Summer is coming and because of the economy many teens are asking about the possibility of summer employment.  Unfortunately, some teens have given up on a job before they've even started looking.  But there is hope if teens are willing to work and be creative when it comes to the job hunt.

            The most common jobs for teens are those that I'm sure come to mind first - fast food, grocery stores, retail, the service industry,  YMCA and other programs like those that have extensive summer activities.  These jobs are a great place to start looking, but because of the economy, you may have to be more creative. 

            Start with where you think you'd like to work.  Do you like working with people or kids?  Do you want to work indoors or outdoors?  Figure out what type of job you can possibly get that won't make you miserable.  Apply to those jobs first.  Then, if those applications aren't working, don't abandon finding a job.  Simply work and think harder about where to look.

            Connections are extremely important right now.  Who do you know that works at places where they hire teens?  Who do your parents know?  Your friends?  We all have connections; we only need to find them.  One very connected place that teens don't use enough is the Job Service.  They help teens as well as adults, and it's free.

            Can you start your own business?  The one thing teens have going for them is they're cheap labor.  If you like kids, start a babysitting business.  If you want to work outdoors, could you start a lawn mowing or landscape maintenance business?  Find out if there's any training available to help you get started.  For example, many hospitals offer babysitting classes and home improvement stores offer lawn care and gardening classes.       Keep in mind, if you want to start a business you will need a brochure with resume type information on it and your prospective client will interview you. 

            I also tell my readers to think about volunteering.  If you don't need the money, in other words your family is making it right now, volunteer.  Volunteer experience is every bit as good as work experience.   Volunteering looks good on applications and resumes.  Therefore, it will give you an advantage over teens that have neither work nor volunteer experience.  Volunteering also looks extremely good on college and scholarship applications.  Besides that, it makes you feel great.  Be prepared to apply and interview for volunteer positions.

            It's not enough to find the opening you want, now you have fill out the perfect application, one that makes you stand out from the rest.  The application has to be perfect!  It's written in blue or black ink if it's not typed into a computer, there are no blanks or scratch-outs, and it's not folded or stained. 

            Standing out is more than an application that looks nice, however.  It also has a lot to do with the details you put on it.  If the application asks for references, know that these have to be adults, they cannot be relatives and they have to be able to talk positively about your work ethic.  If the references don't meet these qualifications, your application will end up in the trash.

            Employers don't expect you to have work experience, but they will look for some other things that will prove your work ethic.  These might be your grade point average or the things you've listed in what I call the 'stand out area' of the application.  On most applications there is a part that asks you to list talents, skills, achievements or interests.  This is your chance to make yourself stand out.  You want to list any awards you've won in the past couple years including honor role at school, clubs you belong to, volunteering you've done, extra-curricular activities you participate in and elective classes you've taken (computer and foreign language classes look especially good).  All teens should have things to list on this part of the application.  For the employer, it proves that you can work, work within a team and you are involved.

            The application will get you an interview, but the interview will get you the job.  What's the key to interviewing?  Prepare, prepare, prepare!  That means preparing the way you look.  You have to look normal by society's definition, not your clique's.  Take a look at the way the people are dressed in the business you're applying to.  You are going to dress better.  If they're wearing jeans and a t-shirt, you are going to wear khakis and a collared shirt.  I am very blunt about this for teens in the book and in my workshops.  Girls need to cover up their "butt, belly and their boobs" and they shouldn't wear anything they had to squeeze any body part into.

            Preparing also means you have an idea of what you're going to say.  You have to be able to talk positively about you as a worker.  All interview questions are essentially the same question, 'Why should I hire you?'  We are told from a young age not to brag, but that's exactly what you have to do in a job interview. 

            There are ways to make money this summer, but you may have to be willing to do some things you normally wouldn't do and put yourself out there.  You also may have to accept help from adults whether it's from a workshop, your parents or teachers.  It is simply going to take more to earn that paycheck this year, but it is possible.

Jennie Withers is from Boise, ID and the Author of Hey, Get a Job! A Teen Guide for Getting and Keeping a Job, available at www.heygetajob.com.  For workshop information go to  www.jenniewithers.com  'events'.