What Makes a Good First Job?

Maddie: I remember that when I was a teenager, I was really anxious to get my first job because I was always broke, and I wanted to buy lots of luxurious things, but my parents only gave me money for necessities.

Maddie: When I was 16 or 17, I remember I was really happy when I got my first part-time job after school. I worked at the library, um just putting books on the shelves, and it was an easy, relaxing job, and I liked it.

Maddie: I would recommend a job like that to high school students because it isn’t stressful, and you still have plenty of time to do your schoolwork.

Maddie: And another good idea for high school students is to find a job through a family member. My best friend used to work as a secretary at her uncle’s office. And, um, she liked that.

Maddie: And if you can’t work with family, there’s always something you can do to make money. Like I had another friend who used to work at a grocery store. And his job was mainly to put food into bags and to pick up litter from the floor. And he didn’t really love his job, but he was happy to get a paycheck.

Vocabulary:

anxious to – wanting to do something very much; very eager or impatient, “She was anxious to start her new hobby because it looked so fun.”

always broke – having absolutely no money at all on a regular basis, “When I was in college, I was always broke and could rarely afford to go out.”

luxurious things – expensive, high-quality items that are nice to have but not needed to live, “He loves spending his money on luxurious things like fancy watches and sports cars.”

necessities – basic things that you absolutely must have to survive, such as food, water, clothing, and shelter, “We packed only the necessities for our weekend camping trip.”

part-time job – a job where a person works only a few hours a day or a week rather than a full schedule, “She got a part-time job at a coffee shop to earn extra money on weekends.”

plenty of time – a large amount of time; more than enough time to complete something, “Don’t rush your dinner; we still have plenty of time before the movie starts.”

pick up litter – to gather up trash, garbage, or waste that has been left on the ground, “The students went outside to pick up litter around the school yard.”

get a paycheck – to receive money from an employer as payment for the work you have done, “After working hard all month, it felt amazing to finally get a paycheck.”