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When Teenagers Worked
By Ron | November 18, 2008
We wonder about the work ethic and how different generations approach work. I was recently talking to someone about their teenagers and how that they weren’t working and how many of their friends weren’t either. I heard some talk show hosts commenting about the same issue. They believed that many parents don’t want their kids to work. It is not that these young people aren’t busy, because they are. They are participating in sports and many activities after school. Also, in California, most of the schools are now year-round, so that there is no opportunity for summer employment.
Now here is where you are going to hear, “Now, when I was a kid…” Well, I did work during the summer and after school and most of my peers did too. Especially for boys, it was a rite of passage. It was typical that you showed up on the first day of school in your new car (actually it was an old car, but your first one) after you worked all summer in order to buy it. So, at the ripe old age of 16, I started learning about working in a business organization - following orders, showing up on time, cooperating with other workers, understanding organizational structure, blah, blah, blah. By the time that I officially started my professional career in Human Resources, I already understood the world of work. My sense is that many “young-ens” entering the workforce don’t have this understanding.
I can imagine that if the first time someone went to work was right out of college, there would be a major adjustment. In fact, it could be a shocking experience. Many of the new graduates I hired were pretty disappointed in what they witnessed. We might want to revisit this ancient custom of teenagers working.
Topics: HR |
November 18th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Ron, well said! Work is not something you magically figure out as soon as you’re done with college. Those who wait, often learn the hard way. Nice post. ~TC