Get that Teenager Off the Couch and into Work!

When my son was still at High school, we asked him (several times) what he wanted to do with his life. "Dunno". Was his usual answer. When the last semester ended, he still didn't know. We saw the Important People at the school, and we all had some very interesting thoughts about my son's future. But although we meant well, and wanted to pay for his future education, he still didn't know what to do. The school decided that he was a very nice young man, and was no problem in the class-room and offered him an extra year, so he could make up his mind in peace and quiet. My son was offered the VIP- treatment, only to be found at major airports.

After this year he still didn't know what to do with his life, and the answer was still the same. We decided that he was to be classified as a "general person" from now on. That means that not everybody wants to or is able to become a doctor or an architect. But there is a myriad of jobs that a lot of people do, but nobody talks about. Like Insurances; there are many very interesting (and well paid) jobs to be found in the Insurance-industry but nobody talks about it. Or if you prefer the outdoors: a postal-delivery person. Or a City-park -person if you like gardening. These jobs are not as glamorous as being a life-saving doctor but someone is doing it and gets paid for it.

If your teen is the "hands on" kind of person start looking at Trades (plumber, electrician, welder, carpenter etc.). This way they "ll get training and earn some money as well. Some contractors earn more money than a plastic surgeon these days, so it is well worth looking into.

We looked in the "vacancy"-section of the newspaper for a couple of weeks, but nothing appealed to my son. The jobs that did appeal to him (like zoo-keeper) required a degree in Biology. We asked friends if they knew of jobs, because having a 6 ft teenager around all day, who is bored, eating you out of the house and has an opinion about everything was not a prospect to look forward to over the next 20 years or so.

I picked up the phone-book. And in the section: "Businesses" I found" Employment Agencies". These agencies are not for temporary work, but for permanent employment. It didn't cost us anything (although I would have paid them just to get him off that couch). Son made an appointment and had a talk with "a really nice lady". These people are incredibly helpful, and know how to talk with people on all levels. Apparently this one was good with teenagers too.

Why do employers use agencies and pay them? Simple: they don't have to put ads in the newspaper, they don't have to spend days interviewing unsuitable people. The agency does all that. Employers tell the agency exactly what they want and the agency finds them someone.

To our relief this lady took over the whole process and updated son's CV first. Then she looked through the data, compared it with my son's qualifications. There was an employer who was looking for a young person to train up. This company, although part of a very large company, still had a family-atmosphere, and in our town employed about 20 people. The manager was very precise in what he wanted and had waited a long time. He had turned down some people for various reasons, it appeared. The lady at the agency decided, after talking to my son, that he might be the right person and made an appointment for him to see the manager. She even offered to go with my son, if he felt a bit shy.After talking to the manager my son got the job, but the wages offered were not great. This lady from the agency negotiated on my son's behalf, and after a couple of phone calls this too was sorted out.

If my son had seen this job advertised in the newspaper he wouldn't have applied.The job doesn't look glamorous,or interesting, on paper. But now, after working there for 2 years he finds it very interesting. He gets all the training he wants and if he stays there he can become whoever he wants to be.

So, if you have a teenager who can't find a job, this a perfect way for both parents and the teenager. Another way is :going "Temping." There are temporary jobs aplenty and that way teens can find out what kind of work they are suitable for. They pay well above the average wages. Most often these companies offer permanent positions after a while, either the job you are already doing on a temporarily basis or elsewhere within the company.