Most high school students have a multitude of jobs throughout their years at BSM. While some of these jobs can be influential and helpful to their futures, others can cause bad experiences and sometimes get students fired. Whether the job ends or not, many students receive working experience.
One student had to deal with bad management when working at Platos Closet in Eden Prairie. Senior Willow Moquist ended up quitting her job at Platos Closet after her managers were disrespectful towards her and her coworkers. “They would talk bad about all the younger employees [in a different language], saying how they were too young to work there, how they should have hired better staff, and how the employees were lazy,” Moquist said.
Senior Delany Chapman enjoyed her work experience at Friendship Village in Bloomington, yet the experience was difficult. Having to work with the elderly can be difficult, as you spend a good amount of time with them and end up watching them age. “[It can be] really sad and not fun to work in a nursing home,” Chapman said.
Being a high school student and being employed can be difficult to work everything into a schedule. For senior Avery Coen, this caused her to quit her job at Scheels in Eden Prairie. “My manager was not accommodating to my schedule, even though I told him my schedule a month or two in advance,” Coen said.
Students must learn how to communicate with their employers properly when they join the working community. However, some managers can be difficult to work with. “I tried to talk to the manager to quit one time, but they begged me to stay so I stayed on the conditions of being respected more, but that didn’t work, so then I quit,” Chapman said.
Generally, Benilde-St. Margaret’s students found that unpleasant and harsh managers made for a bad job experience, specifically at retail stores. Finding a job that accommodates your schedule and working with managers who appreciate your help and time allows you to have an enjoyable work environment. Students overall suggested finding jobs at places other than retail stores. “I would avoid working in retail, especially at very busy stores such as Scheels because they require you to work a ton of hours,” Coen said.