is trained and regularly practices saving lives. Yet, Ike says it is stressful being a lifeguard knowing he may have to do a real save during a shift.
“The most challenging aspect of my job is just the stress that someone’s life is in my hands,” said Ike. “If you work at busier pools, you’re going to have to save some people.”
Even with the stress, lifeguarding is still an extremely fun and rewarding job. Senior Lauren Sykes says lifeguarding “expands your skills with customer service and rule enforcing.” All guards are given access to Columbia Association facilities for free and get to spend the summer by the pool, learning life-saving skills under the sun.
Most importantly, Lauren says teens should have first jobs because they prepare them for success after high school. “First jobs provide a good experience and sets teens up for successful future careers,” said Lauren.
