Teens entering today’s workforce face one of the worst recessions in decades but remain optimistic about their future careers — 90 percent are confident they will one day have their ideal job, according to a national poll by Junior Achievement and ING Foundation.
Also, an overwhelming majority – 84 percent – said they’d forego getting that perfect job for the opportunity to make a difference in the world, the survey found.
When asked to identify which factors would motivate them to sacrifice getting the ideal job, more teens chose “having a positive impact on society” than “being well paid,” “having decision-making responsibilities,” having a job that was “extremely challenging,” and a job that provided “publicity and recognition.”
Teens’ optimism runs counter to findings of a recent Conference Board study, which found the level of job satisfaction among adult, employed Americans at 45 percent – a 22-year low.
In contrast to the Junior Achievement-ING survey findings, Conference Board respondents under age 25 expressed the highest level of dissatisfaction with their jobs of any age group surveyed, at 64 percent.
While the economic climate has improved over the past year, nearly three-quarters of teens surveyed are more worried, or as worried, now about their future job prospects compared to a year ago. Of those teens who said they were more worried now about their job prospects, 64 percent said they were anxious about the economy, and over half-55 percent-cited the unemployment rate as the most troubling issue.
When asked about the most important factors in getting a good job, nearly all teens polled ranked “believing in yourself” (93 percent) and “getting good grades” (93 percent). Additionally, 83 percent believe work readiness programs, if offered by schools, would prepare them for a successful career.
Junior Achievement – which has a Hartford regional affiliate, Junior Achievement of Southwest New England — provides students with resources and programs that connect their classroom experience with the world of work through job shadowing and career counseling.
