With the end of the school year approaching, students across the county are searching for summer jobs. Logging onto their computer and beginning to search for options, a lack of fixed interests slows them. As various potential positions pop up on their screen, they grow intimidated by the intricacies of entering the job market without knowing what they want.

On April 20 at Westfield Montgomery Mall, The Montgomery County Job Fair allowed retailers and community partners to recruit interested teenagers, avoiding the complexities of online job searching. At the fair, many employers provided insight into the qualities they look for in workers, such as strong communication skills and the ability to engage with customers. Robert Jerrett — owner of Chocolate Moonshine Co. — said he looks for high-energy, reliable and dedicated employees.

“One of the things that will cause me the biggest heartburn as an employer is someone who doesn’t come to work all the time,” Jerett said. “You can be a superstar when you’re there, but if you’re not there all the time you don’t really do me much good.”

Other employers gave similar advice to students interested in entering the job market. Ryan Matsen, a recruiter for Montgomery County 911, offers summer internships for high schoolers who are driven and have good work ethic, communication skills and multitasking abilities.

Employers representing their businesses at the fair gave individualized application instructions, but generally, the applications were fairly simple. In most cases, they required interested teens to visit a company’s website, attach a resume and fill out contact information.  

Before entering the application process, students must determine their desired field or category of work. Sophomore Kendall Venegas, a former counselor at Landon Summer Camp, found it helpful to think about childhood interests and what skills would be advantageous for future opportunities.

“Definitely think about what benefits you can get from the job besides just money,” Venegas said. “Think about having a good time. It’s your free time.”

Venegas’ pleasant experience spent at Landon Summer Camp growing up inspired her to work there. After her time at the camp, Venegas discovered her interest in pursuing a career field that allows her to work with children, such as pediatrics.

Due to the clarity that having a summer job brings, Venegas strongly recommends that other teens find one as well. Teens should try their best to overcome complicated aspects of the application process because having a job is worth it in the end, she said. Jerett thinks similarly, saying students must persist through rejection to find a fulfilling opportunity.

“There’s gonna be a lot of ‘no’s,” Jerett said, “but you’ve got to get through them to get to your yes.”

Employers at the fair explained how they recognize young employees developing valuable qualities as they gain job experience. When young employees learn about what motivates them to work, they can begin incorporating that into their leadership styles, Jerret said.

“It helps them understand what they like or don’t like,” Jerrett said. “What kind of traits do they like in their employer? What type of leadership style do they gravitate to? It’s kind of nice to know about those things before you head into your long-term career.”

Gaining exposure to the workplace early on results in a better understanding of business, said Kristan Corazzi, store manager of Banner’s Hallmark. Student-employees learn valuable skills such as customer service, sales plans and marketing, which teaches responsibility, including punctuality, managing shifts and collaborating to complete tasks, Corazzi said. Those skills are transferable in any industry and every area of life, she explained. 

Students can attest to the idea that jobs improve a variety of capabilities. Through his job at Sarah’s Handmade Ice Cream Shop, sophomore Drew Eichberg notices himself acquiring skills for the future. He recognizes that his confidence while speaking with unfamiliar people is growing, and believes his work experience will be useful to him for years to come. 

“I’ve had to write a lot of business emails now and communicate with the bosses and managing team,” Eichberg said. “That was kind of scary at first but I think it will help me in the long run.”

Matsen explained how teenage jobs are a great way to differentiate yourself from competitors in the adult job market. For this same reason, Venegas strongly recommends finding a job because she has acquired fundamental abilities she would not have learned otherwise. 

“You’re benefiting a lot more from the job in more ways than you think,” Venegas said. “Now I’m more used to communicating with a superior. I can handle situations really quickly.”

Teens may let worries of rejection discourage them from applying to a job, but some degree of spontaneity is the only way to push oneself, Corazzi explained. Teens should follow their instincts and pursue their desires when job-searching.

“If you don’t know what you want to do, try it out,” Corazzi said. “If you think something sounds interesting, work there, volunteer there. If you’re interested in a career field, try it out.”