Summer jobs and internships, or part-time work during the school year, are great opportunities for teens to obtain work and accomplish many important goals.
Test drive your major… or career
For teens, it’s hard to decide what to study in college or choose a career just by reading about different fields. A job or internship is a great way for a teen to rule out—or in—some college and career options. Working at an animal shelter may help a teen understand if he/she really wants to be a veterinarian as opposed to just a pet owner
Teens usually are not qualified for challenging jobs in most professions. However, working in an organization can give teens an idea as to whether the type of work, environment and organization goals are close fits or far away from a possible future path.
Find out what it takes
When working for any organization, teens get a glimpse at what it’s really like to work in that profession. Some teens think it would be glamorous to own a restaurant… until they experience the long hours and menial work of most eateries. Working in an insurance firm might not seem that interesting from afar, but investigating claims might prove intriguing if you give it a chance.
Working as an intern is a great way to develop a deeper appreciation of what it would be like to be an engineer, a lab researcher or a health care professional. Many teens have not had a opportunity to see many professions in action. A job or internship makes that happen.
Build a great resume
These days, a college degree is often not enough to obtain a solid full-time job after graduation. When they look over resumes, employers want to see experience. If that experience is directly related to one’s future career path, that’s ideal. However, any professional experience will have a positive impact on the ability to get hired.
Many employers don’t want to have to teach new hires the basics of professionalism: getting to work on time, being able to take direction and having a great work ethic. If a teen is able to get an internship that involves real responsibilities—doing computer work, completing projects, and so on—a future employer will see that this individual has a strong foundation as a young professional. A high school intern may be able to get a better job as a college intern or after college because of these experiences.
Impress a potential reference
It’s okay if teens don’t love every job that they do… as long as they do a fantastic job regardless! Every employer is someone who could write up a recommendation on LinkedIn or serve as a professional reference for an eventual full-time job search. Recruiters often check out LinkedIn profiles for recommendations, and sometimes they want to talk to a former manager. This can make the difference between getting a good offer or not.
When working in a job, a smart teen will ask for regular feedback and always look for ways to improve. Those qualities won’t be forgotten.
Expand your personal network
You’ve probably heard the expression, “It’s not what you know but who you know.” Sometimes there is truth to that. When the job market is tough, sometimes an employer can receive over 100 resumes for a single entry-level position. If you’re inexperienced, you can get overlooked… unless someone puts in a word for you.
Working in jobs or internships is a great way to expand your network of contacts. Do a great job, and there probably will be several people at that company you can stay in touch with in the months and years to come… and one of them might just help you find a job.
Making money
Many teens view making money as a big reason to work. It can be a tough call to decide between an unpaid or low-paid internship in a professional environment and a less professional job that pays fairly well. Some job pay dollars… but sometimes an internship makes more sense.
Everyone’s situation is different, but we encourage you to think of the long term. Using an internship to focus on learning now may increase opportunities for learning later!
Bottom line
Getting work experience sooner rather than later is an extremely helpful way for teens to figure out what they do—and don’t—want in college and in an eventual full-time job. Research has shown that young adults who have obtained meaningful work experience end up with an enormous head start economically on their peers who fail to do so.
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