Kids most interested in career, giving back

Good news for the economy - and for marketers in general. Looking ahead, teens and young adults are confident about employment, which translates into confidence in the economy. According to a recent Junior Achievement report youths are interesting in education, as it leads to better jobs. Kids are also interested in giving back and many reported they would choose a job based on the ability to impact society.

by Kristina Knight

In the grand scheme of things, this is quite important as, with a new consumer base headed quickly into the job market, brands need to be attuned to their wants and needs as well as the wants and needs of established adults.

The report found nearly two-thirds (65%) of young adults 'very confident' about having an 'ideal job'. 24% reported being 'extremely confident' and 9% reported they were not confident with the job market. But, possibly more important, is that the next generation of kids is very interested in giving back to society. More than 80% of survey respondents said they would give up their ideal job if they could have a more positive societal impact. Just over 70% said they would give up the 'ideal job' if they would still be well-paid and half reported a willingness to have a less-than-ideal-job if they could have more responsibility in the decision making of a business.

"We're seeing that all teens are thinking very seriously about their career paths," said Jack E. Kosakowski, President of Junior Achievement USA. "[They are] telling us they want to channel this energy and invest in their future careers. . .Teens' optimism and energy are inspiring... teens are telling us they want to channel this energy and invest in their future careers."

The Junior Achievement/ING poll found that American girls still lag behind boys in math and science career choices with only about 10% of girls showing an interest in engineering and science. Nearly 20% of boys showed interest in these careers.

Tags: economics, Junior Achievement, teen advertising, teen boys, teen girls