As a protective parent you may be wondering if you should encourage your teenager to get a summer job. Getting a job for the summer is a good idea for most children. They build up a resume, they get actual world experience and they learn a lot more about themselves, when they have to deal with a whole lot of people they don’t know too well.
They Learn More Self Discipline
Homeschool students as a rule are more independent and self reliant than regular students. However taking this outside the homeschool classroom and into a real world job situation only helps them develop more self discipline. They learn to access their work skills, make reasonable targets and achieve them by set deadlines. All skills that will come in handy later.
They Improve Their Interview Skills
The simple process of cold calling, filling out job applications, and appearing for interviews can make a big difference in the attitude for a homeschool student. The more jobs they apply for, the more they improve their chances of getting the job that they actually want. In addition the interview skills will help when they grow up and are actually looking for a good job.
They Learn to Handle Rejection, Criticism and Praise
Going from the homeschool classroom to a work place made up mostly of strangers helps the homeschool students develop their people skills. They learn that not everyone will love and praise them. They will face rejection, and criticism of the work that they are doing. It will make them better able to handle more challenges later in life.
They Work Outside Their Comfort Zone
The summer job pushes the homeschool student out of their comfort zone. There is no homeschool teacher to guide them. They need to learn on the job. They need to ask questions about things they don’t understand. They need to perform the tasks given to them.
They Build Up Their Self Esteem and Confidence Level
As they meet the challenges that the summer jobs throw their way, the homeschool students actually begin to gain more confidence in their abilities. They can handle more than they could before and this reflects in their positive self image and rising self esteem.
