Helping Your Teen to Manage Their First Job

As your teenager enters High School it is a time in a teens life for many new lessons.
Whether it is about navigating the world of work, or balancing their time with homework and the need for their own personal spending money;encouraging your teenager to start the part-time job search is a delicate balancing act.

They may start out with the intention of finding employment and not realize how many other job seekers their age they are competing with. What may seem as easy as pushing them to go around to local businesses may be more difficult for them than you could imagine.
Some challenges that have arisen: Many small businesses have closed.
There may be reduced staff at the local markets because of a decline in business. Too many applicants applying for the same position to name a few.
But here are some things to consider when they start the process. Above all to be persistent, and go back a few times after submitting the application. Call once a week to let the employer know that you are really, really interested.

If it is trying for an adult to find a job in this market, you can imagine the frustration of an average teenager finding one.
Especially if they have no prior, or relevant job experience. For every job posting there are hundreds of applicants vying for it, and many may have specific experience to the job that is posted. There are skills though that you can assist your teenager with that will arm them with a higher advantage when it comes to having a clear shot at securing that job. One of the best things that you can do is to engage your child with the idea of volunteering somewhere even if it is only a few hours each week.
Not everyone belongs to a church or temple, but there are so many charitable organizations in our local community that are in need of a teenager who could help clean up a yard, or visit seniors in a nursing home that are in need of company.
The beauty of this idea is two-fold.
It gives back to the community, and it gives the teen a sense of worth, and accomplishment by showing them how good it feels to give back.

As they age, the additional benefit is that they are then able to take this community service and put it on their application when they go to apply for their first paid position.
This single credential can move their application to the front of the list, and help their name to stand out from a long list of unknowns.