Interested in earning a little extra cash? Want to start making money to pay for college? A wonderful way to start saving up for life after high school is by finding a job. Throughout the Lexington area, plenty of part-time jobs are currently available to teenagers that Dunbar students can take advantage of.

One area students might find appealing is the food industry. Whether it is bussing tables, serving, or guiding customers to their tables as a host or hostess, the restaurant business can be a great way to earn money and develop new skills. For example, Texas Roadhouse on Harrodsburg Road has hired numerous Dunbar students.

Junior Clark Smith, a host at Texas Roadhouse, said, “My perspective has changed about restaurants. I have learned to work with people I may not like and I have definitely learned patience with customers.”

Another area that students could find work in is in retail. Dunbar is located only five miles away from Lexington’s Fayette Mall, making the commute from school to work quite easy. At the mall, students who have an interest in fashion have a wide variety of options in clothing stores to work at.

Senior Paige Garvin, an employee at Hollister, enjoys the systematic process of working in retail.

“The skill I have learned in my job is time management. Things need to be done in a timely manner. If you work too slowly, everything will be out of whack,” said Garvin.

Garvin’s decision to work in retail stemmed from the social interaction of working in a store.

“The reason I decided to work in retail was because of the people there, my co-workers,” said Garvin. “I’ve become so close to everyone there and they are friends I hope to keep.”

Part-time positions are great, but sometimes a work schedule can be difficult to navigate with a heavy workload at school. Balancing classes, extracurricular activities and a job can be difficult to maneuver.

“I often have to work fewer shifts because of school work and I have to request off for baseball. In the summer, I usually worked five shifts a week, but now, I am limited to two shifts a week,” said Smith.

Nonetheless, the skills acquired while working are valuable. Not only does a job prepare you for future careers and even college, but it also adds to your resume for later employers.

“Good communication and being able to work well with people is necessary,” said Smith. “At work, I have learned punctuality and a good work ethic.”

While part-time jobs are an excellent way to make money, finding the time for such a strict profession may not be feasible. If you are looking for a more flexible schedule and enjoy working with children, babysitting could be right up your alley. Babysitting search engines, such as Simply Hired or Care.com, can alert you of potential jobs close to home. Students who are 18 or older can sign up for the websites and discover babysitting, dog walking, and housekeeping jobs in their specific area of town. Positions similar to babysitting are available at the Beaumont Centre YMCA Kid’s Corner and Youth Arcade, which provides after school, night and weekend shifts for interested high school students.

The jobs available are not limited by these options. Much like babysitting, signing up on a job search website will help you to be more aware of the positions available in your area. Online resources are great tools to utilize during the search. Snag a Job, an internet search engine solely dedicated for job

searching, is an excellent resource to use when looking for positions. Organized by category, age groups, location and time of shifts available, Snag a Job helps locate the best jobs available that meet the user’s criteria. Taking advantage of one of these positions, like Smith and Garvin did, can offer new opportunities for your high school career. With the plethora of options available, there will certainly be a job that meets one’s interests that will provide skills that prepare you for entering the adult world.