A new poll by Junior Achievement, an organization working to educate kids about financial literacy and entrepreneurship, finds a sudden drop in interest for business careers among teenagers. Junior Achievement’s press release notes:
According to the results of the ninth annual Junior Achievement “Kids and Careers” poll, teen interest in a career as a “business person” has declined. “Engineering or science occupation” and “Doctor” tied for first place, each selected by 16 percent of 12-17 year-olds as their ideal career. “Business person” came in fifth place, after “entertainer,” “professional athlete” and “teacher.” For five consecutive years in which Junior Achievement conducted the poll, “business person” was teens’ top career choice. The 2009 poll was funded by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and surveyed 750 teens nationwide.
We certainly could use more engineers and doctors, but at the same time I hope this poll isn’t the beginning of a backlash against careers in business. A string of corporate scandals, and Wall Street’s role in the financial crisis, have darkened the perception of business in America. And while some CEOs have acted quite badly, the vast majority of businesses are run by ordinary and honest people. We need more Googles, more Apples, more Amazon.com’s, and it would be a shame if the economic crisis discourages today’s youth from realizing their entrepreneurial potential.
