With the arrival of summer vacation, numerous articles emphasize the significance of summer employment for teenagers. These pieces often recount the authors’ experiences with a variety of challenging jobs—lifting heavy objects at a factory, providing untrained home health care, and even shoveling waste at the local landfill. We’ve all heard the stories of how our parents walked uphill both ways to school. For my eldest child, securing a job taught him essential life skills that my spouse and I struggled to impart through traditional means of persuasion.
When Alex turned 16, he held a learner’s permit, was grappling with poor grades, and was eager for his driver’s license. Our only leverage was to withhold that license. Although he was a loving and humorous child, he faced significant challenges, including being grounded during the first half of his freshman year and undergoing testing for learning disabilities. After a summer boarding school experience in New Hampshire—complete with tent living and a six-day school week—he temporarily improved, but by the end of his junior year, he slipped back into old habits, earning D’s and F’s. Desperate for his driver’s license, he lamented being the only junior without one.
My spouse and I offered him two choices: improve his grades to at least B’s or find a job; either path would lead to his sought-after license. As junior year concluded, he opted for the latter but did not actively pursue employment until the third day of summer break. Dressed in a collared shirt, he ventured out to seek work but faced rejection after rejection. Feeling empathetic, I began driving him around to different businesses, offering encouragement. Occasionally, I would accompany him inside to satisfy my curiosity about the places he was applying. “Would you really want to work in that secondhand store? It looks terrible,” I once remarked.
“Sure, Mom, I’ll take any job that pays,” he replied.
As his desperation grew, he started heeding his father’s advice. He began making follow-up calls and writing thank you notes. He reached out to friends with jobs for introductions to their employers. My spouse even provided him with business cards to attach to his applications. After leaving his 40th establishment—a bustling local restaurant—he returned home dejected. My heart sank for him. “Mr. Thompson, the owner, wasn’t there, so I just left my application with my business card,” he said.
“It may feel disheartening, but remember, you only need one opportunity,” I reassured him. “It’s like selling a house or finding a partner; it only takes one buyer or one proposal to change everything.”
On our way home, he mentioned a waitress who suggested he check back in the mornings for opportunities. Encouraged, I proposed he make the call first thing the next day. Reluctant at first, he made the call and managed to reach the owner. “I’m sorry, we don’t have any openings,” came the disappointing response.
I felt crushed, as if I had been rejected myself. I wanted to cry, but he stoically retreated to his room to conduct further research. Just ten minutes later, our home phone rang. It was Mr. Thompson. “Hi, may I speak to Alex?”
Hadn’t he just said there were no openings? I rushed upstairs with the phone. I overheard Alex’s conversation, and shortly afterward, he came down, standing taller and with a bounce in his step.
“I have an interview this morning!” he exclaimed.
I drove him to the restaurant and waited outside. Moments later, my phone buzzed with a text: “I got the job!” Elated, we headed out for a celebratory breakfast. He had left home that morning as a hopeful yet anxious boy, only to return as a proud young man with his first job. True to our agreement, we went to the DMV, and he received his driver’s license.
Throughout the summer and into the following year, he worked diligently. Although his work ethic flourished, his academic performance did not, which became evident during college admissions. Disappointed with his options, he committed to focusing during his final semester and, with our guidance, applied for a gap year after high school to reassess his options.
During his gap year in Central America, he worked two jobs. He learned that once you’ve landed one job, the subsequent search becomes easier, and he craved both independence and financial reward. After the summer, he headed to college—surprisingly enrolling in a school that had initially rejected him after a successful re-interview. His freshman year saw him excel academically, and he even secured a paid internship in California for the summer.
Securing a job independently transformed my son’s life. It was an achievement he accomplished on his own, illustrating that with perseverance, strategic planning, and a touch of luck, one can reach their goals. When his younger brother inquired about job hunting, Alex chuckled, “Absolutely! Just hit the pavement. Visit 40 businesses, and something will come up.”
In summary, the experience of landing a job not only empowered my son but also provided him with life skills that I struggled to teach. It was a journey of growth, resilience, and self-discovery, underscoring the value of hard work and determination.
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Keyphrase: Job Skills Lessons for Teens
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