What is more appealing than having pocket money as a teenager?

Having that extra money for the weekend, for catching up with friends or maybe for you buying the newest fashion trends is exciting.  For most teens, pocket money is something that is earned which is why an after-school job is perfect.

So you may be asking yourself “How do I get a job?” or “What if you don’t have the right knowledge to find a job?” the following blog contains a helpful and simple guide to finding an after school job.

First, check with your parent/guardian and then find potential employers

Before applying for any jobs it is important you have a chat with a parent/guardian. In this chat it is curtail that you…

• Get permission to work from a parent/guardian
• Look at potential employers and their locations (close to home, school or public transport routes)
• Discuss how you will balance school, work and other extracurricular activities and set some goals and key performance indicators around this.

Now you are almost ready to start looking and applying for jobs but before you do there are a couple of must do tasks.

Create a stand out resume

When creating a resume, it’s important that all the information you provide is true and that you can back this information up with a certificate, paperwork or any other proof and remember that grammar is important.

This is arguably the most vital step in gaining employment because it’s the first step in getting recognised as a potential employee.  After completing your resume, make sure you proof read it & have an adult with experience or a resume professional go through it and check for any corrections or areas for improvement.

Quick tip: think broadly about all of your skills and experience through school and activities outside of school.

Find jobs and network yourself

Now that you’ve got your professional resume, you can focus on finding a job.

Applying for a job through online sites is a popular way of finding employment for teens.  Search engines on seek.com.au, au.indeed.com or careerone.com.au can be great tools as well as the ‘Careers’ or ‘Join our team’ tab on most companies websites.  Most online job search engines let you customise your job search engines giving you the results suited to you.

Another way of finding a job is through networkingyourself. Talk to family members, neighbours, friends, parents, teachers or anyone else you may know that might know who have connections.  Building contacts with people can create job opportunities and open pathways otherwise restricted by a lack of knowledge.

Quick tip: most big companies no longer take paper resumes, however most small business still do, so keep this in mind when applying.

How to succeed in your interview

The final part of getting a job is the interview, this may seem scary and daunting but it is worthwhile.  This is your opportunity to make an impression face to face.

Dress to impress and be conscious of your attitude, tone of voice and appearance throughout the interview.  Be prepared with responses to interview questions and practice with someone so you get used to saying your response out loud.

Try not to be too nervous and remember at the end of the day the worst thing that can happen is that you don’t get the job and another one will come along soon enough.  If you feel yourself getting nervous take a few deeps breaths and remember to breathe from your stomach not your chest.

Rehearsing a practice interview with a parent, teacher or counsellor can also help you feel less nervous on the day.  After your practice interview, seek constructive feedback so you know what to improve on and what to try to avoid when attending a real interview.

Lastly Interviewers will encourage you to ask questions, so be prepared with well thought out questions.  Good examples of questions to ask that are connected to the job or the workplace can help you get more of an understanding of the industry and organisation you are seeking to work for.

Remember feedback is important and if an organisation decides to not hire you, seek feedback and work on areas of improvement for next time.

August 2015