DR. WALLACE: I'm in high school, and since I will have a light schedule this year, I'm planning to have an after-school job and perhaps even work some hours over the weekends as well.

Many of my friends say it's a great time to be a teenager going into the job market since there are a lot of reasonable jobs out there, and the pay rates have never been better.

So, I have placed applications with many potential employers already, and I'm starting to hear back from a few of them. Some of the pay rates are slightly different, so if I end up getting offered the job from a company I really like, but another one has a higher pay scale, should I go back to the first company and ask them to match the other company's opening pay rate?

Then later will it be possible to get my current boss to match any other pay rates that my friends might be making at other local jobs? — Seeking To Maximize My Opportunities, via email

SEEKING TO MAXIMIZE MY OPPORTUNITIES: I agree that the current job market overall remains pretty good for teenagers, but as with all job markets, they're constantly in flux as the economy goes up and down over time.

Rather than focusing your initial decisions purely on starting pay rate, I'd instead encourage you to take a job with the employer you feel would have the most compatible workplace for you. Also look at secondary items like opportunities for advancement or even the possibility of being tipped along with your hourly rate. Not all businesses and industries receive tips, but many these days do.

I also recommend that you try to build longevity and a good track record at the job you end up selecting, rather than trying to bounce from job to job simply to pick up an extra dollar or two of hourly pay rate. Consider the enjoyment of the jobs, the workplace environment, the distance from your residence and many other factors before making your ultimate decision. Building a track record as a reliable, steady employee is often much more lucrative in the long run than simply bouncing from job to job every few weeks, or even every month or two.

DOES OUR SISTER NEED HELP?

DR. WALLACE: I have two older sisters, and the oldest one is 19 and still lives at home with the rest of us. This older sister has become increasingly moody over the last year, and she often goes through cycles that make me feel like she is slightly depressed at times. I'm not sure what it's all about, since she doesn't say too much to us younger siblings about her personal life.

Our parents simply think she is going through a few phases and that it's nothing much to worry about. Both my younger brother and I were worried enough that we brought it up to our parents when our older sister was not home one day.

Do you agree with our parents? Or do you believe, as we do, that our sister could benefit from some professional help? — Concerned Younger Siblings, via email

CONCERNED YOUNGER SIBLINGS: It's true that random mood swings do tend to level out for some people who suffer from mild bouts of depression from time to time, but that is not something that can always be counted on.

The good news is that a bit of counseling often goes a long way toward helping those that only suffer mild depression, or those that are in the early stages of what could potentially develop into longer-term depression.

Keep a close eye on your sister and let your parents know that I side with you on this one, as an ounce of prevention can be worth great weight toward a possible cure or at least a set of coping techniques.

I am of the opinion that any time an individual begins to go through noticeable cycles of depression, it is worth exploring professional counseling early on before the cycles accelerate and deepen.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Pexels at Pixabay