Never-Ending Search: Teens and Job Hunting

 

When asked how their job search is going, teenagers never hesitate to express how exhausting and nerve-wracking searching for jobs can be.

What’s unfortunate is, there are so many teens in our community ready to jump into jobs and careers, but they either don’t know about the opportunities around them, or they lack the confidence to inquire about certain jobs. How can we fix this?

Over the next few months, CanTeen will be working to bring teens to jobs and jobs to teens! Setting up a job that best fits a teen’s needs and wants is exactly what we want to offer Canton’s teens, in order to tackle a few aspects of the job and career world.

When we surveyed Canton teenagers, 50% reported handling their first job hunt alone. While many teens can handle building a resume and applying for a job by themselves, learning from experienced individuals can enhance this process. With CanTeen’s upcoming job initiative, we hope to bring in professionals to coach teens on their resume and interviewing styles.

CanTeen constantly encourages teens to contribute to their community. Not only is volunteering a great resume builder, but it also offers something priceless: a true connection with the people of Canton. By promoting community donation and volunteer events, CanTeen intends to help teens diversify their resumes.

Several organizations offer shadowing and internship opportunities for teens, but kids often don’t know about them. Stepping into a career means starting on the right foot. At CanTeen, we know there are great internship and training opportunities for Canton’s teens; it’s just a matter of connecting them.

Keep a lookout for details about CanTeen’s job and career information fair, to allow teens to dive into our new initiative. We are excited about this event, and are welcoming all businesses and corporations looking to hire and mentor teens!

If you would like to contribute your expertise, or participate in our initiative, email CanTeen at canteen@cantonga.gov.

CanTeen is an active engagement outreach initiative for high school students in Canton, designed to create opportunities for youth leadership through volunteerism, service and giving input on policy issues.