School is almost over and you know what that means for your teen; sleeping in late, hanging out with friends and generally being a teeny bit, well, unproductive. And while a good rest after the school year is totally warranted, you feel they need to get out and start experiencing the world. Help them take their first steps into adulthood by using these tips to get them a summer job.
Set goals, but don’t be picky
Ask your teen what they want out of a summer job. Do they just want some extra cash or to start building experience for their future? Having an idea of what they want to accomplish over the summer will help when picking where to apply. However, with little to no experience on their resume, you and your teen can’t be very choosy with picking an employer. Maybe a fast food joint isn’t the most ideal, but a summer of experience there can lead to better things in the future.
Ask around
Most of the time, teens get jobs through referrals from other people. Ask colleagues, relatives and neighbours if they know of any summer openings. Your teen’s friend may already have a summer job at a local store or business, so have them put in a good word to their manager. There’s nothing more fun than working alongside your bestie all summer.
Be professional
That means in person and online. Bed head and wrinkled shirts aren’t acceptable when handing out resumes in person, and since every teen has Facebook, Twitter and every other social media outlet under the sun, employers will be searching for them. Make sure your teen cleans up their online accounts and if anything, make a private account for personal matters and a public one for a professional persona.
Start Early
School’s let out in June, which means your teen should start looking and applying in April and May. Going through resumes, setting up interviews and deciding on who to hire takes time, so if you want your teen to hit the ground running in July, they’ve got to start warming up in advance. But if you’re late to the gate, don’t fret. Hiring is an on-going process and lots of teens give up their part-time jobs a few weeks in, meaning your teen can swoop in and fill up that spot.
Don’t Let Up
Your teen had an interview but they haven’t gotten word back. Have them call in to follow up. Or maybe they never got an interview at all. Get them to ask again about employment opportunities and in the mean time, keep handing out resumes. If the summer doesn’t work out for you, try the fall. Lots of retailers hire part-time positions to prepare for the holiday rush, and those temporary jobs often lead to a permanent position.
Finding a summer job is harder than usual now a days (trust me, I know!), so offer your teen whatever help you can along the way. Be encouraging, use the skills you’ve picked up from your past jobs and if nothing works out, just pay them to mow the lawn all summer. At least they’ll be out of bed.
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