Part-time jobs for high school students can vary depending on the student's location as well as his or her intended work schedule, requirements for pay, and overall employment plan. Some high school students choose to work a low-commitment job at a retail store or in a warehouse, while others choose to take jobs they can use on a college application or resumé. These jobs may include internships, clerical positions, or entry level positions in offices or businesses. Part-time jobs for high school students are most often low commitment jobs, since a student will need to be at school for most of the day.
Retail part-time jobs for high school students are perhaps the most common offerings. A student may take a job at a store selling goods, stocking shelves, loading or unloading trucks in the stock room or warehouse, and so on. These jobs are usually low-paying, though a student can work up to a raise in pay over time. A student can also work full-time over the summer, further strengthening his or her standing within the company. Many students even get promotions and raises based on performance. In general, however, retail part-time jobs for high school students require the student to work for only a few hours a day, and the schedule can change from week to week to accommodate the student's school work and extracurricular activities.
A student who wants to gain practical job experience may choose to participate in a paid or unpaid internship. Such part-time jobs for high school students may also feature a flexible schedule, but the student may be more invested in the work he or she does because it pertains to a future career aspiration or it builds up the student's credentials for a college application. A student interested in law may, for example, do filing work at a law office, or a future economics or accounting major may take a position at a bank as a teller. These jobs are useful because the student will gain valuable work experience as well as specific skills that pertain to the student's field of interest.
It is possible to acquire part-time jobs for high school students that will allow the student to keep working after graduation. If a student does not intend to go to college, for example, he or she may take a part-time job that will allow him or her to move up in the company once he or she can work full-time. Restaurants, auto repair shops, sales and retail establishments, and others will often retain a high school student after graduation and put the new graduate on a full time schedule.