What Are You Waiting For?

Recently, my local newspaper (@KearneyHub) published an editorial entitled Look at the take-home rewards of your first job. As I was reading, I couldn't help but think to myself about why a student needs to wait until they have their first job when they could practice these skills while still in school? The reality of the situation is that practicing the skills they mention while in school will, in fact, probably land them their job. The article points to a number of skills needed by teenagers including:

• Punctuality
• Teamwork
• Thriftiness
• Time Management
• Respect
• Positive Attitude

While all of these are absolutely necessary in the workplace, they are needed in school as well. From my vantage point, school really is a student's first job. It is an introduction to the workplace where a student needs to learn the value of failing forward, understanding that there a people in the world who are difficult to get along with, learning how to communicate with people who share a different world view, and a number of other things. Schools are a microcosm of the communities in which they reside and students need to understand that just like a first job, not everything is going to bounce their way.

To further expound on the things that teenagers can do right now in school prior to landing that first job, I offer these traits that will help them be successful in college, career, and life.

Be RESPECTFUL

I have heard a lot of people say that you have to give respect to get respect. There is a danger in this line of thinking. Instead, focus only on what you can control and be respectful at all times regardless of what the other person has done. I am not saying this is the easy thing to do, but it certainly is the right thing to do. There have been multiple times in my career that I have been approached by students and parents who have yelled and cursed at me, but I have always been respectful of them and their feelings. Being respectful doesn't mean that you have to agree with the other person, but instead, it means that you are going to treat others as you would like to be treated regardless of how they treat you. Learning and practicing this now will certainly help students know how to respond when they leave school. As many adults will attest, there will be people in the workplace who will present challenges for you and your response to them will define your integrity.

Be INTENTIONAL

Know your purpose and be intentional everyday in accomplishing that purpose. No matter how small the task, understand its role in the overall purpose of things. For example, if your purpose in school is to graduate and get a job right after high school, be intentional about showing up to classes on time, doing your homework, and collaborating with your peers. All of these things are tasks that will help you accomplish your goal. Being intentional means that you will say what you will do and then follow through on that commitment.

Be SUPPORTIVE

I love my own children very much. I have unconditional love for them in spite of the fact that they sometimes drive me bonkers. The same can be said for my students that I get to be with every school day for the four years they are in high school. Some have rougher paths to graduation than others, but it doesn't change the fact that I am going to support them in their endeavors and I will never give up on them. This is difficult sometimes because they sometimes give up on themselves. Being supportive sometimes means that you have to set aside your own personal goals, aspirations, and agendas for the good of the organization. This translates very well to life because if you can't be supportive of the organization you work for, you should reconsider whether you want to be a part of that organization.

Be ENGAGED

Whether it is school, work, or family, the key to success is to be engaged. Being present, living in the moment, and being involved leads to far more satisfaction than tuning out. Gallup defines engaged employees as those who are involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace. To be engaged means that you find meaning in what you are doing no matter how boring it might be. In a lot of ways, being engaged goes hand in hand with being intentional. For students, this is difficult sometimes because what they learn in classes isn't always connected to real world applications. Being disengaged often leads to student behavior issues in school and getting fired in the when you are in the workplace.

While the Kearney Hub did a great job of highlighting things that teenagers can take away from their first entry-level jobs, there are some things that they MUST do before even getting to that point. Students should use the four years they have in high school to develop the ability to be respectful, intentional, supportive, and engaged so that when they encounter that first entry-level job, they are prepared for all of the curveballs that might be thrown at them.