Why You Should Never Be Embarrassed to Work a Minimum Wage Job

Being young can be tough.

Sure, you may not know the pain of paying rent or student loans just yet (as your parents are probably all-too-eager to remind you), but there's still a lot of pressure on you to make the most of your youth and invest in your future—all while not really having much of your own money to actually do all that with.

Whether you choose to do it on your own for some spending money or need to do it to save for college, you may take the route of getting some sort of after-school or summer job. This is a great choice for tons of reasons, but unfortunately, it also means that there's a good chance that job doesn't actually pay all too well. However, you should never feel bad about working a minimum wage job—especially while you're still young. Let's talk about why:

1. You're Building More Skills Than You Realize

Whether you go straight to college (or if you're there now) or try to jump straight into a career after high school, there's little that matters more than experience. And while you probably won't be able to build the level of experience that many high-paying jobs are looking for while just grinding at work a few days after school or on the weekends, you're still building up some pretty marketable skills that will sound good to any future employer or academic body. No matter what job you're at, there's a good chance you can talk about how you've been able to develop skills like teamwork, time management and taking initiative—all things that can get you far in life in the long run.

Why minimum wage jobs aren't embarrassing shutterstock Multiracial teenagers joining hands together in cooperationHands on top of each other practicing teamwork

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Also read about: How to Have Fun With Your Friends When You Have No Money to Spend

 

2. You're Learning How to Support Yourself

Whether you're working to save up for your dream school or simply to buy that designer bag you've been wanting for ages, working hard for it helps you to appreciate it so much more. This is especially true when you're in a lower-paying job, as it takes far more effort to achieve your goals. Not only will this help you learn more about how to support yourself in the future, but you'll also know how to appreciate your future higher-paying positions as well.

woman counting money and putting it in her wallet Why minimum wage jobs aren't embarrassing shutterstock young shopper woman taking out money from wallet on street

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3. You Know What It's Like to Need the Job

When you work a minimum wage job—especially one in something like retail or food service—it helps you appreciate other people who also work those jobs all the more. It really hurts to see someone act rude to their server, the barista at Starbucks or the person checking them out at the store, especially when it's completely unwarranted behavior. When you work a job like that yourself, you quickly learn how challenging it can be and appreciate the work that these individuals do so much more. While everyone should treat everyone with kindness, having experience knowing what it's like dealing with customers makes you a better customer overall.

Woman pouring milk into coffee cup barista Why minimum wage jobs aren't embarrassing shutterstock Coffee Business Concept - close-up lady barista in apron preparing and pouring milk into hot cup while standing at cafe.

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Also read about: Explore These 5 Easy Ways to Save Money This Summer

 

This is really just the tip of the iceberg on why you should never feel bad about working a minimum wage job, but it's all good stuff to think about whenever you're really not feeling up to your next shift as well! And if you need a bit of extra inspiration on taking on one of these jobs, you can check out our list of reasons to work a summer job by clicking HERE.

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