6 Ways To Prepare Teen For The Post-Coronavirus Job Market

2020 has changed the workplace. Maybe you’ve experienced it yourself, or perhaps you’re concerned about the path your teen is on. Over the past month, we have been preparing free training to help you understand exactly what your teen needs to know as they prepare to graduate from high school.
Most parents would do almost anything to help their teen stand out and get into the college of their dreams so that they can get a high-paying career.
But the truth is that paying for tutors, test prep, clubs and sports team membership fees just aren’t enough. Because while good grades and extracurricular activities may make a well-rounded student, these days it won’t guarantee your teen’s future.
Let's be honest: WE, as parents, play a big part in determining how successful our kids will become. Whether it's driving them to sports matches or staying up late to help them with their calculus homework (for those of us who even REMEMBER calculus), parents are a massive part of our teenagers' journey...BUT that also puts us in a UNIQUE POSITION. 
We can set our kids apart from their peers...and if we're reading anything about the college admissions process these days, we'd all know that GRADES JUST WON'T CUT IT.
Even if our kid is the valedictorian with perfect SAT scores, that's not what colleges REALLY care about...(because there are thousands upon thousands of other valedictorians with perfect SAT scores vying for the same spot at the same university).

So, WHAT CAN WE DO TO GIVE OUR KIDS A LEG UP? 

We can find UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES that are designed to help them get ahead.  
In 2021, university diplomas aren’t necessary to secure high paying jobs. Skill Samurai helps high school students bypass college by putting them on a defined path to acquire industry-recognized certification for high demand careers.
“College degrees are out of reach for many Americans, and you shouldn’t need a college diploma to have economic security,” writes Kent Walker, senior VP of global affairs at Google in the company announcement. “We need new, accessible job-training solutions—from enhanced vocational programs to online education—to help America recover and rebuild,” he said, noting the certificates as good as a college degree in Google’s eyes.
We're going to be honest here - and this may be a hard pill for parents to swallow, but: SCHOOL ISN'T ALWAYS FAIR. Like it or not, kids are labelled by their teachers from week 1. They're sorted by their varying degrees of academic prowess.
Teens are guided on a path, be it honours, AP, STEM, foreign languages, sports, theatre, which are all based on how they may have performed, what subjects and levels they excelled in (or didn't), and perhaps what they gravitate towards. Why do these matter? 
Because perceptions made about your child when they were in elementary school are still impacting their lives more than a decade later, putting them on the "Ivy League Track" (or the community college one)... What's the point? School isn't always fair. The best part is that it doesn’t matter. Elon Musk says college is 'basically for fun' but 'not for learning,' and that a degree isn't 'evidence of exceptional ability. 
If you want to prepare your child for a successful career, focus on giving them to hone the skills they need. Right now, that is more important than getting them into the right college. The right skills lead to suitable careers.
As parents, we want to give our kids the world...but are we making suitable investments for their future? Every cause that will better set our teens up for success is obviously worthy, but how do we find the BEST opportunities out there for them? Can we really rely solely on the local offerings and the programs their schools market them? As parents, it's our DUTY to prepare our teens for the most excellent chance of future success...and it's our RESPONSIBILITY to research and ferret out those opportunities.

6 Ways To Prepare Teens For The Post-Coronavirus Job Market

Here are a few ways you can prepare them for a post-coronavirus job market.
1. Build their skillset. It has never been more critical for students to keep building their skill set. Change is the only constant in workplaces, and students who commit to updating their skills are the ones that will be able to adapt. There will always be more skills to learn, so start with ones that can pay off early. Don’t only focus on their technical skills; focus on “soft skills” such as communication, problem-solving and teamwork. Those skills are valuable in every position and industry.  
2. Make sure they are tech-savvy. The Covid-19 pandemic has fast-tracked digital transformation as companies try to become more resistant to future disruptions. The reality is that technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual and augmented reality (AR), and robotics will make businesses more resilient to future pandemics. Anyone who can help companies exploit these technologies will be in a great position.
3. Build their network. Yes, it’s important that they network. They should begin introducing themselves to people in the field they want to enter. Networking can also help them connect with professionals in other industries. It can help them locate co-op placements and internships. It’s much easier to find work from a network rather than going through a traditional application process.
4. Embrace gig work. One prediction for the post-coronavirus job market is that rather than looking for full-time employees, businesses will continue to rely on gig-workers-consultants, independent contractors, on-demand workers, freelancers and more. As a result, students should approach their educational development with an entrepreneurial mindset. Gone are the days of going to school for four years and then having the same job for 40 years. 
To be successful in an economy where employees will have multiple jobs, they will need to understand their intellectual value, increase it, build a reputation, and be poised to market themselves to get new opportunities. If they wish to succeed, they will need to learn how to manage themselves as a small business and their skills as their product.
5. Improve their online presence. In addition to LinkedIn, now is a good time for students to update their social media accounts. They should create their website to market themselves to help potential employers or clients find them.
They may need to clean up any online content that isn’t in line with the professional brand they want to convey. They should create a profile on sites like Trello that are used by companies seeking talent.
6. Consider alternatives to traditional education. Covid-19 has shown us that even the most prestigious universities are little more than online tutorials. Rather than investing four years and tens of thousands of dollars, students can fund their last year of high school and be job-ready when they graduate. 
Companies like Google, Amazon and Microsoft have created the certification courses they view as more important than 4-year degrees. These certifications, plus internships, can fast track your child on pathways to high paying IT careers.

