Hey guys (and parents), 👋 Getting a job at a young age can foster independence while being a good source of income and learning in itself. But not every job will help an individual on their path to success. What may seem like a good option to make money quickly does nothing in the long run, especially in regards to skill development, which is essential for advancement in any career. In this post, we will look at what jobs to steer clear from if one is looking to advance in their career, and also understand what positions will enable them to build the right skill set. If you are at the very beginning of your career path, the right move can significantly define your trajectory.

1️⃣ Rideshare Driver (Uber/Lyft): Quick Cash, But Not Much Growth

Why You Should Avoid It

Making money as a rideshare driver (Uber, Lyft), is very straightforward. One can work as per their schedule. But rideshare driving is not a good option in the context of building skills for the future. Although making money by driving people around is an option nowadays, it lacks any significant level of skill development. The job fails to provide you with any significant communication, leadership, problem solving, or technical skills which help you advance in career.

Real Talk

No one has ever said, “I need Uber for my career.” It is an extremely simple job to get, but it’s not something that enables you to build anything valuable for your future. Also, if you uninstall the app, life will go on because rideshare driving does not enhance your skills in any meaningful way. Put that energy towards learning something that will make a real difference in your chosen career path instead of spending it on driving around. Start assembling a skillset that provides you with more value than simply driving around strangers in your vehicle.

Better Alternative: Build Real Skills for the Future

For those who want to make some money while gradually building new skills, areas such as graphic design, content creation, and web development offer easy entry. These fields provide sufficient experience that leads to paying and more enjoyable opportunities in the future, even if they start off low.

2️⃣ Basic Retail Jobs: Limited Skill Development

Why You Should Avoid It

At an early age, teens usually take up basic jobs like retail clerk positions that include stocking, cashiering, and customer service. While these roles do provide some level of experience, they do not build long term useful skills. Most basic retail positions are focused on monotonous work that lacks innovation or creativity, which will not aid in development on any front. Focusing on stocking items or processing transactions does not help in gaining essential competencies such as specialized skills in inventory control, sales, or marketing which are crucial in a wide variety of fields.

Real Talk

There is a perception that running registers and setting up sales floors is easy work for easy money. Unfortunately, this perception is misguided. As far as career development is concerned, this kind of work adds up to absolutely nothing. Going forward, it is clear that to stand out in a foolish job market one needs ammunition in the form of relevant experience, not just basic menial tasks.

Better Alternative: Find Jobs that Teach You About Sales and Marketing

Seek out opportunities that offer higher learning, like a retail position that includes sales and marketing. Such things will equip you with knowledge on operating a business and managing its growth, which is beneficial in almost all fields. For marketing aid, take on the role of developing advertising and marketing content, as well as social media content. Such positions will learn you the art of influencing purchases and subsequent sales of products.

3️⃣ Fast-Food Crew: Quick Money, but Little Career Progression

Why You Should Avoid It

Teens and students are willing to work in fast-food positions because these roles guarantee payment at the end of the week or month. They, however, do not offer many opportunities for skill development, and building a career becomes nearly impossible. One is very likely to get stuck doing the same drab work day in and day out like flipping burgers or packaging orders. Also, personally, one may only learn some elements of basic customer service, but they may not have any further opportunities to get promoted, or learn other more important skills in diverse fields. There are some roles like food prep or even some management roles that can provide these valuable experiences, but the vast majority of fast-food jobs don’t offer much in the way of relevant future employment skills.

Real Talk

Earn as much as you like. The services shall always be fast, but at what cost? Hardly does one see an end to the work they have to do to get promoted. with a single promote, the monotony is still very easy to anticipate, and the machines that crank these positions out offer none to little answers as to what repetitive cubical nonsense the serve is sheer employee sinkholes. It’s quite clear to not bother with your precious time if you’re looking to build a long-term career.

Better Alternative: Customer Service with a Learning Component

If you appreciate customer interactions and would like to work in the service industry, look for positions that do not limit your mobilization to simply taking orders. Learning about customer relations, sales, and even post sales customer feedback can provide skills useful in many other areas.

4️⃣ Warehouse Work (Basic Labor): Physical Work, but Limited Skill Growth

Why You Should Avoid It

Most warehouse work consists of physical activities like box lifting, product sorting, and other manual processes. While these activities may meet the criteria for a job for those looking for money, they offer very little in the way of transferable skills that can assist or augment other career-related endeavors. In general, warehouse jobs demand a certain level of physical stamina, but do not require any form of intellect, problem-solving, leadership, or decision-making capabilities. Even within a logistics or a warehouse environment, most entry level job opportunities concentrate on mundane, routinized manual work and completely disregard the possibility of acquiring management, IT, or operational skills with wide-ranging interdisciplinary appeal.

Real Talk

Even though working in a warehouse can put some cash in your pocket, it is not the stuff of career dreams. While physically demanding, this kind of labor does not set you up for any better-paying, more sophisticated work in other fields. If you want long-term growth in your career, warehouse work is not a viable option.

Better Alternative: Logistics and Operations Management

For those who wish to delve deeper into the field of logistics, start looking into positions that deal with inventory management, supply chain processes, and software systems that assist businesses in tracking and managing their products. Those positions come with invaluable insights into the workings of businesses and equip you with the tools necessary to lead them in the future as a logistics and operations manager.

The Real Key to Career Success: Focus on Skill-Based Jobs

The undisputed secret to building a successful career at any age is concentrating on skill-based work that contributes to personal growth and development. Specifically as a teenager, focusing on substantiating self-sustaining skills, such as graphic designing, writing, content creation, and video editing will maximize your future prospects.

5️⃣ Try Graphic Design, Content Creation, or Writing

Why fill your schedule with dead end low paying jobs when you can develop and hone your skills? If graphic design, video editing, or writing are fields that peak your interest, then those are excellent choices for freelance work. You can leverage your skills on Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer where you can reach a global market and earn money while learning. These skill-based freelance jobs will not only help in building a professional portfolio but provide valuable experience too. These will aid you, no matter what industry you wish to enter, be it marketing, content creation, or entertainment. Skills in design and content creation are always sought after.

Build Your Future with Purposeful Choices

An early job can be really helpful for you, but be strategic about the work you choose. Look for opportunities that will help you gain new competencies and allow for professional advancement. As with any skill development, what you focus on when setting out will determine the long-term benefits. Seek out positions that develop lasting capabilities so that you can flourish well after the paycheck ends. As the saying goes, “Easy money is great,” but what really matters are the skills you gain which will outlast any cash benefits. With that said, take action now towards decisions that promote building your career in the future.