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I think a lot of traditionally teen jobs are now being filled by adult workers. Lawn mowing used to be an almost stereotypical teen summer job. Now there are many full time businesses with multiple employees who swoop in, more, trim, bag, blow, and are gone in 30 minutes. And they offer year round service. A teen with the family mower can't compete. People will happily pay $50 for a yard, but if a teen did it, they'd want to only pay $5.
Another factors is so many restaurants now serve alcohol. When our daughter was applying several years ago, they wouldn't even look at the application if folks were under 21.
Baggers in the grocery store also are older.
That said, we still do see some teens at the typical fast food around here, as well as clerking in Penny's and Lowes. But in general it does seem you are correct in that many of the classic teen jobs have become full time employment for those in 20s/30s.
I used to mow laws as a teen in the 1970s, mostly for neighbors. I didn't really set out to do that, but I did our family's yard, and one by one neighbors started stopping by asking if I would do theirs. Wasn't long before I had all I could handle during the summers. I don't see teens doing this much at all anymore, often not even their own family's lawns. There are so many businesses out there now that make that their only business, with multiple workers in a crew cab truck pulling a trailer full of lawn equipment. As you said, usually in and out in about 30 minutes. Most of those workers appear to be immigrants probably working toward citizenship or permanent resident status.
I think some other opportunities have disappeared just due to a general downsizing and consolidation of worker's duties that many businesses have undertaken. For example, self-serve kiosks and self-checkouts at some retailers. Some grocery stores don't have dedicated baggers anymore, the cashier does it. And forget carry-out.
There is much more parental involvement now in helping kids find jobs. I don't recall any parents caring where we worked or whether it helped prepare us for a career or matched our interests, skills, or temperament. Or whether we liked it and found it rewarding. They just wanted us to go out and earn money. There were pros and cons to this approach, obviously. I envy the kind of opportunities kids have today.
What kinds of job opportunities do teenagers have today, that they didn't have 20 years ago?
What kinds of job opportunities do teenagers have today, that they didn't have 20 years ago?
Web-based opportunities, for sure.
While things like administrative work in offices, apprenticing with local business-owners, and creating internship opportunities were available, I think the previous poster was right in that parents weren't as involved in the job searches to suggest these possibilities, which might not occur to a teenager.
While things like administrative work in offices, apprenticing with local business-owners, and creating internship opportunities were available, I think the previous poster was right in that parents weren't as involved in the job searches to suggest these possibilities, which might not occur to a teenager.
I've never worked for any business office that hired teenagers. Maybe some very small businesses do.
When I worked in a dental office, we hired teens to do filing and things like that. That was in the early 2000s. I would agree that it is likely smaller companies doing this.
My friends who are parents of teenagers told me all the fast food jobs in this area, are given now to older people. Their high school aged kid applies everywhere, Jack in the Box, McD's, Dairy Queen, Taco Bell, Burger King. Get nothing. All they see there are older people, over age 30, working behind the counter.
1) When did fast food work become a job for people over 30? We aren't in a recession anymore. Shouldn't there be a few more jobs available out there? When did this become acceptable as a life long career?
2) A teenage kid can do fast food work, so why would an employer hire an older person who is going to demand $15 an hour (or possibly more), full time hours and benefits?
1) We are still recovering from a recession. There are no jobs. <- I have said to many times on this forum. You people refuse to see that.
The entire economy is a mess, and it will only get worse. Young, old, black, white, degree holder, non-degree holder, all kinds of people are under-employed working crappy jobs faaaaaar below their ability or IQ. And most of the new jobs being created are in the "low wage" category.
I don't hold out much hope for the future, if you are not born rich or have connections get ready for a ROUGH ride.
The safest thing you can do is save as much as you can for when things get even worse/automation gets rolled out.
I was making over 40k managing a mcdonalds at 21. That "non career" helped me pay for college. Every job interview I have gone on since has commented (very positively) on my time spent at a McDonalds. I got my current job because they liked recruiting strong fast food managers. Working there when you are young doesn't make you cursed.
I liked hiring adults. They were usually harder workers, more reliable, and had an open schedule. The stores are open 24/7. Most teenagers can't work late nights, they can't work mornings (during school), they have football practice, band camp, etc. There is a need for adults in places like fast food. Someone has to work that Monday morning breakfast shift. You go through a drive thru here on a Wednesday at 5 pm, you'll see a 16 yr old girl. But that morning you'd have seen a 40 yr old.
Adults applied for various reasons. Some fell on hard times and needed a job, any job. Some were retired and needed extra income (or were just bored!). We still had more teenagers on our staff than adults (minus managers).
It should be a good incentive for someone to get out of a food service job, though. Yes, customers can be jerks, so work hard to do something better that doesn't involve serving the public all day long. If you don't like the customers, there's really nothing you can do about it.
Are you kidding? It's an opportunity for growth in dealing with difficult people! I love my customers, even the difficult ones.
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Also, be careful about what you label bad behavior from a customer. Someone using coupons isn't being a jerk or trying to make the cashier's life harder. Someone not wanting to discuss their political opinions with the barista at Starbuck's isn't being a jerk. Someone wanting a refund when they've been ripped off isn't being a jerk. Try to put yourself in the customer's shoes and learn to empathize.
Where did I say any of that? None of that is being a jerk.
I've been at this for almost 3 years. How long have you been in customer service? Are you speaking from experience or just going by stereotypes?
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