방학중 일자리 찾기

방학 중 더 바쁜 일정을 보내는 게 우리나라 청소년들입니다. 보충수업에다 학원, 도서관을 다니며 다람쥐 쳇바퀴를 돌려야 하는 자녀들을 볼 때 애처롭습니다.

방학 때면 보충학습을 통하여 다음 학기의 공부를 미리 한다지요? 학부모님들은 다른 학생들이 다 그렇게 하니 당신의 자녀도 당연히 그래야하는 줄 알고 무조건 시킵니다. 학생 자신도 노력하지 않으면 뒤처지는 것을 느끼니 남들처럼 할 수 밖에 없겠지요. 

캐나다에서 살면서 보니 한국인의 부지런함과 성실함은 세계 어느 곳에 내어놓아도 빠지지 않는다 싶습니다. 미국의 바락 오바마 대통령도 한국인의 부지런함과 성실함을 자주 언급하고 있지요.  

여름방학동안 공부해야 하는 시간이 대부분이겠지만 조금이라도 시간을 낼 수 있다면 자원봉사 등 남을 돕는 일에 참여할 수 있으면 좋겠습니다. 작은 것일지라도 이웃을 돕는 일에 참여하면 스스로에 대한 자긍심과 자신감이 생겨나지요.

미국이나 캐나다에서는 청소년기의 학생들에게 방학 중 집에만 있지 말고 일이든 자원봉사든 경험을 쌓으라고 권합니다. 학생들 스스로 그렇게 해야하는 줄로 알지요. 강요에 의해서가 아니라 자발적으로 선택하여 노력할 때 얻는 것이 더 크지 않을까 싶습니다.

일을 찾지 않는 자녀를 가진 부모님을 위한 조언이 눈길을 끕니다.

 

<Get your teen off the sofa this summer>

What's that lump on the sofa?

Uh-oh. It's a teenager with no summer plans - unless you count playing Wii and texting.

Time to help that kid get a life. Never mind that summer's well under way, and all the other kids had jobs, internships, camps and classes lined up long ago.

Some ways teens with nothing to do can use the rest of the season constructively, along with tips for parents to help get them off that couch:

MOTIVATION

sure, teens may need a little down time. But Mary Jo Rapini, a psychotherapist with The Methodist Hospital in Huston, said "it's not good kids to do nothing in the summer," she said. "We know for a fact that kids who lie around all day, of ten-times their self-esteem goes down; they get into more trouble; they feel disengaged from families. They get lonely in the summer, and they need attention."

If your teen is resisting or lacks initiative, Rapini said the first step for parents is simply "sitting and talking." What is he or she good at? Identify people, business or organization they might contact about a job or volunteering.

Next, parents should help teens practise at pitch they can make that sums up their skills and what they're looking for. Then set a goal for teen: "I want you to make three calls today. I what to know after each one you call how it went, and I'll cross it off the list."

Even if the calls don't lead to a gig, at least the teen made an effort and practised job-searching skills.

NETWORKING

Teach teens to network by helping create lists of neighbours, friends and relatives. Consider the daycare center or day camp they attended when they were young, houses of worship or nearby parks. Can they volunteer at an animal shelter or as a reader in a senior center? Are there stores they patronize that might let them help out?

"Or they can call the family veterinarian and say, "Hey, you're the vet for Fluffy. Can I do some assistant work with you for free this summer?" said Deena Maerowitz, a college admissions consultant.

Help your teen come up with a follow-up pitch when the answer is no, Maerowitz said. Does the person they're calling know of other places they might call? Would it be OK to put a sign on the office bulletin board offering pet-sitting?

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Entrepreneurial teens should be encouraged to "try their hand at their own business," whether baby-sitting, tutoring, lawn-mowing or dog-working, said Caroline Ceniza-Levine of Six-Figure Start, a career-coaching firm specializing in students and young professionals.

Help your teen think about marketing: "How are people going to find out about them? Are they going to do flyers? Are they going to put up a web-site? How much would they charge for their service? How much do other people charge? Cenixa Levine said.

The process can be productive even if it doesn't lead to earning money. A teen interested in animals or sports might set up a blog or web-site on the subject. A teen who dreams of a specialized career might find a professional to shadow for a day. Another good use of time: Learning QuickBooks, PowerPoint or other computer skills.

VOLUNTEERING

Finding volunteer gigs can be challenging. "Non-profits are busier than ever, but often they aren't equipped to take in people off the streets," said Robert Rosenthal, spokesman for VolunteerMatch, based in San Francisco.

Check with volunteer organizations to see if there are opportunities.

ONLINE JOB SEARCHES

We've all heard about Internet job scams and horror stories. But there are ways teens can stay safe while looking for work online.

College student Henry Randall, 19, had just a few weeks to work at home in New York between other commitments this summer. He posted an ad on Craigslist, but he proceeded very carefully.

"I didn't put up any personal information- just may first name," he said. "No address, no phone number." He didn't need to include his e-mail: Craigslist forward all ad responses without revealing your e-mail address.

Henry got an offer to work in a medical office cleaning out old paper records, but before he called, he did some research. "First I went on the office's web-site to check it out, then I checked out the location, to see what kind of neighbourhood I'd be going to," he said. "It seemed like a legitimate job."

He went in for an interview, got the $10-an-hour job, and was invited back to work there any time he's home from school.

THINK SMALL

For teens who are reluctant to make cold calls for take the initiative, "try to think small," Maerowitz said. "If your kid is resisting getting a full-time job or an internship, think of shorter term projects,"

Just don't let them spend the entire summer on the sofa. "I can tell you as a college admissions consultant, its important for colleges to see kids have done something for the summer," she said. "It doesn't necessarily mean working from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, or creating a non-profit that saves world. It's not the time commitment so much as the 'Aha'-learning something about yourself."

(Source: 24 hours. Monday, July 20, 2009. page 11)