Published: April 23, 2008 06:24 pm            

Help your teen find a summer job

Summer is just around the corner and, for many teens, that means that it’s time to start looking for a summer job.

According to a poll from Junior Achievement, 95 percent of 16- and 17-year-olds are looking for work this summer. However, last summer, only about half that many teens actually found work, and experts say this year could be even worse.

The reason? A declining economy and increased layoffs have led unemployed adults to begin taking low-level jobs that were once the domain of teens. Additionally, a survey commissioned by SnagAJob.com found that 49 percent of hourly hiring managers will not hire new seasonal workers this summer. As a result, teenagers looking for summer employment are being forced to compete for fewer job openings with better-skilled, more educated adults.

With the odds stacked against them, why should parents encourage teens to find summer work? Well, according to the National PTA, your teen can benefit from having a job in several ways:

A job can teach teens work skills that will prepare them for careers in adulthood.

Teens can gain confidence, develop a sense of responsibility and feel more independent.

Earning money enables teens to buy items they want and will provide an opportunity for learning responsible money management.

If parents work outside the home, jobs can provide adult supervision during crucial afternoon hours.

The right job — or jobs — may expose teens to new work possibilities and set them on the path to a lifetime career.

With that in mind, there are things parents can do to help teens secure summer employment. First, encourage your teen not to give up. The job search may take awhile, and they may not get their first choice of jobs, but there are still opportunities. Secondly, help them write resumes and fill out applications. By sitting down with teens and going over job applications line by line, you are able to ensure that they are filling out the application correctly and will be turning in something that best represents their skills and experience.

Here are some tips from SnagAJob.com that parents should pass on to teens looking for work:

Start your job search as soon as possible. Many businesses expect to fill their seasonal jobs by May, so teens can’t wait until school lets out to find a job.

Have a positive attitude, and demonstrate it to hiring managers. For teens, having a positive attitude is more important than on-the-job experience. Teens should be enthusiastic in job interviews and express a willingness to do required tasks.

Be able to work the desired schedule. In hourly positions, it is important to work the shifts a company needs filled. After all, 28 percent of hiring managers say the most important thing they look for in a summer job applicant is their ability to work the daily schedule the company needs.

If your teen still can’t find a paying job, encourage him or her to volunteer for a non-profit organization. This is one way that teens can gain necessary work experience and show future employers that they have what it takes to do a job.

By helping your teen in these ways, parents can make an enormous impact on their teen’s chance of finding a job or volunteering opportunity that can teach them about financial responsibility and living up to expectations not set by parents but by the world at large.



Mat Anderson is the staff writer and research specialist at The Bridge in Joplin, Mo. His column appears in The Joplin Globe. For more information visit futureparadigm.org.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.