Which is more important for your teens after COVID-19: degree or skills?

Many believe that accomplishing a degree would help them become successful. However, others claim vital skills to become more prepared for any job opportunities. It’s true that both of these careers only aim for a successful life in the future. So, let’s weigh it down to see which is more practical today, particularly after the worldwide pandemic.
Degree-holders. Earning a degree provides your child with an authentic certificate or diploma, proving their knowledge and acquire ability in a specific field. It also gives them pre-training courses to prepare them more for their actual jobs. Other than that, their 4-year to 6-year education trains them to present themselves in the academe professionally. As a result, degree-holders are noticeable in their approaches, outlook, and opinions. 
Besides that, young adults with degrees usually earn respect and social reputation as they have reached a higher education than others. Sometimes, businesses and industries offer them specialised job positions, helping them achieve better job qualifications.
Skilled individuals. Skills are not just locked in theoretical and analytical lessons or concepts. However, skills even pertain to practical talents and abilities in particular tasks. Unlike degrees, your teens can acquire skills through consistent practice and project-based learning. In this approaches, learners start to get equipped with practical skills that they can surely apply in real-life situations.
Aside from that, skills are the ones to help you grow and achieves success. It is only a massive part of job positions’ requirements. So, many skilled and experienced individuals can acquire jobs that they specialise in. Furthermore, companies also invest money and time for qualified individuals even to improve their skills and apply them to their industry. 
Some degree-holders of today only focus on their titles without honing their skills. Conversely, skilled individuals are more inclined to enhance their skills set to offer more in the job market.
So, which is really more important between the two? Skilled individuals do not debunk degree holders. It even inspires them to acquire skills to improve their prowess in the field otherwise. Moreover, degree holders are highly encouraged not to base their success on their diplomas or certificates because the one things that matters are the products they can produce.
Through all this evidence, as a parent, you may consider that degree and higher education are necessary to get theoretical background and conceptual knowledge. Still, the essential way to help your child quickly climb the ladder of success is through their competencies and skills. 

What skills are needed for the Post-Coronavirus Job Market?

A long list of job skills is considerable in the aftermath of the global pandemic. If your child acquired these skills, they would adapt quickly to the new normal setup. It can even help them get along with the digital world whilst technology is advancing rapidly. 
Other than that, teens from Years 10 to 12 can start building these technological and life skills today to get themselves ready for any possible opportunities. It could also improve their mindset as they enhance their experience for the career they prefer to pursue.
Parents like you should not waste any minute preparing their child. Degrees today take a long way to help your kid earn money and get a lucrative job. It also takes your teens a massive amount of college debt, making it sounds like a harsh investment. Even up to these days, professionals are still paying these expenses, resulting in higher costs. 
But then, if you allow them to get the accurate skills and knowledge, they would most likely have the edge over others who only know concepts and expertise. Skills can help them get the job immediately whilst properly earning the money they can use to upskill more.

How would your prepare your teens?

Here’s something that you should look into—Skill Samurai, an exclusive enrichment program designed to secure your teen’s educational AND professional future through career readiness education and industry-recognized certification.
They’ll be guided step-by-step to learn the latest cloud computing skill and earn certification, giving them a head start on their career by gaining:
1. A unique & impressive competitive advantage by learning cloud computing2. An understanding of how to approach and solve business problems3. Industry-recognized credentials in high-demand career fields
College degrees are out of reach for many students, and they shouldn’t need a college diploma to have economic security.
Skill Samurai offers career-readiness programs to help students prepare for high paying, high demand jobs. Check out the careers they offer to help your teens prepare their skill set in preparation for any job opportunities in the tech industries.
And they can do it all while still attending high school. Our programs are now open—Join our Facebook group to discover if Skill Samurai is suitable for your teen.
Skill Samurai may also be contacted here for more information.