Jobs for Teens That’ll Prepare Them for the Future of Work

I know this isn’t what one is “supposed” to admit about the next generation, but teens today have it tough. Ignoring the complex social issues around growing up in the digital age, today’s teens are entering a work environment that is evolving rapidly.

In the past, you would invest in years of training for a job that was unlikely to change too dramatically, and carry those skills with you throughout your career.

Now, as companies learn to adapt more quickly, you’re expected to have a broad cross-section of skills that span many professions. Having a working knowledge of sales can help an engineer grow in their career. Understanding global cultures can help data analysts understand how different sample groups answer questions, or interpret results.

Beyond that, many jobs that have traditionally required human aid may become automated in the near future. A study by the White House estimates that jobs paying $20/hour or less have an 83% chance of being replaced by automation in the near future.

As teens prepare to enter the workforce, they may find the need for new types of training in this rapidly changing world.

So how can a teenager begin building skills for jobs that haven’t yet been created? Teens now must use their early job opportunities to gain the exposure they’ll need to be competitive long-term.

Core Skills

Regardless of the positions that will be available in the future, teens should continue to learn and develop core skills that will prepare them for any manner of careers. With a solid understanding of the basics, teens — soon to be young adults — can translate their experiences to the working world, whatever that world may look like.

Skill: Process Optimization and Management

The future of work relies on efficiency, and anyone who understands process optimization will experience a more successful career search. Seek opportunities where you’ll learn how to apply current processes and perhaps even build your own.

Whether it’s managing your time as a freelancer, leading your store to profitability, or designing a marketing team that takes input from the sales team and turns it into content that generates leads, businesses need to have repeatable and scalable processes. The more you study efficiency and how to attain it, the more successful you’ll be.

Jobs for Teens That Teach Process Optimization and Management:

It’s not a glamorous job, and your friends might make fun of you, but a position with McDonald’s or another fast food restaurant will teach you the basics of process optimization. McDonald’s became the giant it is today by creating manufacturing efficiency from the bottom up, with employee processes in place for assembling the food. Other options include factory work, where you’ll learn how to assemble items you use every day with the utmost efficiency.

Find a job that runs based on repeating processes, and study the process and efficiencies created. Where are works-in-progress kept? How do you handle changes in orders? What happens if a step in the process breaks? Very smart people have put a lot of time and effort into designing how each person fits into the process. You may find more opportunities on a daily basis than you realize.

Skill: Math

In business, math is the language of growth. If you can’t speak that language, you can’t show your value — or out-compete those who can. Today, one business can put another out of business by doing the exact same thing with more efficient growth.

I was that kid who said “I’ll never use this!” in algebra. Over a decade later, while trying to combine variables in a spreadsheet that showed how I would impact the business, I realized how wrong I was.

Maybe you won’t need advanced calculus for your day job, but maybe you will. Keep building those skills, especially for real-life scenarios.

Jobs for Teens That Teach Math:

Dozens of teen-friendly jobs require math. Find positions as an assistant bookkeeper for a small business, or as a data entry temp. If you want to keep your math skills sharp, tutor younger kids who are learning the basics.

Teens also need quick math abilities if they work as a restaurant server or a grocery store cashier. Even counting out change for a customer keeps your math skills from getting rusty from lack of use.

Skill: Writing

Excellent verbal skills will always be a bonus, regardless of your chosen career. By focusing on speaking and writing, you can tighten your grasp on the English language. If you choose a summer or high-school job that requires writing, you’re even more likely to retain your skills for use later in life.

Jobs for Teens That Teach Writing:

Work with a company that sells to a younger demographic on their social media and content marketing campaigns. Help craft the words these brands use to reach other teens like you. Thanks to the boom in content marketing, writers no longer fall into the “starving artist” category.

Talk with online and print news media in your town. Internships may be available for copyediting, proofreading, and maybe even writing columns. You can also find an endless stream of jobs on freelance writing sites that will help you hone your skills.

Nothing improves your writing like writing. A lot.

