Student Jobs

TEENAGE SURVIVAL: How do I get a job? What are the benefits? But, COVID?

What are the benefits of having a job? Owen Ferris, a senior who works at Walmart, said “Working at a young age is very fun, and having a fully disposable income gives me the freedom to fund my hobbies” Ferris explained that “the hard part is getting one, you just have to keep applying and keep calling. Being persistent will never lose you a job.”

Students at PVHS have had to fill their time during the pandemic with a variety of hobbies, sports, or working part-time jobs. Students 16 years of age or older are eligible to apply for part-time work to supplement their income, offering many the opportunity for making money to spend on their social life, helping their families make ends meet, or even saving for college.

Students have encountered many problems this year when applying for jobs, such as writing resumes for the first time with little guidance or even finding job openings to apply to. Greg Ford, a Math and Work Experience teacher at PVHS, highly recommends that students take the Work Experience class (an extracurricular class that teaches life management skills and work-related content) to help answer questions or concerns surrounding the topic of jobs and work. Students who take Work Experience learn about finding job openings, writing resumes, interview skills, personal finance, and learning about career-type jobs.

To get started, Ford recommends that students search online (Indeed.com) as well as local places around town that are hiring. At PVHS, 225 students currently have work permits yet only 63 of those students are enrolled in the Work Experience class.

Due to the pandemic, many teenagers have struggled to find employment or even maintain their jobs, making the application process often as intimidating as applying to colleges. How has COVID impacted recent employment in businesses?

Junior Aiden King who works at T Bar, acknowledges that “There are far fewer people working now during this pandemic, and we have to be a lot more careful in food services.”

Aubrey Matlock, also a Junior at PVHS, formerly worked at the movie theater. She expressed her contempt towards the pandemic. She said “It is frustrating to not be able to work because I can’t keep my job until the theater opens back up. I can’t even find another job that is offering to hire since the movie theater was really flexible hours-wise, and there is nowhere else that is as flexible with their hours.”

Senior Kaitlyn Spittle who works at KFC and Rice Bowl, claimed that “COVID has actually benefited me because I started both my jobs during this pandemic. It’s easier to learn more things and gives me time to pace myself. working in a different environment with masks also shows that you have to respect boundaries and take those precautions seriously.”

Many of these unaddressed problems and concerns such as students’ questions about jobs during the current global pandemic have complicated the situation, but students should not be discouraged from searching for work.

To get a work permit, simply fill out the green form agreement that you can find in the library or in Greg Ford’s classroom at Y205. The job process can seem like an overwhelming step for some people, but many students here at PVHS have committed themselves to find a job so they can work.