I have two "kids" of my own. I put the word in quotations because they are 22 and nearly 20 years old. The eldest has finished her undergraduate post-secondary studies and the youngest has a year left for his. They've been searching for jobs and it hasn't been easy. It's taken months of effort. One has just obtained full-time employment and the other is still looking. I thought I'd reflect a bit on the process of finding a job (and hopefully connect it to education by the end).
Part-Time Work
I wrote about my first official part-time job on my blog before. I was a dance instructor. Previous to that, I babysat. Other jobs I've held in the past included a short stint at the CHIN picnic as a carnie, a tour guide at CAPEX (the Canadian Philatelic Exhibition - a stamp show), a tutor, a daycare support worker, and doing inventory for my high school library during the summer. Half of these jobs came my way because I knew people. I was in the Library Club at school, so I was offered some paid work. I babysat for neighbours and teachers. The jobs that I didn't have connections to were simple applications.
Even though there are signs and stories all over the city about employers eagerly seeking people to fill positions, it doesn't seem as easy to snag that elusive first job. This article from the Globe and Mail states that there are many, many job opportunities for teenagers in 2022. There may be many spots but that doesn't mean that businesses are scrambling to hire any and everyone. My kids started actively looking in May of this year. My daughter had a part-time job that she lost due to the pandemic and she decided that she would try to locate a new position a little closer to home. My son has not yet held a paying job. Many positions ask for applicants to begin the process online. Both did but often, there's no response. Some bigger employers require potential workers to complete a personality profile or quiz to check for compatibility. I guess there's no time for managers to text, email or call people to say "sorry, you aren't what we are looking for" as readily as they did in the past. It can be discouraging. Even though online applications streamline the process, I don't think anything can replace the impact that meeting in-person and introducing yourself to the person in charge has. The most success my children have had in their job searches have been where they've made that personal impression.
The other problem is that many establishments prefer candidates to have prior experience. How do young people get their foot in the door? How do they get an entry level position when even the entry level positions require past work experience? When I was young, fast-food positions were mocked. Now, they are one of the better employers, with great support systems, training modules, and benefits in place for their teen employees - but it's not an "automatic in". I've been trying not to interfere or "helicopter parent" as my offspring have been searching for jobs; I helped them with crafting their resumes and drove them to places, but I haven't lurked as they've filled in the forms or completed the second-level "sorting hat tasks", so I'm not sure what my youngest is saying or doing that is preventing him from getting to the interview stage of the process.
Full-Time Employment
My first full-time job was as a supply teacher for the City of York. I lived in south Scarborough at the time and I was just so grateful to have a job that I'd accept half-day positions, drive all the way out to the school, and spend three-quarters of the day there, ensuring my notes for the regular teacher were thorough and that I had marked all the work from that morning. I'd bend over backwards to impress my bosses. My first LTO (long term occasional) position was a Grade 3 class at Churchill Heights Jr. P.S. When I was given my first permanent contract position (as a Grade 4-5 teacher and teacher-librarian at Warden Avenue Jr. P.S.), I would stay at school until late in the evening to prepare. All of a sudden, there's no more time in the day. All of it seems to be consumed at first by this new job, with long hours.
Why is it that when you have time, you have no money - and when you have money, you have no time? My eldest is nervous and excited about starting her first full-time job but she worries about finding the job-life balance. I suspect that her university-student schedule with five months of free time makes a full-time schedule look daunting but I am confident that she will become accustomed to the new flow of the day. She's got great co-workers, a wonderful work environment, a pleasant boss, and lots of potential benefits.
A little advice: when someone who is a recent graduate tells you they've obtained a job, offer congratulations rather than query them about whether or not it "matches" their field of study. This mindset has partly been the reason why my son has had trouble finding work - he feels like he needs to choose something related to his schooling. (He's doing some pro-bono work linked to his skill-set, which will help in the future, but something that pays would also be helpful.) Not all careers have a direct study-to-employment pathway. We're just grateful our eldest was able to find a job, period.
What Does This Mean for Educators?
I think when we talk about careers and jobs with students, we have to do a better job of explaining that not every position will align perfectly with your post-secondary studies. We have to widen their horizons about what is possible. I confess to feeling a bit dismayed during the kindergarten graduation ceremony. During the year, I worked with two of the three classes to collaboratively teach about different "community helpers" and jobs. One of the goals was to encourage a broader range of possibilities (not just doctor/teacher/police/fire fighter). At the grad ceremony, a video was shown where students were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. Despite providing different answers a few months before, their June responses were the typical "doctor / teacher / police" answers. Not all jobs need a university degree.
The high school requirement for volunteer work is a great start and practice for students to have to seek out opportunities. I wonder what else we can do to make the process visible for them and to get them to not become too disappointed when they get "no bites" after "casting their lines" (to use a fishing analogy).
If anyone has any suggestions for where my youngest should apply for temporary or part-time employment, I'm all ears! (I waited until the end to use this pun JUST so I could show the wonderful ears my kids bought for me while they were at Anime North this past weekend. I plan on being Tom Nook at Fan Expo Canada and this will be part of my costume!)
You will not be surprised that I very much relate to your post. Lots not going on in that department at our place, too .
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