By Mary Olivia Moser and Gianna Ceran 

Staff Writers 

    For many high school students, getting a job is an important step in life. During the summer, many teens choose to work in restaurants, retail stores, and as lifeguards. However, finding work as a teen has become increasingly difficult. 

    According to Drew Desilver from the Pew Research Center, only 35.5% of U.S. teenagers ages sixteen through nineteen held a paying job for at least part of the summer of 2026. For teenagers looking for work, limited schedules, competition, and lack of experience can make the search even harder. For junior Adele Francom, the process was extremely slow.

    “I applied to about three jobs, and it took weeks to hear back from one,” Francom said. “From there, my interview was scheduled, and I got the text that I was hired shortly after. I have worked at the Loft for 3 weeks now, and I am very happy with it.” 

    For other students, getting hired came with many rejections. Quinn Esstman, another junior at RJR, drew attention to the fact that employers often want employees with experience, which many high school students don’t have. 

    “Most places don’t respond and are looking for people with experience,” Esstman said. “I got rejected almost 20 times.”

    Additionally, the increased difficulty of being hired can also be due to employers’ concerns about scheduling and legality issues with teens under 18 needing to have a Youth employment certificate (a work permit). Alicia Tuck Thompson, the career development coordinator at RJR, mentioned that employers sometimes hesitate to hire teenagers because of issues with availability.

    “Employers are sometimes hesitant about high school students simply due to scheduling limitations and making sure they all meet the safety requirements,” Tuck-Thompson said. 

    For younger workers, there are often extra requirements. Tuck-Thompson explained that students between the ages of fifteen and eighteen may need a youth employment certificate, which can add an additional step to hire a teenager. 

    Although finding employment is often extremely difficult, not every student has that experience. For Emma Sayers, a junior at RJR, having personal connections gave her a leg up. 

    “I have connections and know them personally,” Sayers said. “I think that was very helpful because management knew I would be a trusted employee.” 

    Sayers’s experience showed how having connections to the owners or employees of an establishment can help give teenagers a better chance at getting the job when compared to those who have more work experience.

    Although finding a first job can be difficult, students can take action to make themself look like a better candidate to employers. Tuck Thompson recommends that students consider what they actually want as a job, rather than applying to random open positions.

    “Understand what you want to do,” Tuck Thompson said. “You want to have a purpose in anything you are focusing on.” 

    Additionally, students should look past the most popular jobs like retail and restaurant jobs and try to look more into jobs that align with their personality, interests, and schedule. Building resumes through school activities like sports, clubs, and volunteering can show employers you would be valuable to their team without having much prior work experience. 

    While the process can be painful for some, it is important to be persistent. Preparation and knowing what you want to do can help students find the perfect job and prepare for future jobs.