A rite of passage for millions of people growing up is having a summer job during the teen years. The teen years are an important part of everyone’s life. These are the years where you learn how to earn a living, save money, pay taxes, live on your own and much more. But, how much of a learning experience is having a summer job as a teenager? Are the two-and-a-half to three months of the summer enough to help a teenager learn some important life lessons? Let’s take a look at the importance of the relationship between summer jobs and teens in today’s post.
An Advantage in College
One of the biggest reasons why many teens seek out summer employment, or are forced to by their parents, is that they head to college with an advantage over students who did not work summer jobs. The advantage is that they come in more mature. They have a good work ethic, strong verbal communication skills, and strong time management skills. All of these skills will make it easier for the students to adapt to the college life, including their coursework, activities, internships and other areas of campus life. If your teen is getting ready to apply for college, holding a summer job might be looked at more favorably than volunteering in your community at some institutions. If the work experience does not have higher value, it almost certainly will have the same value, as community service work.
A Leg Up on a Career
Another major advantage of summer jobs and teens is that those who work these jobs will get a leg up on a career path. Or, on the other side of things, will know what it is they definitely don’t want to do with their career. Working a summer job can encourage a teen to pursue a career in the emergency services, the food service industry, the event planning industry, the hotel management industry and many other industries. At the same time, the teen will be making valuable contacts they can use down the road.
Other Added Benefits
Some of the other added benefits your teen will experience when working a summer job include the following:
- Customer service skills
- Getting used to the flow of a fast-paced environment
- Learning how to hit deadlines
- Development of their character
- Learning how to react to adversity
- Develop new relationships
- Show respect to those they do not know
- Earn compensation from people they have never met
Teens and Injuries on the Job
As important as a summer job is for teens, it can also be quite dangerous. Many teens will work in the food service industry, where there are lunch meat slicers, knives, and other industrial machines that can cause injury. Teens might also suffer slip and fall accidents at work, get into an accident while delivering for their pizza shop, or get hurt by an object that falls from a shelf they are stocking in the grocery store. It’s vital that you speak with your teen about staying safe at work and always paying attention to what they are doing.
Schedule a Consultation with an Attorney Today
Has your teen been injured at their summer job? Is there issues surrounding your teen’s employment with a seasonal workplace? If so, it’s time to speak with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney in Florida. Call the trusted team from the office of Sternberg | Forsythe, P.A. at 561-687-5660 or complete the contact form and a member of the firm will reach out to you in a timely manner.