Have you ever worked a job while balancing multiple responsibilities throughout the school year? Nearly 30% of high school students work across the U.S. Having a job can give them the money to pay for extra things they’ll enjoy. It will also provide the opportunity to network with all kinds of people. However, it can be challenging to find a balance between school, work, and social life. Therefore, it’s important to choose carefully in order to prevent stress and burnout.

Lily Bridges:

Q: What is your job?

A: I work at Big Blue which is a swim school for kids.

Q: What responsibilities do you have there?

A: I have a responsibility to maintain the safety of the children, making sure my swimmers understand the curriculum, and picking it up at a fast enough rate.

Q: Are you a swim coach there?

A: Yeah, I’m a swim coach there, so I am able to go in the water and teach them how to swim.

Q: What’s your favorite part of the job?

A: I really love watching the kids grow and improve over time. It really is super fun to be able to see that I’m helping them in a way and that they’re understanding what I am saying, along with their swimming getting stronger. 

Q: What skills have you noticed that you helped them improve the most?

A: There are a lot of different levels, but for “Brights,” our little kids who are below six, it’s maintaining the breathing underwater and safety swim where we make sure if they were to come in contact with water, they can safely get out of that situation. For our “Bulb” classes which are the older kids, we make sure that they have good techniques when it comes to swimming.

Q: How do you balance your job with school?

A: It’s honestly pretty easy. I work a double shift on Sundays, so I work from 7:30-4 and then I work on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school from 5 to 8 p.m. Therefore, I have a lot of time on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays when I have off.

Q: Is there anything stressful about your job?

A: Just the fact that you are dealing with very little kids who don’t know how to swim most of the time and making sure that they don’t injure themselves or get hurt in the water. We also need to make sure that nothing bad necessarily happens. 

Q: Is there anything unique that you have to do with them since they’re little kids?

A: Yeah sometimes we have to use fun phrases to make sure that they’re doing the right techniques, because sometimes they won’t get the more complex words to use. So instead of saying “circle,” you can say “round like a pizza.” Funny phrases can make them understand the curriculum a little bit more. 

Ryan Desiderio:

Q: What is your job?

A: I work as a sales floor associate at Hollister in Dulles Town Center. 

Q: What are the responsibilities that you have there?

A: For the most part we do [something] called shipment, where we take in newly shipped clothes from the boxes. We unbox them, put the sensors on them, and hang them back up on the rack or put them in the back if there is no room. We also check people out and help people with styling or whatever assistance they need. When it comes to the clothes they’re buying, we also have to track to see if anyone is stealing and we have to knock on the fitting room doors to check. 

Q: How do you balance that job with school?

A: This year I’m taking lighter courses, because I wanted to sort of dip my feet into the water to see what I was in for since this is my first year back in public school from being homeschooled. I found that getting a job that’s sort of close to school that I can do after school where I can just go right there from school and then go home afterward has really helped with balance. Also, you should definitely use your study halls. Don’t just look at your phone. If you want a job you have to use your study hall. Otherwise, it will all fall behind especially if you are taking harder classes. I will also say that I have a huge advantage because I am able to drive myself, so that’s kind of the main thing that helps me. Having a job definitely requires a lot more time management from me. 

Q: Is there anything stressful about it?

A: I mean it depends on the job. I used to work at a grocery store as a cashier and that was a horrible experience, so I would say find a job that works for you. I’m more of a slower pace kind of person and I like working in retail, because you get to know your coworkers. Whereas, when I was working in the grocery store, there wasn’t a lot of time to talk, because you were just constantly checking someone out. I enjoy working in retail, because there are a lot of people around my age who go to different schools around the county. I think that can make shifts more fun and have them go by faster. 

Q: What’s your favorite part of your job?

A: I’d say my favorite part is probably getting the discount. I get a certain amount of 50% off for a month and then an unlimited 40% off for clothes for myself. I just love the fashion aspects, so that’s probably the best part of working in retail for me. 

Grace Tucker: 

Q: What is your job?

A: I’m a server at a restaurant in Ashby Ponds, so I have to get drinks, bread, and orders. I’m also supposed to get dessert and cater to my table’s needs. Once I’m done seating people and everyone’s out of the restaurant, I have side work: mopping, sweeping, and stuff like that.

Q: What’s your favorite part of doing your job?

A: Probably working with my friends, we have a great crew and just walking around and seeing their smiles on their faces makes my day. 

Q: What’s your least favorite part of your job?

A: Probably dealing with complaints and rude people. We probably get one rude person per shift, but it’s ok, you get used to it. 

Q: How do you manage school and your job?

A: I get out of school early, because I have early release.  So, I just go right to work afterwards. Therefore, it’s not too bad. I get out of work at 8:30, so I still have enough time to do my homework.