Written by Elly Herrick, Staff Writer
From doing yard-work to bussing tables, Indian Trail High School & Academy senior Jacob Kielan has already acquired a lot of work experience. For the past year and a half, he’s been at the Pleasant Prairie Recplex working with children.
“The job is dif cult because you have to make sure every kid is accounted for, safe, and having fun,” Kielan said. Some days he leaves work feeling completely drained. Stress comes with most jobs, according to Betterhealth. com, the No. 1 ranked health and medical website in Australia.
“The longer we feel stressed, the greater the demand on our bodies,” the site advises. Learning how to handle that stress and turn it into motivation is a much harder feat. “It’s rewarding because I’m happy to see the kids happy,” Kielan said.
One in four high school students have jobs. In 2018, about 29 percent of teens worked year-round and just under 35 percent worked in the summer, according to a Pew Research Center study.
Zac Hermanson, a Lakeview High School senior, has been working at a law rm in Kenosha for three months.
“Everything is do-able,” Hermanson said.
He works with many workers who are older than him and noted that patience is key.
“Working at a law rm at 16 is extremely nerve-wracking,” Hermanson said. “From personal experience, you just gotta hang in there and take time to learn everything.” Stress in the workplace is common and can stem from workload, people, and trying to balance social and work life. While people can seem like they’re in the fast lane, accomplishing multiple tasks at a time, they may also be suffering from chronic stress. Hermanson manages his stress by listening to music and trying to keep a clear head, he said.
Six Flags America caricature artist Annphia Shelton, an
IT sophomore, works in a dif cult, yet supportive and new environment.
“It’s definitely difficult,” Shelton explains. “It’s a completely different form of art I haven’t done before, and you have to learn how to do it at the drop of a hat.”
“It’s a learning experience!” she said.
Many state and federal laws protect minors from working excessive hours. During the summer, minors can work 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week, with those hours running only until 9 p.m. After Labor Day, they shall only work until 7 p.m. and are limited to just 18 hours a week.
Nowadays, with a 3.5 percent unemployment rate, the labor market has plenty of job openings, but it may be hard to find the perfect fit, teens say.
IT junior and Culver’s employee Hailey Price said connections made in the workplace are special.
“It’s a good starting job. Being here for a year and a half is tiring, but when working here you see people you truly appreciate and love,” Price said.
“The best part of working is getting to see my favorite people,” Price states again, making sure her point was well understood.
Minimum wage in Wisconsin as of 2019 is $7.25 per hour. Some workplaces, such as Mcdonalds, offer a starting wage of $8, while others such as Walmart have starting positions as high as $14.13 per hour.
While a job helps young employees gain time management skills, experience, friendships and income, it also may bring stress, anxiety and depression.
Teens say it’s a life experience where you can make special connections.
“Getting a job at this age is worth it,” Price said. “I’m the person there with the best attitude, especially if every- one’s stressed. I’m there to say, ‘It’s okay!’”