Once your teen has found an opening that grabs their interest or they feel suits their strengths and abilities, they still have a few steps to actually get the job.
Here are some suggestions you can offer to help them get the job they want.
The Job Posting
Almost every job posting gives an indication of the items that will be used as "screening" factors - the items that will determine whether or not the applicant will be called in for an interview.
Screening factors almost always target education and training, experience, skills and personal qualities, and will follow phrases such as "The person we are seeking will have..." or will fall under the title "Qualifications" or "Requirements."
The following list is a sample of possible screening items in a job posting. These are key items to look for and identify when writing the resume.
- "completion of (a certain level of schooling)"
- "experience dealing with the public"
- "mechanically inclined"
- "ability to work under pressure"
- "ability to work without supervision"
- "strong communication skills"
- "organized and detail-oriented"
You can help your teen by going over their resume with them to ensure they have clearly demonstrated how they meet each screening criterion. This is an essential step - if the employer has identified key qualities they are looking for, they will be looking for these qualities in the resume and in the interview.
A resume can be presented in different lengths and formats, depending on the amount of education and experience your young person has, as well as on the type of work they are looking for. Resume samples can be found in various resource locations, such as those mentioned - libraries, employment centres and the Internet.
An effective resume has the following characteristics:
Summary
You can help your son or daughter compose a section near the top of the resume that summarizes how they meet the screening criteria. This makes it easy for the person doing the screening to see that they have what the job or company requires. This section can be titled "Summary of Qualifications" or "Summary of Skills and Experience."
The summary should be a brief section of bulleted information. For example, if the posting "Requirements" section asks for "Experience in serving the public," and your teen has done this in the past, the Summary of Qualifications section could read as follows: "(x) summers / (x) years experience in dealing with the public." It's as simple as that!
Work or Volunteer Experience
This section outlines your son or daughter's work or volunteer experience. The descriptions under each job title should be brief, clear and in reverse chronological order (most recent experience first, oldest experience last). Avoid long narrative sentences. A preferred format is to present the duties performed in each role in bullet form, beginning with the ones most relevant to the job, and highlighting any duties performed that match the screening items!!
Spelling and Grammar
Once your son or daughter has completed and proofread their resume, as well as performed a spelling and grammar check, you can help them by giving the resume a final look. It is essential to avoid spelling and grammatical errors.
The Cover Letter
In many cases, it is best to include a cover letter with the resume. It does not need to be long or detailed. It simply needs to show that your teen meets the screening requirements and is interested in the position.
The Interview
The job posting will often give clues as to what the interview will cover. When your son or daughter is called to interview, you can help prepare them for the interview by going over together and writing down any experience they've had where they've demonstrated the "abilities" and "interpersonal skills" sought. Your youngster can review these before the interview, so they can more readily respond to any questions presented to them.
The better prepared they are, the more at ease they will feel in the interview, and each interview will prepare them for the next one.
