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| |    Ten Tips for Helping Your Teen Get Her First Job by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. While "relax and be yourself" is sometimes common parental advice, it may not be the best bit of wisdom to offer your teen when she makes her first foray into the working world. A little guidance can go a long way when it comes to helping her clarify her goals, plan a strategic job search, and set realistic expectations. 1. Start well ahead of time. Most teens think that they can wait until winter break to secure holiday employment or postpone their summer job search until school gets out. Inexperienced teens almost always believe that getting a job is a snap: Pick the lucky employer, announce that you're available, and bingo, the job is yours. Unfortunately, that usually isn't the way things go, and if they wait until the last moment, they'll be competing with the hordes of other teens who besiege employers in December or June. If they're looking for winter-vacation employment, have your teen start contacting employers in the early fall. If she wants a summer job, spring break-or even earlier-is the time to start making her rounds. 2. Think through her goals. Have your teen determine if her ultimate aim is to make as much money as possible, learn new skills, spend her time doing something fun, pump up her résumé, or simply to get her feet wet in the workforce. Once she knows why she wants a job, she can better figure out what kind of job to shoot for. 3. Be realistic about time commitments. If your teen has set her sights on an after-school job, help her factor in the amount of time she must allot to homework, sports, music lessons, and other obligations. If she's seeking summer employment, she'll need to consider prior commitments to summer school, family vacations, camps, visiting relatives, etc. 4. Construct a résumé. Even without a previous employer, your teen can prepare a résumé detailing her education, extracurricular activities, leadership roles (student government representative, captain of sports team, organizer of food drive, etc.), volunteer work, and special skills and accomplishments (such as a perfect driving record, fluency in Spanish, computer skills, taking first prize in the science fair). While she most likely will have to repeat this information on the employer's application, the résumé can serve two purposes: Your teen has all the information she needs to complete the application, and it shows the prospective employer that she came prepared and put in some effort toward this endeavor. 5. Collect references. Your teen may not realize how many letters of recommendation she can readily collect from teachers, coaches, counselors, youth-group leaders, neighbors, or anyone else who can vouch for her character and abilities. Just as with a résumé having references in hand is sure to impress potential employers with her professionalism and responsibility. 6. Identify possible employers. Aside from working at a fast-food joint, bagging groceries, or manning the cash register at the local music store, your child may not have much imagination when it comes to thinking about likely positions. Help her brainstorm, keeping in mind her abilities, likes and dislikes, and logistics (the days and hours she is free to work, if she can drive, if bus or train transportation is readily available, etc.). Some ideas: Working at an athletic club as a swimming instructor, child-care assistant, or snack-bar worker. Washing cars at a car-rental outlet. Securing an internship at a local computer company (her high school or college guidance office may be able to help with this, as well as many other types of paid and unpaid internships). Stocking the shelves at a bookstore. Working as a camp counselor or sports instructor (best shot: same place where she came year after year as a camper). 7. Polish her interview skills. Do a little role-playing to help your child put her best foot forward during an interview. Remind her of the importance of politeness, making eye contact, shaking hands, speaking clearly, and offering complete answers to questions-"Yep," "Uh-huh," "Nah," and "Maybe" won't exactly endear her to a prospective boss. Nor will chewing gum or looking bored during the interview. Help her frame good answers to likely questions (Why do you want to work here? What kind of experience do you have? Do you have any special skills?). Emphasize that showing up on time and dressing neatly for the interview is key to making a good first impression. 8. Have her go it alone. She may think it's great fun to find a job with her best friend, but she's more likely to get a job if she looks on her own. That way, an employer who is only hiring one person won't turn them down (or pit them against each other-the sting of that can jeopardize a friendship long after the last paycheck has been cashed) and she won't have to worry about her friend's demeanor as well as her own. Having the courage to strike out on her own also demonstrates independence and maturity. 9. Don't put all her eggs in one basket. She may think she's a shoo-in for the cashier's position or the internship at the software firm, but encourage her to cast her net a little wider. First of all, she may not get the job. Second, interviewing is good practice, both for college-entrance and career purposes. 10. Back off and let her get the job herself. Yes, you might be able to make a call and land her a great job at a family member's store or a friend's firm (or your own, of course). But then you've deprived her of a vital step on the road to independence: learning to find-and keep--a job on her own. That said, it's probably a good idea to prepare your child to deal with any rejection she might encounter; teens are often particularly sensitive to any perceived criticism. Help her not take it personally: Maybe her timing was off, there were too many qualified candidates, or maybe there's more she needs to do to present herself well. Get her to see rejection as part of the learning process and something that will make her wiser and more prepared next time.
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