The sight of American high school students working at local ice cream shops or as lifeguards at neighborhood pools all summer long is quite different from the summer break scenes seen in Korea.

Memories of Korean students striving to add even a single line about a corporate internship to their resumes during break naturally come to mind.

When looking at the types of jobs American teens actually take, in addition to ice cream shops and pools, positions at grocery store checkouts, fast food counters, and ticket booths at local amusement parks are also quite common.

However, it is not common for high school students in the U.S. to secure prestigious internship positions.

This is largely because the internship system is generally designed for college students and above.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, for an unpaid internship to be legal, the experience must provide substantial benefits to the student rather than the company, but in reality, many places do not strictly adhere to this standard.

Moreover, even when internships are available, many are unpaid, meaning students often invest their summer time without receiving any compensation.

In contrast, part-time jobs, even if they pay low wages, provide students with actual money in their bank accounts for the hours they work.

This difference seems to have a significant impact.

The federal minimum wage in the U.S. has been stuck at $7.25 per hour since 2009, marking the longest period of stagnation in U.S. history.

However, in states like Arizona, where the state government sets a separate minimum wage, the minimum wage will rise to $14.70 per hour starting January 2025, nearly double the federal rate.

This means that even within the U.S., the amount of money earned from summer jobs can vary significantly depending on the state of residence.

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 1978, the summer employment rate for teenage students peaked at 58 percent, maintaining over half until the year 2000.

However, after the recession in 2001, this rate began to decline noticeably.

This year, the situation is not much different, with the youth employment rate for those aged 16 to 24 at 53.1 percent as of July 2025, down from 54.5 percent a year earlier.

The youth unemployment rate also rose from 9.8 percent to 10.8 percent during the same period, indicating that it is not easier for students to find summer jobs than it was in the past.

Nevertheless, a significant portion of working youth, about a quarter, are still concentrated in leisure and hospitality sectors like restaurants and resorts, suggesting a continued trend of students gravitating towards jobs that hire without requiring special experience.

There are also restrictions on working hours for minors, meaning that those under 16 cannot work more than eight hours a day or forty hours a week, even when school is not in session.

However, from June until Labor Day, they are allowed to work until 9 PM, allowing for a bit more flexibility in scheduling during the summer.

The high barriers to entry for internships should also be noted.

For example, even high school internship programs at well-known organizations like NASA have age restrictions of at least 16 years and significant competition.

Students with prior relevant experience have an advantage, making it quite challenging for an average high school student starting their first social experience to break in.

This is somewhat akin to managing qualifications in Korea, but in the U.S., it means that such qualifications are not open to everyone.

Interestingly, there is a different perspective regarding college admissions.

Even if a student lists fast food job experience on their resume, there is a clear atmosphere that interprets it as demonstrating responsibility and time management skills.

The attitude of not looking down on students who have done internships versus those who have worked part-time jobs feels quite healthy to me.

However, I believe we should not view this landscape too romantically.

There is a clear class divide underlying the fact that children from affluent families can fill their summers with internships or travel, while those less fortunate must work to make ends meet.

If minimum wage levels were more realistic and welfare systems were more robust, I think the number of teenagers who have to work all summer purely for financial reasons would be lower than it is now.

It reminds me of the time when Seo Taiji and Boys sang about the uniformity of entrance exam competition, but looking at American high school students' summers now, there seems to be a natural acceptance of each taking different paths, in stark contrast to that era.

Many parents are reportedly pleased to see their children learning customer service and punctuality through part-time jobs.

I also agree with the analysis that such basic skills may prove to be more valuable assets in college or the workplace than a single line about internship experience.

Personally, I believe that these small part-time job experiences can read more genuinely when included in college essays or first resumes.

Ultimately, whether it's an internship or a part-time job, the experience of earning money at that age is what truly matters, and I think society should recognize the various paths to that experience as they are.