Here are questions your teen should ask himself:

• Why does he want a job? Does he need to earn money? Does he want to develop job skills? Does he want an experience he can write about for a college application? Answers to these questions will help him define his job search.

• What does he like? What does he do well? What does he do poorly? A teen who doesn’t like younger kids shouldn’t try to be a camp counselor. On the other hand, someone who loves reading might be very happy working in a bookstore.

• Does he have a resume? Even if he’s never held a job, he can put together a one-page summary of his skills and what he’s accomplished.

• Is he willing to work hard to get a job? Today, jobs can be hard to come by. He’ll have to read the ads in the paper and online. He should also talk with people he knows.

teen/school_jobs/jobs/summer_job.html.

Copyright © Parent Institute