(Photo courtesy of MCT Campus) Okay, so I know I said you should crawl through an internship before walking into a job, but a lot of students these days don’t see the point. Honestly, I don’t either when it comes to the menial I’m-just-bored-and-want-some-cash job. You shouldn’t need four years of preparation to master the mop.

When the hot sun is beating down and all you can think to do is wait around to watch another rerun of “Gilmore Girls,” why not go exploring the job market? According to the US Department of Labor, the number of youth ages 16 to 24 in the labor force sharply increased to over 60 percent between the months of April and July this year. Shocker, I know.

Junior Kira Frendreis became part of that majority in a somewhat unconventional way. In order to raise money for her church mission trip, Frendreis and others from her group organized Culver’s Night at the Huntley location. Culver’s would donate 10 percent of that night’s proceeds to their cause.

Frendreis’ knack for the job was evident to Manager Terry, who later told her she should think about applying. The fates were on her side; Frendreis had just recently been planning to start her job search. Who said fresh frozen custard doesn’t work wonders?

After filling out an application, Frendreis landed an interview with Assistant Manager Richard, followed by a final one with Terry. Nervous at first, Frendreis got comfortable pretty quick.

“I didn’t really prepare at all, to be completely honest,” said Frendreis. “I kind of just went in there with myself.”

Adding to that, Frendreis dressed in casual attire, hoping the laid-back, confident look would pay off. It worked for her (maybe on account of the prior encounter) but I wouldn’t recommend this approach. Adults see us as untrustworthy teenagers who sit on piles of money playing Xbox 360 all day. Better play it safe with a suit and tie, and at least attempt to fool future bosses.

Starting around April, Frendreis began the couple days of training for her preliminary responsibilities. There was running, or getting food to customers, and dining, which included cleaning tables, wiping booths, and keeping ice, lids, ketchups, and straws stocked.

Next came the hectic shake station until finally, Frendreis stood behind the cash register. Responsibility and trust are key if planning to advance in any job. A manager doesn’t want grimy claws of greedy teens touching his money. Kudos to Frendreis: after working for about 8 months, she had been deemed a dependable, trustworthy employee by her co-workers.

Speaking of co-workers, things can get ugly when dealing with pesky little princesses who need the sprinkles evenly distributed upon every ice cream cone – and there are a lot of orders for cones. Thankfully, Culver’s is deficient in such royalty.

“Oh my gosh, it’s like a big family,” said Frendreis.

It’s great when everyone is nice, the managers are cool, and a young group of people lends to a fun atmosphere, but it’s not always like that. Part of getting a job is cooperating with both the yin and the yang. As much as I complain about group projects in school, I’m guessing their purpose is more than just making life more difficult for students.

“I really loved working there and I’m sad that I had to quit,” said Frendreis.

Juggling three AP classes plus marching band, pep band, bowling, student council, and so on, Frendreis realized she couldn’t handle a job on top of that. She recently resigned at the start of December.

“I couldn’t manage to find time in my schedule to work anymore,” said Frendreis. “My parents and I thought it was pointless for me to be employed when I’m not even working.”

Working as a high school student is definitely not for everyone. It’s not worth sacrificing grades, sleep, and the all-important “me” time just to make a couple bucks. If you can’t put in the time, you’ll likely spend more money on gas than what ends up on your paycheck.

Still, even a short, 6 month run can be beneficial. College depends on time management and responsibility, which every job requires. In addition, though it might not be enough to build the aforementioned money mountain, it’s not bad to put on your next résumé.

“It was definitely a good experience [and a] good starter job,” said Frendreis.

She learned how to deal with people and manage her time better, but made the right move to focus on schoolwork. A first job, whether amazing or amazingly horrible, offers a chance to learn valuable lessons. Just ask Kira.