Jobs have been the staple of a functioning society for centuries, according to The Atlantic. They’re what runs the world, people need a job to support themselves, and their jobs, in turn, support the world. So, from hunting and gathering 12,000 years ago to doctors in today’s world, jobs have always been around. However, it seems this timeless motif is becoming more challenging to fulfill than ever before. According to career counselor Brad Minton, it’s been found to be increasingly arduous to hunt and acquire a job in recent years.
“I would say job hunting has become more difficult in ways over the last decade or two,” Minton said. “I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, but it certainly has evolved into more of an art form that you can’t go through with minimal effort in 2024.”
But why is this? There’s not exactly a shortage of jobs. In fact, there are over 157 million jobs in the United States alone says the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Well, it turns out that the downfall of job-hunting can be credited to a handful of things, however, the most glaring reason is actually technology and globalization. Being as advanced in the world as we are today in terms of technology means that companies are no longer geographically limited as to who they can hire. With options like working from home now available, a hiring manager could technically take someone on as an employee who lives across the country.
“Technology and globalization leveled the playing field,” Minton said. “Over the course of time with the expansion of online/remote work opportunities to connect businesses to talent all over the country and even the world have increased tremendously.”
So, with such a significant geographic expansion, the competition for job openings has become much more intense. This is another reason behind the recent struggle for job hunting. Unemployment rates have begun slowly rising within the last few years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and this increase goes hand in hand with job hunting. With more people unemployed, the amount of people searching for a job increases as well. Consequently, the competition that naturally comes with job searching has notably risen.
“Yes, I would definitely say it’s become harder to get a job nowadays,” Guidance counselor Leslie Cummings said. “Unemployment plays a part in it. With so many people looking for one, I can imagine how much competition there is even to get a simpler, easier job like, for example, a sales representative.”
While this job-hunting epidemic affects everyone, it seems there is a certain age group that takes the brunt of it. Teenagers, to be exact. According to CNBC, teenagers tend to have the hardest time finding a job and it’s only become worse in recent times. Teens are already limited in what they can do as a job due to many things. Laws limiting how long they can work, other responsibilities like school and sports, the list goes on. So, with all of those restrictions on top of the job market becoming more strenuous, the amount of teens struggling to find work has increased by 17 percent since 2000, says CNBC. Teenagers themselves seem to not find this statistic too surprising.
“Yeah, I mean, I’ve only had one job at McDonald’s, but I remember it being pretty difficult to get accepted by it,” senior Brady Cole said. “It was annoying.”
Cole isn’t the only one with this thought process. Senior Madyson Talbot shares a similar mentality. Talbot, who does currently have a steady job with Dollar General, says that she struggled for a while before she was eventually hired for her present job.
“I’m sure a lot of teenagers are struggling to find jobs right now, I know I did,” senior Madyson Talbot said. “Especially living in a small town. There are even fewer jobs available that teens are allowed to do in a small town, but more people want those jobs. It gets pretty competitive and makes it harder to get hired for a job.”However, while it seems most students find it difficult to be hired for a job, there is an outlier to this otherwise shared experience. It comes in the form of senior Gavin Hart, who says he found his job extremely easy.
“All I had to do was do a very short interview and I instantly got accepted. In my opinion, the world today has more job opportunities for almost anyone, including minors,” Hart said. “The problem, however, is the fact that the people of today are very lazy and think they deserve a lot more pay so they refuse to do any jobs where they would have to start low. Therefore, companies get desperate and hire almost anybody even though they aren’t well suited for the position.”

The general consensus, even with the occasional exception, is that finding a job as a teenager is hard, which falls in line with the rest of the world right now. However, despite all of this, there are strategies you can employ to boost your chances. For example, according to Minton, making sure to research the company and role you’re applying for, knowing your interviewer(s), networking, and tailoring your resume to the job you’re applying for are all great ways to leave a good impression and increase your shot at being chosen for the position you want. Not to mention, whether you’re a teenager or a full-fledged adult, having a job is important. How else are you going to support yourself? So, it’s cardinal to keep in mind that even though it may be difficult to find a job right now, eventually you’ll find the right fit for you. You’ve just got to keep on looking.
“The job market is a little strained right now, sure, that can’t be denied, but that doesn’t change the fact that jobs are necessities to the world and it’s not impossible to find one,” Minton said. “In fact, I don’t believe it’s nearly as difficult as some people make it out to be. You just have to know what to look for and where to look for it.”