Finding Employment for Young Adults

Searching for a job is not usually a very fun experience. If you're in your 40's and looking for specialized professional employment, a job search can be frustrating and often disappointing. But when you're 18 years old with experience limited to bussing or waiting tables, it shouldn't be that daunting of a task to find a job.

Or so you might think.

After watching my 18-year-old stepdaughter (I call her Bob) spend the better part of nine months unable to find a job, I began watching for possible reasons for her habitual unemployment. Since she just moved back home "until she can get on her feet again," watching her job search efforts is incredibly illuminating. Based on the resulting observations, I offer the following suggestions that may help teenagers everywhere find gainful employment.

Look for a Job

Bob has a tendency to get out of bed at noon or one in the afternoon. After checking her email and playing some games on the computer, she gets in the shower. By the time she's dressed and ready to start the day, it's two or three in the afternoon and her boyfriend (also unemployed) calls. She announces they're going to the river. I ask, "Are there a lot of potential employment opportunities at the river?"

I was always told that when you are unemployed, looking for a job should be a full-time job. Fill out three or four applications a day and I suspect that within a week you will have recieved at least one offer for employment.

Dress Appropriately

Metal hoops sticking out of your eyebrows, black nail polish, a tight black t-shirt exposing your belly, flip-flops and a pair of jeans with a bunch of chains or buckles hanging off of them are not acceptable attire for a job search unless you're applying with the circus.

Dress like you're going out to a nice dinner with Grandma and Grandpa. You have nice clothes and you've been taught how to dress yourself. Show a potential employer that you respect their business enough not to embarass them.

Go it Alone

I know it's painful to tear yourself away from your friends and it would sure be nice if you could all work together, but applying for a job should be done by yourself. A manager won't hire you if it appears you are going to have your friends hanging around the store while you are working.

Leave your friends at the river. When you go to apply for the job, for the interview and when you show up to go to work, go by yourself. You're there to do a job, not socialize.

Keep it Real

If you are recently out of high school and haven't done anything but wash dishes and babysit once in awhile, it's not likely you'll be considered for a position such as regional manager. Bob recently saw a job in the paper that offered $700 a week for a babysitter. After calling the number listed, she was upset that they were looking for a highly skilled nanny with training in emergency life support.

Stick with applying for the types of jobs you know how to do. Entry level positions are designed for people with entry level skills. Some entry level jobs offer lots of opportunity to learn skills and grow within a company. Nobody starts at the top.

Be Prompt

After you've filled out an application and been called for an interview, dress appropriately and show up on time. Most managers are busy people and will not want to hear why you are five minutes late. If for some reason you can't be on time for the interview, call them well in advance and ask if you can reschedule. They want to hire someone they can rely on and trust to be there when needed.

Follow Through

If you are asked to come back to take a test or call the manager the next day between ten and 11 in the morning, set your alarm clock and make sure you do what they ask.

It's also a good idea to call every place you've filled out an application within 48 hours and ask for the manager. Tell them your name and ask if they've had a chance to review your application. They may have recieved 50 applications for a position but the one that stands out is the one that contains a name that sounds familiar. Show them you are eager to start working for them.

These simple suggestions may seem obvious. From observing Bob recently, they aren't obvious enough. If you follow these guidelines, you should be earning a paycheck and paying taxes in no time.