'Do you have a cool job and a big heart?' Teen plasters NYC with posters looking to job shadow so he can choose a career — and people responded

“Every night I’m like, ‘What am I going to do with my life?’” Lichtenstein told The Wall Street Journal.

His posters feature a selfie and a straightforward request: “Do you have a cool job and a big heart? Let me shadow you. I’m 16 pls.”

NYC teen’s $500 investment in career exploration pays off

Lichtenstein’s goal was to shadow one person each week during the school year, giving him a better idea of what career he might want to pursue before applying to colleges next year, according to the Wall Street Journal.

He hired two people he found on Craigslist to distribute the flyers around New York City, including in neighborhoods where young professionals work and socialize.

And the unconventional job-search strategy has already introduced him to a range of professions, including dog grooming, radio broadcasting and restaurant ownership.

His first opportunity came just a day after he put up the posters, when he connected with a professional dog groomer. He spent three hours observing her work, asking questions about her training, schedule and satisfaction with the job.

He also visited the studios of a satellite radio company to watch a morning show being produced and has received offers to explore other fields, including aviation, tattoo artistry and marketing.

One experience has even turned into a part-time job at the Midnight Noodle Mart in The Bronx.

Jacqueline Rojas, who owns the business with her husband, Adrian Lopez, told the Wall Street Journal that she recognized something familiar in Lichtenstein’s uncertainty about his future; she had felt similarly at his age.

Since joining the restaurant, Lichtenstein has contributed ideas to help improve its marketing. He designed a flyer advertising an $18 lunchtime deal for teachers and students, suggested purchasing a branded tent for food festivals and offered ideas for making the restaurant’s TikTok videos more entertaining.

A TikTok account he created about his own project has also gone viral, according to the Wall Street Journal, generating more than two dozen additional requests from professionals interested in letting him shadow them.

Why exploring careers early could pay off financially in the long run

For teenagers like Lichtenstein, figuring out a career path isn’t just about finding a job they enjoy. It could also influence their future earnings, educational expenses and financial stability.