Even in the best of times, teenagers face plenty of hurdles when they look forsummer work opportunities. Would-be recruiters often worry that they’ll be undependable, late and generally flaky - and teenagers must convince prospective employers that they’re actually reliable and accountable.
This summer could be even more difficult for teens, though, because competition for jobs is expected to be so fierce. In many cases, young adults will be going head to head against adults who have ages of work experience behind them. And they’ll be doing so in a job market that has fewer jobs available in the market.
A latest review by SnagAJob.Com, an employment Web-site that connects people with hourly jobs, found that just about half of hourly hiring supervisors won’t be enrolling summertime employees this season. Even more ominous, 73 percentage of hiring managers anticipate receiving more applications this summer than they did previous summer from job seekers of all age ranges.
Does this mean that teens should abandon all expectation of finding gainful employment this summer? Not at all! The following tips can support.
1. Start hunting right now. Shawn Boyer, ceo of SnagAJob.Com, said recruiters are already considering about their coming summer staffing problems, though we’re only in the month of April. One of the ways to out raced at least some of the competition is to begin your job search early rather than waiting for the school year to end. &Quot;Consider telling them, ‘I can work 10 hours a week now, and then I can ramp up my hours after school gets out,’ " Boyer said.
2. Get the word out about yourjob search. Begin actively informing people that you’re hunting for a job. Think about all the adults in your life: your lecturers, guidance advisors and trainers, your family medical doctor and veterinarian, your parents’ good friends, your friends’ parents, and so on. This technique could turn you on to job prospects.
3. Plan for a repeat performance. The review of more than 1,000 hiring executives revealed that 65 per-cent of their summer work forces will consist of coming back again staffs. If you had a job lastsummerand you didn’t absolutely dislike it, take into consideration reapplying again this year. Your past employer will be interested in you because you’re already trained.
4. Be pro. Make convinced that everything you involve in your job application is spelled properly and is free of grammatical errors. Don’t use all lowercase or all uppercase words, Boyer advised. Be sure the e-mail address you put down isn’t silly or distracting. The same holds true for the voice-mail prompt on your cellphone or home phone.
5. Do mock interviews in advance. A job interview can be a lot more difficult than you might believe. To work out the jitters ahead of time, do a few practice job interviews with somebody other than a friend or mum or dad, Boyer recommended. &Quot;Practice with a guidance counselor, a teacher or a friend’s parent that you’re not that comfortable with so it will be more realistic," Boyer said.
6. Display some strength. Employers who bring teenagers on board say they appreciate their passion and restlessness to do whatever it takes to get a job done. Present those traits on your job interview - and on the task, as well.
7. Get suitably gussied. Dress nicely for your job interview, as if you were about to attend a religious provider. Do this even if the clothing code for employees is informal. Absolutely remember to send a handwritten thank-you note after your interview - a step many adults routinely forget to take.
8. Play up your good points. Many teens show a trend to be hard on themselves and reduce their accomplishments. Keep in mind that a job interview is not the place to beat yourself up. Rather, point out flattering specifics about yourself, such as being an honor-roll university student, juggling extracurricular activities and volunteering in the society. &Quot;List out in particular the leadership positions that you’ve held," Boyer said. &Quot;That helps to dispel the idea that teens aren’t responsible.&Quot;
9. Know where to start looking. As unsatisfactory asthe job marketis at this moment, Boyer said these places are still wide open to hiring teens: fast-food restaurants; movie theaters; merchandising companies that stock shelves for retailers - American Greetings is looking for this sort of help, he noted - and health care facilities. &Quot;There are a wide range of positions in the health care sector that don’t require you to have a certain level of credentials," Boyer said. &Quot;There’s valet-parking people’s cars, working in a hospital gift shop, working in a cafeteria, being a receptionist.&Quot;
10. Think of working at a bank. If you’re at least 18, you also may be able to land a job as a bank teller. Banks often need help over the summer season months when many of their workers go on vacation, Boyer said - and he added that a bank job can look good on your cv.
