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Parenting: Teen Jobs and Helping Your Child Get Hired

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Teens that want to be independent often start looking for summer employment. Part-time and summer employment allows your child to remain a child and gain some experience without hindering her school work.

A job is a great way for your child to learn about responsibility, too.

Teen unemployment rates are lower than they've been in years, but there's an issue: fewer teens are seeking employment. The job world is scary, and a lot of parents would rather have their teens focus on school work rather than build their resume.

But when your child does want to apply for a job or you want your child to get a job, there's a bigger question at hand: how much should you help your child?

Adecco's survey found that 40% of parents help a child with their job search. Parents can also help with:

  • Bringing their children to interviews

  • Helping kids write their resumes

  • Editing cover letters

  • Sending out thank you notes following interviews

Kids often don't know this etiquette, so they'll continue applying for job after job without really knowing what they're doing. Parents will want to:

  1. Think of your child as a colleague. What this means is "mentor" your child, but also let them do some things on their own. If you wouldn't write your colleague's resume, don't write your child's resume. Offer your help, guide your child to a resume builder, but also let her do some of the work on her own.

  2. Offer advice freely. When your child asks you for advice during their job search, be honest and open. Teens are seeking their parents' guidance and assistance when applying for jobs.

  3. Proofread everything, from resumes to emails and even letters. Teach your child that It's important to review, proofread and tweak a resume to meet the needs of the job.

Prepare Your Child for the Interview

Adults and teens are both scared to go through the interview process. There's a lot of pressure on a person when conducting an interview. Teens often aren't prepared for the questions that interviewers will ask them.

One of the best things you can do is:

  • Create a mock interview

  • Ask questions the interviewer may ask

  • Explain to your teen what type of attire is appropriate for an interview

Some preparation will help your child feel more comfortable during the interview process. A lot of parents are going into the interview with their children, but this may be overkill and doesn't teach your child how to be independent.

Research the company that the child is applying with, too. A teen needs to understand that they can increase their chances of getting hired when they know about and understand a company's focus, purpose and needs.

And when a child isn't hired for a job, you'll want to teach them that rejection is part of the job world. There will be plenty of employers that will reject her application, but it's important to teach your child how to deal with rejection and get right back to the application process.

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