There are many students who would like to enter the workforce and work for their own money, rather than depend on their parents’ financial backing. But is it really necessary to have to have a job or to be able to become independent from your parents from a fairly young age?

In any case, some of the reasons why teens go out to find work/ways to earn money is because of the costs of tertiary education, a parental requirement or even just to have extra money to spare. The tertiary education reason is understandable, as I know that several of my friends are trying to pay off their debt as fast as possible so that they don’t have to think about it in the future. Earning extra money on the side is also quite understandable, but this means that you don’t really need a full-time (or even a part-time) job in order to earn some extra cash. Even doing something as simple as online surveys or tutoring younger kids can amount to a pretty decent cashflow. Having to earn cash because of a parental requirement is something I haven’t heard of before until now. I guess this means that your parents may want you to become independent from them as quickly as possible!

But earning money for yourself can be beneficial in several ways. First of all, it teaches you to become independent, which is something you’ll definitely need when you decide to move out of your parents’ house. It also makes you feel more responsible and more organized, since you’ll have to be able to balance school work, extra-curricular activities and the job itself, as well as other duties that you may have.

Some students may find this kind of balance a little overwhelming, and that’s OK. It’s all about finding the right balance and if you don’t enjoy doing what you do, then there’s no point of doing it in the first place. It’s better to focus on doing well in school first and then when you have less priorities, then getting a job can be an excellent choice.

Even if you end up working in a job completely unrelated to your career path, then at least you’ll have some work experience to show for in your resume for future applications and you’ll be more prepared for future opportunities.

Why do YOU want to earn money as a teen? Post your comments below.