Skill: Sales

Regardless of where you work in the future, sales will be a large part of what makes that company grow. Even if you never want a career in sales, understanding the personality and processes necessary will help you align your support for the company for bigger growth.

Jobs for Teens That Teach Sales:

Work a retail position with one of your favorite brands, or apply to a bookstore or restaurant. Part of your job will involve making suggestions to customers that improve their experiences. Every time you complete a sale, you’ll learn more about how your company continues to grow. You’ll also learn how to handle “no” gracefully, and how to position your suggestion from the perspective of what’s best for the customer.

Skill: Multiculturalism

This isn’t precisely a “skill”, but it’s important that the workers of tomorrow understand how different cultures think and act. By the time today’s teens enter the workforce, different cultures will be a distinct part of almost any business. Learning how to respect and appreciate other cultures helps you avoid tremendous faux pas in the future. Even the biggest of companies can misstep when encountering different cultures, as the U.S.-based Disney discovered when opening EuroDisney in Paris.

With the increasing popularity of remote teams, you may end up working with people overseas. The best person for the job may not live in your company’s home city. Cultivate cultural awareness and learn to communicate with people from different backgrounds.

Jobs for Teens That Teach Multiculturalism:

Work in one of the many retail stores and restaurants in your local airport. Meet people from other countries while working in hotels — at the front desk, in housekeeping, or in another part of the tourism industry. Perhaps even pursue positions with a cruise line or work at a cruise terminal. Even ethnic restaurants give you the opportunity to meet people from other cultures. The most important aspect of your job is to learn from others and appreciate where they come from.

Bonus points if you learn multiple languages. Don’t wait until you’re applying for a cool job in your company’s new overseas office to start. Do it now, while your mental muscles for learning new things are still fresh.

Skill: Computer Science

We rely on technology for so many job functions, and that reliance will only increase over the next decade. A lack of understanding about computer science could put you at a disadvantage when searching for a career.

Jobs for Teens That Teach Computer Science:

Start small with data entry assignments that give more insight into database software. If you’re comfortable with computers, try coding assignments for web or app design. You can learn the basics with online tutorials like CodeAcademy or HTML5Rocks. If you’ve mastered those, try small jobs that give you practice solving problems with code.

At the very least, you need to understand how computers work so you can understand their potential to help you in the future.

Skill: Internet Research

We now have the collective history, wisdom, and research of our fellow humans right at our fingertips. You will, at some point in your future, need to know how to access that information.

Part of accessing that information is learning how to recognize true facts, weed out bad data, and challenge assumptions. In fact, when I interview people, this is one of the main things I test for. Not your knowledge, but your reflexes in recognizing and challenging assumptions.

Jobs for Teens That Teach Internet Research:

Work for an author who needs help with research, or a teacher who is writing a book. You can also seek positions with your local newspaper or magazine and offer services for research and fact-checking.

Build a mindset of questioning assumptions, including your own, by finding information online.

Exercise Your Mind

Recently, I returned to my old high school to talk with current students. In the algebra class, I spoke with a kid whose career ambition was to join the Marines. He was ambivalent toward algebra, using the same “I’ll never use this” answer I used as a kid.

I gave a weak answer about how the military still uses math, and introduced him to grid and target reference points. He was unswayed.

After I left, naturally, I realized a more impactful answer would have addressed what he did care about: fitness. In the military, sports, or any physical profession, an exercise regimen builds the muscles you’ll need to be effective.

Now, I’ve never heard a member of the military say the key to their mission success was that they dropped to the ground and knocked out a bunch of push-ups and sit-ups, yet the Marines require those exact exercises from all recruits. Why? Because it prepares those muscles to be used in some unforeseen future capacity.

The same is true of your brain. You may never use math, or optimize a process, or sell a single thing, but these activities prepare your mind for the flexibility that the new world of work will demand from you.

So drop and give me 20 math problems.

What other job tips do you have for teens today looking to set themselves up for the future of business? Write a response and share your advice.