Finding Work with Youth Unemployment at Record Highs

Recently, a report from the International Labor Organization found that unemployment for youth ages 15-24 around the globe was at an all-time high. In the United States, a report from the Joint Economic Committee stated that youth unemployment was around 26%. Finding a first job has always been a challenge: employers want experience, but it takes a job to get experience in the first place. Finding work during a recession can be a challenge, but it is not an impossible task. While the work that you find may not be the job of your dreams, taking action now can help you be in a better position when the economy recovers.

Pay Attention to Job Search Etiquette

If you're like most people, you'll probably want to look for a job in your field of interest. Finding the golden job of your dreams in a depressed economy is the same as looking for a job in a good economy, except your chances are more difficult. Tailor your resume for the job that you are looking for; before submitting your resume, check for spelling mistakes or other errors. Dress appropriately for the interview. Send a thank you note after the interview. Do your best to stand out as someone that will be able to do the best job, but avoid gimmicks that mean nothing, like brightly colored résumé paper.

Don't Be Above Any Kind of Work

There may not be many openings in the kind of work that you are trying to get right now, but don't take that as a permission slip to enter the life of the terminally unemployed. If you are willing to do the jobs that others won't do now, as the economy gets better, you may have a leg up on the people that decided to sit out of the job market now. Strike the phrase "jobs that Americans won't do" from your vocabulary. The reason that America is great today is because there were people that were willing to do the tough jobs. If you can't find your dream job, work somewhere else. Some of the most successful people in America's history started out with very little, working at jobs that others weren't interested in. Work hard now, even if it's not the job you really want, and you'll reap the benefits later.

Volunteer

Perhaps a paying job is not available right now, anywhere. If you can't find paying work but can volunteer, do it. The work experience that you gain will be valuable when companies are hiring again. You might be able to find an unpaid internship in your preferred field; if not, volunteering in almost any capacity will give you valuable work experience. Whether you're volunteering at an animal shelter, at a hospital, or tutoring school kids, you'll gain skills that can be transferred to almost any job, like working with a team, meeting goals, or sticking to a schedule. By staying unemployed, you can't demonstrate that you have these skills.

Make Your Own Job

If you can't find work, you might want to try working for yourself. There are many opportunities these days to create your own work; working for yourself can lead to other job opportunities. It's important to find out what your strengths are before you decide to be your own boss. If you're not good at selling things, don't work in home party sales. If you can't write, writing for places like Associated Content would not be productive. People have made jobs for themselves for years, babysitting children, painting houses, cleaning houses, and mowing lawns. If you're artistic, you might want to design t-shirts and bumper stickers for Café Press or Zazzle. People make money designing web sites and creating games for Facebook. Creating your own job might take some thought, and it might not pay as much as a traditional job, but it can lead to other work. I was able to find a work-from-home writing job a year ago, partly because of the 10 years of experience I had writing for Epinions.com as a hobby, and the five months experience that I had (at the time) writing for Associated Content.

Sources:

Allen, Patrick. Youth Unemployment Hits Record High. CNBC.com, 12 Aug 2010.

Getting a First Job in a Depressed Economy. JobGoRound.com, 19 March 2010.

Schepp, David. Tough Times for Teens: Youth Employment Plunges in Recession. 27 May 2010.