|
How to Get a Job
for Teens
It doesn’t matter what your age is,
getting a job can sometimes be a really challenging thing
to do. It can be challenging for someone with years of work
experience under his or her belt. It can be even more challenging
for a teen looking for his or her first job.
The first thing you’ll need in order to get a job
is a good resume. Make sure that you’re honest on
your resume while promoting all you best skills and talents.
Never lie about your grades, for example. While it’s
true that few employers will contact your school to make
sure you’ve reported your grades accurately, starting
a pattern of lying to your employer is a sure way to eventually
get yourself into big trouble.
Statistics show that approximately one in three people
lie on their resumes! Don’t be one of those losers.
Once you have a great resume, you need to find potential
employers. This can be even more challenging than writing
your resume.
Jobs might be posted at your high school or university.
Or you might be able to find jobs in the classified section
of your newspapers. You might even be able to get a job
by contacting various companies directly to see if they
need more workers. But the greatest amount of jobs available
can only be found through the hidden job market.
Connecting to the hidden job market requires networking.
And at your age, you probably haven’t had a chance
yet to develop many contacts. But that’s okay. Talk
to your teachers, professors, parents, family members, or
other adults you know. Many will know about hidden job opportunities
that they can share with you. But often you need to show
the initiative and let them know that you’re looking.
Employment Web sites can also help you find a job. Some
Web sites cater to helping teens find part-time or seasonal
jobs. Our site TeenJobSection.com is one site that caters
to anyone looking for part-time work and teen jobs.
Some recruitment agencies, like Spherion, will hire teens
to fill part-time positions. If you’re new to the
workforce, you might be able to get a temporary position
in the type of field you might like to work in as a career.
But a lot of the time, recruitment agencies look for people
with specific skills and experience.
Volunteer work can also lead to paying work. One teenager
volunteered at her local humane society as a pet adoption
counselor. She received on-the-job training and was able
to get an inside look into how the shelter was run. After
just one year of volunteering once or twice a week, she
was offered a part-time job working in reception. This happened
because the paying staff saw what a good volunteer she was,
and thought she might be a good fit when the job opening
came up.
Sometimes a job opportunity will fall into your lap. Other
times searching for a job can be hard. If it does become
difficult, don’t get frustrated. Keep working hard
towards your goal of getting a job, and one day you will.
|