This week’s jobs report showed there are far more openings than people to fill them. Now, more businesses are turning to teens to fill open roles this summer.
“I don’t know really any industry that’s not actively hiring right now, for big and small roles,” said Patrick Morrissey, the Chief Growth Officer with recruiting firm HireVue.
With increasing minimum wages in the D.C. area, your teenager can take advantage and make money while also gaining valuable experience that can pay off in the future, according to Morrissey. He said customers who use HireVue are willing to pay more for better talent.
“What we hear from our customers … they’re willing to pay more because they just need good talent and need that talent to show up to work,” Morrissey said.
While most summer jobs for high school and college students tend to be waiting tables, working cash registers or babysitting, Morrissey said that is not the case in this job climate.
“From a teen perspective, this is one of the few times I’ve seen in my career where you kind of have your choice in what you want to do,” he told WTOP. “So you may have more opportunities than you might historically.”
Morrissey suggested teens use their passions and interest to drive the job search and then use their natural network to land a job.
“Teens who might be reading right now, they could probably in five phone calls and texts get to five conversations that might turn into work,” Morrissey said. “The trick is finding a place you fit and something you are interested in.”
A new report from the National Association of Collegiate Employers showed most businesses when hiring young workers are putting much less emphasis on needing a specific expertise in a certain field. Instead, they are looking for candidates with communication, problem-solving and creative skills. The ability to work well with others is also a plus.
“They’re going to be working for most of their adult lives,” Morrissey said. “And the quicker they start to build skills and experience that give them some insight about who they are, what they like, what they excel at and what they are curious about, the better off they are going to be.”
