How to Help Your Teen Find a Job
Simply Hired Staff
Black Friday and holiday shopping are just around the corner and ‘tis the season that a lot of part-time jobs that are perfect for teens pop up! Since your teen is new to the job search game, why not give him the gift of knowledge to aid them in his job search. Here are a few ways you can give your teenager a leg up in finding his first job.
Think holiday
A lot of seasonal help is needed during winter time so brainstorm with your teen on local stores that will need help during the holidays. You want your teen to enjoy their first job, so ask her to name her favorite retail stores and encourage her to not only look online if there are openings, but visit the actual store. Besides retail positions at the mall, your teen might like helping out at a Christmas tree lot or a pop-up ice skating rink.
Create a simple resume and practice interview questions
Most of the jobs your teen applies for won’t need a resume, but it is a good exercise for your teen to reflect on his skills. Have him think about his accomplishments in school and extracurricular activities. Find ways to highlight his communication, organization and customer service skills–probably the most important skills he’ll need for the roles he wants. After your teen has fleshed out a simple resume, have him take a look at the description for the job he wants. Some good questions to ask your teen are:
- How do your skills apply to the job?
- What do you find interesting about the role?
- Why should they hire you?
Encourage their entrepreneurial side
Your teen’s first job doesn’t have to be in retail! Does she have a creative side? She can show off her crafty side by creating homemade gifts or Christmas ornaments and selling them on a site like Etsy. Your teen can even turn daily chores into a money-making business. Suggest asking if the neighbors need the snow shoveled off of their driveways for a small fee. Teens can also offer babysitting or pet sitting services for local families.
There are plenty of seasonal part-time jobs for your teen, and if you’re stumped on where to start just check online. An easy place to start is simplyhired.com, where you can type in keywords like, “holiday job” or “seasonal job” and your location to find jobs in your area. It takes the stress out of job searching and you can discover new jobs for your teen that you didn’t think existed.
