4 Tips for Teens to Find a Summer Job

With the unemployment rate among teens 16 to19 years old over 21% and a new class of graduating seniors hitting an already tight job market this summer, expect teens to have a hard time finding a summer job this year. If you are one of the teens who will be looking for a summer job or the parent of a teen hoping to find summer employment, these tips could help you.

Start looking early.
You might be thinking that now is too early to look for a summer job and you would be wrong. Many places are starting to think about what their needs will be for summer employment and are even starting to think about staffing schedules. Water parks and amusement parks which offer great summer outdoor job opportunities are already posting their jobs.

Look for seasonal jobs.
Many places like water parks, botanical gardens, amusement parks, zoos and even your local YMCA take on additional staff in the summer. Many of these facilities hire teens who are looking for summer jobs. The earlier you start applying the better off you will be.

Write a resume.
You may be thinking that as a teenager looking for a summer job, you do not need a resume. Under normal circumstances, I might agree with you. However, in a bad economy and a tight job market, I would rethink that strategy and get a resume completed as soon as possible. Visit the career office at your school for samples to help you get started. Having a resume can really set you apart as you start to look for summer employment. For example, let's say you visit the local YMCA and they are not quite ready yet to hire, one way to impress the manager is to leave a copy of your resume with your correct phone number an email.

Network with friends and family.
If you are looking for job search advice online, you will see the word "network" many times. Some teens don't really know what that means and think they have to start looking for this special group of people to help with their job search. Not correct. Chances are you already have a network and just don't know it. If you have parents, aunts and uncles, friends at school or in social clubs - you have a network. Tap into that network early, before everyone else starts to ask for jobs. I landed my first job at 16 because my friend's mother was a marketing executive for a company that was looking to launch a new product. You can do it too.

No question that teens looking for summer jobs in 2009 will experience a competitive job market. Start your summer job search early.