As cases began to rise exponentially back in March, Governor Brown mandated a statewide shutdown with the exception of essential businesses. Social gatherings were severely limited, banning all including more than 25 people. 

For the most part, everyone stayed in their four walls, limiting the amount they hung out with their friends. Th

ere are only so many board games to play and recipes to bake to stay entertained in the house. With many high schoolers being bored during this time, they might be more motivated to get a job in order to stay busy and productive.

Amelia Bohls, a sophomore at LHS explains why she wants to get a job. 

“I want to get a job because I want to make money and I have more time to work because everything is cancelled,” says Bohls. “I probably would not get a job if everything was back to normal because I would be too busy.”

Many might not want to get a job, however, because of fear of interacting with the public on a daily basis and working closely with coworkers who may be infected. 

Amelia was then asked about the interview process and how it differed from normal times. Everything is now over Zoom, including interviews. “I’ve had one interview with Target and one interview with Kumon”, Amelia explained. “They were either over the phone or on Zoom which was weird. They don’t get to know you as well since they are online.”

“I feel like it is more difficult to get a job because a lot of places are closed down and they need less workers”, said Amelia.

Especially at the beginning of quarantine, many restaurants were either completely shut down, or they were restricted to only pick up or delivery options. Due to this, many people were losing jobs causing more competitiveness in the workforce.  

Besides restaurants, many other retail places have had to modify their place and take extra precautions in order to make the store safe. Many fitting rooms are closed, not allowing customers to try on their clothes. At cash registers, employees have to continuously wipe down where customers have touched. Social distancing placements are positioned in most stores to ensure shoppers stay 6 feet apart.

“It’s pretty crazy. There’s a lot of Covid restrictions,” said Abby Seyle, a senior at LHS. Seyle works at the Abercrombie Kids store at Washington Square mall and talked about her numerous cleaning duties. Working there requires more precaution due to how busy it gets. The employees now work harder to ensure safety and take their own risks by working in a public place. 

Kate Kohnstamm, a sophomore at LHS, worked at a restaurant in Timberline Lodge.  

“Everything was six feet apart and I had to continuously wipe down the tables whenever they did anything at the tables,” said Kohnstamm.

The dangers of food service involve customers taking off their masks, increasing the risk of exposure if they’re infected. Unfortunately, jobs like these are common for highschool students. Determining whether it’s worth it to get a job interacting with people is a part of applying. It’s a bigger deal for teens who especially need the money versus working for other reasons.