WNY Family Magazine June 2018 | Page 54

So your teen is at that age where he or she can apply for a “ real ” job — one where answering to a boss , handling the public , or having to express a concern about a co-worker may be in the mix .

As a parent , you want to be sure your teen is prepared because you want her to have a positive experience — especially the first time around .
Prepare Your Teen Ahead of Time
It ’ s important that kids start to garner work skills before they even start thinking of applying for a job . They can develop the following skills at an early age by helping neighbors , doing chores or assisting with charitable fundraisers that adult family members are involved with :
• Completing work on time
• Sticking to a schedule
• Following directions
• Taking pride in a job well-done
“ A simple but important way to help kids prepare for jobs is by holding them responsible in the home ,” says Amy Morin , LCSW , a parenting expert , bestselling author and sought-after keynote speaker . “ Assign chores and expect your kids to do them without frequent reminders . Give them incentives ( such as money or privileges ) for getting their chores done .”
“ Use strategies that will prepare your child for the real world . A boss will give a paycheck if your child does the work . So , you might assign a dollar value to chores , or you might reward your child with time on electronics , such as 15 minutes of screen time for doing the dishes ,” she adds .
Morin also points out that parents should follow through with consequences when chores aren ’ t completed . After all , there will be consequences at work .
Job Search
Your teen should seek employment fairly close to home and at establishments she is familiar with or places that
she ’ d like to get some field experience . For instance , if your teen loves animals , she might seek part-time work that entails caring for animals at a veterinarian office or an animal shelter . If he loves to cook and is imagining a career in the foodservice industry , he might look for a job as a dishwasher at a restaurant .
The Job Application
Morin suggests , “ Have your child try to fill out a job application on his own . Then , review it with him . Talk about the things an employer is going to be looking for and how he can create an application that shows he ’ s reliable , even if he doesn ’ t have any prior job experience .”
Resumé Preparation
It ’ s always good to have an updated resumé handy at all times — something to include with the application or to leave with a manager if he or she is available when you pick up the application .
Tweens & Teens — by Myrna Beth Haskell

Prepare Your Teen for that First Summer Job

Since this is your teen ’ s first job , he doesn ’ t have recommendations from another employer or paid job experience to list . However , he can list several other items on a resumé that will highlight his “ potential .” A few categories to list on a first resumé :
• Education : list high school and current GPA .
• Experience : volunteer work , babysitting , fundraising for a nonprofit , etc .
• Awards / Honors : honor roll , honor societies , community awards
• Skills : computer skills , leadership skills , public speaking , etc .
• Interests : Clubs , music , sports , etc . This category shows that a young person is well-rounded .
Here ’ s a helpful video to watch about helping a teen write a resumé : https :// www . youtube . com / watch ? v = WZS _ GqM-nHM
54 WNY Family June 2018