Employment in Adolescence

Although there are clear negative impacts of youth employment, working also entails some positive effects, especially for academic underachievers. Observers increasingly accept the notion that working contributes to the personality development of young people. Working enriches young people's life experiences, thereby enhancing self-confidence, self-responsibility, self-discipline, self-initiation, self-esteem, and independence. Greenberger and Steinberg also noted that young workers acquire some skills that are not provided in school. Workplaces offer young people a real-life environment to examine and practice the knowledge and skills that they learned in school. Moreover, young people have the opportunity to experience adult society, which contributes to their social development in such areas as organizing skills and socializing techniques. Working might also encourage them to keep up with their studies, particularly when an employer suggests that the young worker improve his grades. Above all, working experiences help young people think about their possible career trajectories. Frequently, young people are influenced by their early working experiences and sometimes choose a similar or relevant job in the future. For both boys and girls, youth employment results in definite rewards, such as income, employment opportunities, and career prestige.