"DEPRESSED and guilty." "Nervous, unsure." "I really felt bad, rejected and frustrated." "I felt useless, lost weight and got physically sick." Those are four cries from jobless youths.
"Sad to say, young people are in a bad situation," says Cleveland J. Jones, account executive for a New York City employment agency. "Today's job market is very tight."
But you know that.
Trying to find a job is tough work. Worldwide inflation and limited demand for unskilled workers have made jobs harder to come by, especially if you are a youth. And if you cannot find a job right away, it can affect you emotionally, make you wonder about your self-worth. Others have felt that way, too, when they could not find a job. Why do we feel this way when we are out of work?
Why Work?
It is only natural to work. We are created that way. Experiencing good results from hard work is called "the gift of God." And who does not like receiving gifts? Gifts can make us happy; they show that others care about us. Meaningful work can bring happiness, as well as make us feel wanted and needed. Without work, we feel bored and restless.
People like to work because they can earn money to buy things they want. So they can "eat food they themselves earn" and 'provide members of their household' with the necessities of life. But even more important than that, people like to work because it helps them to know who they are.
It is a way of identifying themselves. They are no longer just Sal; but Sal the baker, Jeanette the secretary, or Juan the mechanic.
Finding a job is a major topic among youths. According to a recent survey published in Senior Scholastic magazine, American high school seniors were asked to rate which life goals they considered "very important." Eighty-four percent responded: "Being able to find steady work." And another survey found that 5 out of 10 current concerns of young people related to jobs.
Job Training.
School is a good place for you to prepare for a job-if you are willing to learn. Learning does not stop at graduation. The world is in constant change; so to keep up you have to be constantly learning.
"The shrewd one considers his steps," a famous wise man advised the inexperienced. On a hot summer day wouldn't a dip in cool waters be refreshing? But would it make sense to jump into a deep lake before you knew how to swim?
Likewise, 'consider your steps' by testing out the "waters" of the work world before submerging yourself in a job. While in school, prepare and train as much as you can for the outside working world before plunging into the work force.
Learn the basics well-reading, writing and mathematics. Mr. Jones, with 15 years of experience in finding jobs for others, offers this advice for future job seekers: "Get a good high school education.
I cannot stress enough the importance of learning to read and write and speak properly. Learn proper decorum as well, so you can handle people in the working world." Labor statistics show that the unemployment rate for high school dropouts is almost double that of graduates.
Some may wonder: 'What good is it to learn the basics if all I want to do is drive a bus, work in a factory or be in sales?' A lot of good. Here is why: A bus driver must be able to read timetables for arrivals and departures. Factory workers need to know how to fill out job-completion tickets or similar reports.
Sales clerks are expected to do computations. In almost every type of job, communication skills are needed. Not only that, but you must communicate in order to get the job in the first place. And communication means writing, reading and speaking well enough to be understood and to understand.
According to Jones, three other important ingredients looked for in job applicants are: being on time, following directions and showing respect for superiors (teachers and the principal). School can be your training ground for developing these traits.
Never Give Up
"Never give up if you are out of school and looking for a job," says Jones. "Do not go out on two or three interviews, then go home and sit and wait. You will never get called for a job that way." Follow the example of the ant and "see its ways and become wise," the Bible advises. Ants are persistent and determined.
Have you ever put your foot in the pathway of an ant? The ant will not turn back but will try one way and then another, or will even try to climb over your foot. The ant will not easily give up. Neither should you if you really want a job.
Sal was looking for a job for seven months before he was hired. How did he do it? "I would tell myself: 'My job is to find a job,'" explains Sal. "I would spend eight hours a day each weekday for seven months looking for a job. I would start early each morning and 'work' till four o'clock in the afternoon.
Many nights my feet would be sore. The next morning I would have to 'psych myself up' to start looking again."
What kept Sal from quitting? "Every time I was in a personnel office," he answers, "I would remember what Jesus said: 'Exert yourselves vigorously.' I would keep thinking that one day I will be working and that this bad time would pass." For Sal it did pass when he got a job. It can for you, too, if you do not give up.
Where to Find Jobs
If you live in a rural area, your job search could start with local farms and orchards, or you can look for some type of yard work. If you live in a large town or city, try looking in the newspaper help-wanted ads. Why the help-wanted ads? Mr. Jones answers: "You will always find clues to what the employer is looking for in the want ads."
These clues can tell you what qualifications are needed for a certain job and can help you to explain to the employer why you can fill those needs. Teachers, employment agencies, personnel offices and friends or neighbors who already have a job are other sources you can tap.
And do not forget your parents. Of 160,000 teenagers surveyed, 45 percent said they would like parental advice on getting a job.
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