Teen Job Match: A New Way to Help Teens Find Jobs

Helping Teenage Job Hunters

For teenage job hunters, the challenges of landing a job can seem insurmountable. Four years ago, when Timothy McClurg’s daughter Dakota began looking for a job at the age of 16, many businesses turned her away for lacking the very experience she wanted to gain or told her to come back once she turned 18. Even figuring out how to produce a professional-looking resumé seemed impossible; dozens of sites offering free help really only offered hidden fees.

As he empathized with his daughter’s frustration, Timothy wished he knew of a way to help industrious teens like Dakota break into the workforce. At the time, Timothy had returned to college to get his degree after serving in the National Guard. While sitting in a business class at California State University, Chico, Timothy received a rather serendipitous assignment to find a real-world problem and come up with a business to solve it. It didn’t take more than a heartbeat for this father to decide what real-world problem to tackle.

Teen Job Match is Born

Four years later, with the help of CSU, Chico’s programming students, Timothy has now launched Teen Job Match, a free online platform to help teens and young adults, up to the age of 24, create resumés and connect with local businesses for paid work, internships and volunteer positions. During his research, Timothy discovered that while individual teachers may offer assistance, many high schools do not offer official help with resumés. Teen Job Match, therefore, seeks to help teens overcome this initial challenge. After creating a profile on the website, young job seekers can then use a free professional template and tips to craft a compelling resumé, which they can keep private or make public for potential employers to find. Employers can access the site, also free of charge, and search for local youth who might fit well in their company dynamics.

As a parent, Timothy has worked to make sure Teen Job Match not only offers useful services but does so in a safe and constructive way. In addition to working a full-time job as a supervisor at Transfer Flow Inc., he runs the start-up company and plans to fund it through limited advertisements from universities, colleges and other organizations that can benefit the demographic of job-hunters using the site.  “It’s free, teen-friendly and safe,” he says. “There are no hidden fees, and it doesn’t have a million ads.”

Right now, Teen Job Match primarily offers jobs in foodservice and retail sales in the Chico area, but Timothy values networking and welcomes all fields of employment across the North State. He sees the potential for Teen Job Match to burgeon into a resource for teens across the nation to find local jobs or internships that can give them the experience they need for future jobs. “It’s about connecting people and making a stronger community,” Timothy says. “Nonprofits, for example, need help, and kids need experience.”

If your teen needs help stepping into the workforce, or if your business could benefit from some fresh recruits, visit the website or send an email.

Important Tips for Teens Who Want to Work

Ready to start having some of your own cash in your pocket? Teens who would like to have a steady part-time job need to apply for a permit. Even teens working for their parents need to get work permits. Don’t forget to renew your permit annually – they expire five days after the beginning of each school year. Use these tips to help you start your job hunt.

1. Check the requirements for your age and desired employment. Your age, your desired occupation, and how many hours you intend to work, can influence your legal work options. Look for the summary charts in the Child Labor Law Pamphlet, found under Laws and Regulations on the Department of Industrial Relations website.
2. Know your SSN. You don’t need a special ID, but you will need your social security number to complete your work permit application.
3. Get a work permit application. Pick up a work permit application from your school. You, your parents, and your future employer will need to sign this form and return it to your school. Wait for your permit to arrive before beginning work.
4. Know your rights. Read up on how to stay safe in the workplace and find information about what to do if you’re hurt on the job at the Young Workers website.
5. Keep your records. The California Department of Education requires schools to keep records for four years. It’s a good idea for you to also keep a copy of your work permit application and all of your payment records for at least four years.

If you need more information, visit the California Department of Education website or check the Young Workers website to read frequently asked questions and download a helpful app.