Ever since the beginning of the Coronavirus outbreak many jobs have had to either close or make hard decisions for their business to continue to thrive under strict guidelines. According to Forbes, “Roughly 30 million Americans are receiving unemployment and 4.1 million Americans lost jobs between the first and second weeks in July. Of those who have lost jobs because of the pandemic, 47% believe their jobs are unlikely to come back.” With many families losing their original jobs there’s a question of whether or not they should either get a new job, or maybe their children could get their first job.
There are many pros and cons to possibly getting a job during the COVID-19 pandemic. At Mayfair High School specifically, most students have school from 8:30–11:50 a.m., which finishes significantly earlier than the usual in-person school schedule (7:30 a.m.–2:36 p.m.). With way more time after school, there is more time to put in effort to have a job and get a new experience. With all of the despair and struggles that certain families have had to face with everything closing down recently, extra money for the worker and their family would never be a bad thing. Having a job is not only a good experience to add to your resume, but also looks good on a college application. Being stuck in quarantine can get really lonely, and having the chance to get out and do something could give someone a better routine than staying alone at home every day. Socializing, even through social distancing, could be really beneficial to the mind.
On the other hand, one of the cons to getting a job is the constant chance of getting exposed to the Coronavirus. Depending on where you work, you could be in constant contact with several people every day. The chance of getting COVID-19 and then further spreading it to family members could be fatal. Even with guidelines and requirements to prevent getting exposed, there is always a chance of getting it. And once you get the virus you may recover unharmed, however others that come in contact may not be as lucky. Also, although students have a lot more time after school, the workload is significantly higher because of the shortened time we have during each class. Stress levels have risen, and getting a job is not always the best idea with the existing pressure of studying and turning in assignments. There has been a frequent struggle when it comes to keeping up with assignments for many students. Adding on a job to the constant expectations with school is not ideal for many students no matter how much they desire to have a job.
In my opinion, I believe that if you are interested in getting a job and think that the pros outweigh the cons, you should go for it. Personally, I have been searching for a job myself, and there are many places looking for people to add onto their staff. Even though I have not found a job fit for me yet, I have a good feeling about getting one soon. To me, getting a job could be a phenomenal experience that could be very beneficial to my future. Although we are currently living through the Coronavirus pandemic, I believe that businesses have strict protocols that are good enough to prevent employees and customers from getting exposed. Receiving money that could help your family and possibly go into your own savings, along with a good life experience is worth taking the risk of being exposed to the Coronavirus in my opinion. Especially because, in reality, if you go anywhere that isn’t your own house, you will constantly have a small chance of getting exposed.
From the majority of people I have heard from, it is widely believed that it is okay to get a job right now. That said, Jasy Johnson, a worker at the Cheesecake Factory says “It is fine if you need to (get a job), however you also have to be extra mindful because you are more exposed to getting COVID-19 and possibly spreading it.” Similarly, Paige Evans, a junior at Mayfair High School, states “As long as you’re being safe, I don’t think a job would be that bad to think about because you need to start thinking about your life after high school and being independent while also balancing school.” Agreeing with both of these statements, whatever is more important to you will ultimately decipher whether or not getting a job would be worth it. This pandemic has given us all different opportunities that we would never have had if it never had occurred, and I believe that getting a job may be a great option for anyone.
Comments