As COVID-19 became a global pandemic in 2020, many companies experienced staff shortages. As the world slowly diverted back to normal, so did the market of jobs. Many companies have started hiring students, including many from Park, leading to an increase in job openings since the pandemic’s end.
According to Park career and college readiness coordinator Kara Mueller, the opportunities for new jobs are nearly endless, as there are many available for students looking for them.
“Restaurants, there is a lot of work with the city of St. Louis Park in the summer for everything from running things at the rec center to office buildings. There is also the environment, like keeping trees and grass, along with opportunities around working as a camp counselor. Lifeguarding is huge, and natural resources out in the parks, and we have a job board on their career college website,” Mueller said.
According to sophomore Aaron Tix, who works for Chick-fil-A, it was relatively easy to find a job as there were a lot of advertisements from companies needing workers.
“After the first year of the pandemic, I noticed that there were many more ‘help wanted’ signs around the area. It is easier to find a job after COVID-19. I applied online to Chick-fil-A and got hired in 2024,” Tix said.
According to senior Paxon Myers, who works at Papa Murphy’s, the increase in job availability for Park students is great because it teaches them life skills and forces them to learn how to be responsible with money for the first time.
“A job can be great for students because it teaches lots of valuable skills, like hard work and dedication. It also teaches kids to be financially responsible because most of them have never had to take care of real money,” Myers said.
According to Mueller, internships are also extremely valuable, as they can give a taste of what a certain profession may be like and if it is right for students. She said aside from just giving practical experience, they can provide students with a feel of what a job is like and what the next steps are.
“Internships are valuable because you don’t know what you don’t know, and when you can try it on, sometimes you learn, ‘oh, you know what? I don’t want this.’ And then other times you learn, ‘I want to pursue this, what’s my next step?’” Muller said.
According to Tix, companies are looking for students who are ready to work hard and be present at work. Tix also said his job helps him prepare for his future by teaching him skills and granting him valuable life experience.
“They need hardworking people who want to work and are ready to learn the skills they need for the job. My job has helped me learn valuable skills that I will need in order to pursue the career that I want in the future,” Tix said.
According to Myers, the increase in jobs could be attributed to the natural shortages from COVID-19, along with the new approach that Park is taking to prepare students. He said that Park’s guidance opened up students to new types of jobs, helping them prepare for the future by showing them how to get jobs.
“I’ve certainly felt like there are more jobs available now than before the pandemic. Part of this is because of how companies needed to replace their shortages after COVID, combined with how today’s Park does a very good job preparing students and informing them of their options, allowing them to get interested in careers they wouldn’t have known about,” Myers said.
