10 strategies about exactly where to look and just how to act on job interviews

Even in the best of times, teens face plenty of hurdles when they look forsummer season jobs. Would-be employers often worry that they’ll be undependable, late and generally flaky - and teens must convince prospective employers that they’re actually reliable and responsible.

This summer could be even tougher for teens, though, because competition for jobs is expected to be so competitive. In many cases, teenagers will be going head to head against adults who have years of work experience behind them. And they’ll be doing so in a job industry that has fewer opportunities obtainable.

A recent study by SnagAJob.Com, an employment Web-site that connects people with hourly jobs, found that nearly half of hourly hiring supervisors won’t be hiring summertime workers this coming year. Even more ominous, 73 percentage of hiring managers anticipate receiving more applications this summer than they did last summer from job searchers of all age groups.

Does this mean that young adults should abandon all expectation of getting gainful employment this summer? Not at all! The following tips can assist.

1. Start hunting now. Shawn Boyer, chief executive officer of SnagAJob.Com, said employers are already considering about their approaching summer staffing issues, even though we’re only in the month of April. A way to outperform at least some of the competitors is to start your job search early rather than waiting for the school year to end. &Quot;Consider telling them, ‘I can work 10 hours a week now, and then I can ramp up my hours after school gets out,’ " Boyer said.

2. Get the word out about yourjob search. Begin actively telling people that you’re looking for a work. Think about all the adults in your lifetime: your instructors, guidance counselors and mentors, your family doctor and veterinarian, your parents’ friends, your friends’ parents, and so on. This approach could turn you on to job prospects.

3. Plan for a repeat performance. The investigation of more than A THOUSAND hiring executives revealed that 65 pct of their summer season employees will consist of coming back employees. If you had a job previoussummer timeand you didn’t absolutely hate it, think of reapplying once again this year. Your past recruiter will be interested in you because you’re already trained.

4. Be professional. Make certain that every little thing you include in your job application is spelled accurately and is free of grammatical problems. Don’t use all lowercase or all uppercase characters, Boyer recommended. Be sure the e-mail address you put down isn’t silly or distracting. The same holds true for the voice-mail prompt on your cellphone or home phone.

5. Do mock interviews in advance. A job interview can be a lot more difficult than you might think. To work out the jitters ahead of time, do a few practice job interviews with someone other than a friend or mum or dad, Boyer recommended. &Quot;Practice with a guidance counselor, a teacher or a friend’s parent that you’re not that comfortable with so it will be more realistic," Boyer said.

6. Show some power. Employers who bring teenagers on board say they appreciate their passion and restlessness to do whatever it takes to get a job done. Show those characteristics on your job interview - and on the work, as well.

7. Get suitably gussied. Dress nicely for your job interview, as if you were about to attend a religious provider. Do this even if the costume code for employees is informal. Absolutely try to remember to send a written by hand thank-you note after your interview - a step many adults routinely forget to take.

8. Play up your good points. Many teens show a tendency to be hard on themselves and minimize their accomplishments. Keep in mind that a job interview is not the place to beat yourself up. Rather, highlight flattering specifics about yourself, such as being an honor-roll pupil, juggling extracurricular activities and volunteering in the society. &Quot;List out in particular the leadership positions that you’ve held," Boyer said. &Quot;That helps to dispel the idea that teens aren’t responsible.&Quot;

9. Know exactly where to search. As bleak asthe job marketplaceis right this moment, Boyer said these places are still available to hiring teens: fast-food restaurants; movie theaters; merchandising companies that stock shelves for retailers - American Greetings is looking for this sort of help, he noted - and health care facilities. &Quot;There are a wide range of positions in the health care sector that don’t require you to have a certain level of credentials," Boyer said. &Quot;There’s valet-parking people’s cars, working in a hospital gift shop, working in a cafeteria, being a receptionist.&Quot;

10. Think about working at a bank. If you’re at least 18, you also may be able to land a job as a bank teller. Banks often need help over the summer months when many of their employees go on vacation, Boyer said - and he added that a bank job can look good on your resume.