My teenage son is turning down jobs, what about yours?

What if fast food restaurants, libraries, movie theaters, and retail stores start kicking down the door to hire your teen? Is that possible? Can this really happen in this economy? What is this teenager doing to justify so many positive comments from prospective employers?

It could be several things.

1. When the teen visited the facility and asked for the application or filled out the application on the computer, how did he/she look/act? How did she introduce herself? Were they professionals even though they only asked about the job? All of these things are important to the owner or manager and they will remind the teen that they were professional and had that special quality and will note on the application.
2. Was the application filled out correctly? One of the biggest annoyances for managers is that if you can’t follow the instructions on how to complete an application, how will you be able to follow the instructions for the job at hand?
3. Did the adolescent seem interested and excited during the interview? Trust me, no one wants to hire a person who shows no enthusiasm for the job. A teen should come to the interview ready to answer questions with excitement and a sense of gratitude. (Some teens come to the interview thinking the manager or owner owes them something.)
4. How was the adolescent appearance? Did the teen smell fresh? Were the clothes they were wearing appropriate? When in doubt, always dress smarter than casual. Hopefully you won’t smoke or drink, but if you do, don’t until after the interview. You don’t want to risk the hirer being allergic or turning off a teenager smoking or drinking at her age.
5. Does your teen have an added advantage, like a job readiness certification, college credit, or worthwhile extracurricular activities? Managers tend to favor teens who have something positive in their lives. They want a teenager who understands the market and has excellent interpersonal skills. If your teen lacks soft skills or would like to start doing work/volunteer activities, she can go to her guidance counselor or look into a career preparation program.
6. Is the music on your child’s cell phone free? If a manager or owner calls a teen’s number and has to listen to a song, he or she will likely hang up and call the next person on the list. Take the music off your phone while you’re looking for a job.

If your teen follows these steps, chances are they’ll turn down jobs, too.