Working has become more popular among high schoolers as they look to find work experience and take small steps toward becoming an adult by learning how to spend their paychecks wisely. Choosing a job that is a perfect fit as a high school student may be hard. A student needs to take into account  how many hours they work, the driving distance to the job, and the wages into consideration. 

Seniors Sidney Powell, Naolee Makonnen, and Amina Leman chose to apply to Topgolf Loudoun. They found that Topgolf was a perfect distance away and wasn’t hard to get to, and the hours of the job worked well on top of their school schedules. “I like working at Topgolf because [I] like how all of my friends work there and all of the managers are really great when it comes to the workplaces and when it comes to giving me life advice,” Makonnen said. 

A bonus of the job was being surrounded by adults who not only wanted their employees to do their best at work, but also in school and in relationships. Also it is helping them get ready for college, as most workers are either juniors or seniors. When looking for a job as a high schooler, many mainly look for places that would mix well with their personality. If the job fits them and turns into something they’re looking for, they might return to it during breaks even in college. 

A large part of having a part-time job during high school is figuring out how to manage time. “The work life and environment at work is very healthy as it is really getting me ready to work a real adult job,” Leman said. “I manage my time by using Google Calendar, so I put down the days I work when the schedule comes out and I put down my school assignments that need to get done, and I just get it done.”

One thing all three of these seniors have in common is working in the same department, golf service. Their department mainly works on getting players checked in, bringing clubs to bays, making sure all the clubs are in their designated areas,  and making sure players come in with a warm welcome and leave with a nice goodbye because they are the first playmakers that players see when they come in and also the last.

The department is mainly known for being able to communicate and handle any situation. “Working at Topgolf is great for me because I get to meet new people whenever the front door opens, as well as work with many of my friends from school, which I find great,” Powell said. Being able to have conversations with players you have never met before may be hard for some, but Powell has a love for getting to meet new faces.

Golf service departments are described as the people the players see first when entering and last when exiting. They’re the baseline for most players’ opinions of how their visit to Topgolf is going to look and if they would want to come back. “When it gets busy, it does tend to get really stressful as players are getting mad about our waitlist or the fact that they didn’t get the bay wanted, which is why I don’t really recommend this job for people who can’t perform under pressure,” Leman said from experience with dealing with similar situations.

Applying to Topgolf gives students many job options to choose from: golf services, food running, bayhost, caddie, porters/facilities, and manager roles. These teens have been working for a few months, and needless to say, have gained many life experiences through their part-time jobs.