Getting a job while in high school?

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    • Getting a job while in high school?

      Hey everyone once again,

      I was curious about everyone's opinion on my situation.

      1. I'm in high school and have been coding for about 2 years on my free time. I'd like to think of myself as knowledgable(especially after reading MrMike's new book)

      2. In my senior year(next year) i'm taking a course called "Co-op" where I will basically go out and find a job. Once employed i get to drop out around 4th period(noon) to go there but it would only be for 3 or 4 hours.

      3. I'm in the Atlanta suburbs where there are tons of IT and business oriented programming jobs but only one real game programming company around that i can find.

      4. I would have to deal with some intense traffic coming home from work if i were to get a job at any of these places. (2 hour drive for 3 hours of work).

      So should i follow my dream and try my hardest as a sigh-schooler to get a job that might only be an internship requiring a large bit of hassle? Or should I merely settle the closest minimum wage job I can grab and use my time to get some exrta spending money until college? Can i even get a internship at this place without even a high school degree?

      Any advice or comments would be a great help. I'm really torn on the topic. Thanks.
      .Code
      push you ; haha!

      The post was edited 1 time, last by DarkPenguin ().

    • Any relevant experience you can get while you're in high school puts you ahead of anyone else getting more "normal" high school jobs (mine was tearing tickets at a movie theater).

      Spending tons of time in the car sucks - especially if you get out of school in mid afternoon - traffic in Atlanta probably heats up as early as 3pm.

      I can see why you're torn. If I were you, I think I'd try to line up an intern position somewhere during the summer. Some businesses like interns because they are cheaper than regular employees. Those internships may be tough to find, though. I generally don't hire interns until they are in college, and at least a sophomore.

      Here's one more tidbit - I worked a lot during high school, and I had a good time at my job and it gave me some money to burn on cool stuff. But - there were times where my job got in the way of family and friends. If you need the cash - go get the job. If you don't need the cash, maybe hold out for a "just right" internship at a professional company - even if all you are doing is handling mail or installing Windows. Watching a real office at work gives you some idea of what you can expect when you are going for the real thing.
      Mr.Mike
      Author, Programmer, Brewer, Patriot

    • RE: Getting a job while in high school?

      I've spent 20 years in the software industry doing "normal" (read "boring") jobs, because I got in the habit of not following my dreams. Now I'm trying to get into game programming, and it's hard to break the momentum. Any step you take toward your dream will pay off a hundred-fold in the end. It may not be tangible, but even the simple fact that you're committed to your dream will carry you a long way.

      Good luck, and go for it!
      pj