If I could pick one activity to recommend to just about every high school student, whether they want to attend a prestigious Ivy League school or a tiny, not-so-famous college that fits, I’d tell them to get a job. Not a fancy resume-builder that your parents or a connection secured for you. A regular, honest-to-goodness, part-time job, like flipping burgers, stocking shelves, or washing dishes.

Whenever I share this advice with audiences, I can always read two different reactions on parents’ faces. Some embrace the idea, confident that securing and working a part-time job will teach their kids as much or more than they could learn at an expensive summer program. Others nod politely but are just sure that there is no way a prestigious college would ever be impressed by a kid who spent his summers taking orders at the drive-through instead of paying thousands of dollars to enroll at Harvard Summer School.

For the non-believers, please take a few minutes to read this article lauding the benefits—and college application effectiveness—of “character-building” jobs over “high-profile, impressive” activities.

I’ve also written two past posts, here and here, about the benefits of these jobs for kids.

And if you’re sold on the idea, here’s a past post with tips to help students land their first job, and a few tips to help them thrive once they get there.