High-Paying Startup Roles for Teens in Gap Year Program

As the college application period reaches its peak, many high school seniors find themselves contemplating their next steps. One option gaining interest is taking a gap year.

A new initiative seeks to give structure to this alternative route. Set to launch this Thursday, Common Gap is a program designed to pair driven young individuals with startup positions, allowing them to spend a year away from traditional schooling.

The trend of delaying or opting out of university has long been admired in tech hubs like Silicon Valley, with iconic figures like Zuckerberg, Jobs, Gates, and Ellison blazing this trail. As enthusiasm for artificial intelligence grows, notable companies such as Palantir Technologies are promoting options beyond the conventional college experience for high school grads. As a result, entrepreneurial programs like Y Combinator are increasingly welcoming younger participants, a sign that taking time off before college is becoming a reputable choice for budding tech innovators.

Central to Common Gap's model, startups joining the program are required to compensate these young employees with a minimum annual salary of $75,000. Oliver Zhou, the creator of Common Gap, predicts many offers within the program will surpass $100,000. Notably, Common Gap itself is not funded independently but relies on these startups' payrolls to support the participants, ensuring the program remains non-profit.

Zhou considers opportunities for early career development a crucial factor in the competition to attract top AI talent. Reflecting on the high-stakes job market for skilled machine learning roles, he questions the need for waiting until graduation to engage with these talents. "Why delay the inevitable when their skills are needed now?" he explained in an interaction with Business Insider.

With a background in completing his degree at the University of Pennsylvania a year early, and then establishing Deep24—a startup focused on optimizing time management through data analysis—Zhou shares he wishes he had explored a gap year himself.

Alternative Career Paths Gain Ground

Programs similar to Common Gap have existed, such as the Thiel Fellowship, initiated in 2011, which provides financial backing of $200,000 to young innovators willing to leave college. Other initiatives by venture firms, including Kleiner Perkins, facilitate internships within their investing companies, echoing the model of connecting young adults with the startup ecosystem.

Some startups have already joined forces with Common Gap, such as SuperBuilders from Austin, which supports Alpha School—a tech-driven educational institution. Several other partners, including health tech innovations and insurance startups, align with the program's focus on AI, with organizations like Deep24 being part of its ecosystem.

Reimagining the Application Process

In a bid to modernize the recruiting approach, Common Gap has abandoned the traditional CV submission. Instead, applicants are encouraged to showcase a significant project or innovation they’ve developed. There is also the prospect of an optional video interview, and Zhou anticipates potentially incorporating AI to streamline the initial assessment phases.

Zhou argues that college doesn't suit everyone's career trajectory, emphasizing the profound value in practical, hands-on work experiences, compared to conventional classroom tasks. "Real-world engagement offers a depth of learning and satisfaction that academic exercises may lack," he posits.