Work experience is so important and starting young just opens the door. It doesn’t matter if you have a 4.0, you will get so much more consideration if you have already held down a job.
My granddaughter just got hired by the school district for the summer out of over 50 kids who applied. Her parents have also told her that she needs to work through college even if she gets scholarships.
It is sad that many young people won’t have that leg up the ladder because an idiot teenager is not usually worth 8 bucks an hour but if they are they will work their way up quickly.
I’ve now witnessed parents donating to non-profits and charities with the condition that their child be hired for an internship. The parent is in essence paying the child’s salary, but the non-profit is the employer - and the pay off is a “job” that goes on the resume.