If you're the parent of a teenager, helping them get their first job is one of the first steps toward maturity and personal responsibility. Here are seven ways you can ensure that their job hunt is a rewarding one.

1. First, work with your teen to come up with a list of personal strengths and things they enjoy doing. If they enjoy working with children and animals or love the outdoors, make a note of those items. Any seemingly small and insignificant item can lead to ideas for potential jobs.

2. Take your child's schedule and commitments into consideration. How will your teen get to and from their workplace? What other school activities are they involved with?
Will they have enough time to study, work AND socialize? (Yes parents', socializing is a natural and necessary part of being a teen - you know what they say about all work and no play!)

3. Make sure your child is aware of all the finer points of a successful job application. Good personal grooming and hygiene, as well as clear communication skills and a firm handshake, can go a long way in making a good first impression.

4. Invest in a good job-hunting guide that includes resume examples and potential interview questions. Role-play the part of the interviewer with your teen and give them tips on how to answer specific questions that a prospective employer might ask. Even though this is their first job application, work with them to create a professional-looking resume. You can (and are encouraged to) include items such as academic or athletic awards they've won, special honors, extracurricular activities and relevant skills and interests. Employers know that not everyone, especially a teenager, has a resume overflowing with job experience, which is where after school activities, clubs and special skills come in.

5. Work with your child to come up with a list of potential job contacts. Do you know anyone in your workplace that could use some summer or entry-level help? Does your child have friends whose parents work in a particular business? Look through the newspaper classifieds for specific jobs that might appeal to a teen such as babysitting, lawn care, dog walking and so on.

6. If your teen has a marked interest in a specific activity or pastime, see if that fondness can be incorporated into a job somewhere. For example, if your teen loves to cook, encourage them to apply for a position as an entry-level chef. If they enjoy computers, consider nudging them in the direction of a clerical/office or computer sales and service job.

7. After making an inventory of skills and possible contacts, have your child call to inquire about potential job openings.
After the interview, have them follow up with a "thank you" note or a call if they don't hear anything from the prospective employer within a week or so.

If you keep these tips in mind, you'll ensure that your teen not only has a successful job hunting experience, but also receives the confidence, encouragement and skills necessary to take that all-important first step into the working world. Good luck!

- Nigel Lane

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