One of the biggest differences between previous generations and the current generation is that many of my generation worked in high school. Work has been a large part of the teen and young adult world in many cultures and throughout history. This idea of "study only" has been a huge aberration to our natural progression into adulthood. When I see Academy students, they have a maturity that I don't see in many of their college bound peers. They know work realities, managing money, managing life around a job. Our 22 million young adults sitting at home are clueless by and large as to that part of life. It isn't that they are lazy although they may be on the road to dependency and laziness, it is that they haven't a clue as to how to plan, apply, and get positions that they can work in and up to well paying positions.

If you have a student who isn't crazy about going to college or has tried that first semester and doesn't seem to fit, then you have to go to plan B. Ideally, plan A should have had your student out working during high school. This lets them learn what fits for their personality. My youngest son tried working in a deli and found it nerve racking. That told us to eliminate a lot of service oriented jobs that deal with many customers in placing him in future jobs. My older son loves working with customers because of some of the jobs he has held. But forget about him working with little kids at camp. They wore him out! Young people need to know what they like and don't like in a job. I recommend getting them into jobs and internships by age 15. Mary’s youngest son just started working in a grocery store. He enjoys it and his co-workers find him to be a good worker. Once you get your young adult working if they are not going to college, create a game plan. How can they advance in the job area they start in? With entry level jobs, they need to decide how to move up the chain or move to a better situation. At each step of the way, evaluate if this is the best field for their preferences and talents. I also recommend that they move out on their own with roommates because this is a critical life skill. Learning to live with others, to manage your time, your money, your social life is all critical to this stage of growth and adult development. I was recently asked if it is all right for them to live at home. Of course it is, if it works for both sides and if they are picking up the critical adult skills of working, managing time, money, chores, and social life.

This all requires communicating with your young adult. Require a plan for building their job resume and require that they start working full time or part time with some college classes. Help them dream and make those dreams come true!

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