Parents hoping to buff their child’s university application by encouraging extra study, travel or unpaid volunteer work this summer may want to think twice.
A entry-level summer job may actually be the best way to improve teenagers’ career prospects, according to researchers at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business.
“They make more money and they end up with jobs they’re better suited for,” said report co-author Marc-David Seidel, a sociology professor who studies the workplace.
The researchers looked at Statistics Canada data that tracked employment for over 250,000 young people over a 10-year period, from age 15 to 25.
Youth who worked either in the summer or during the school year had better networking, job hunting and time management skills. Students who worked longer hours both in the summer and during the school year benefited the most.
“By the time they were 23, working in school when they were 15 improved their ability to career network,” Seidel said.
“For summer work, it’s a little bit over 40 hours a week that was ideal, and for work during the school year it’s actually quite high, it surprised us — it’s a little bit over 30 hours a week.”
However, when young people work very long hours out of purely financial need, they don’t get the same benefits, Seidel said.
The research also shows that small business owners should definitely get their children working alongside them.
“If the family that they come from has a family business, there’s an additional effect above and beyond this,” Seidel said. “Working in the family business helps particularly with finding jobs that they are better suited for later in life.”
