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

Even in the best of times, teenagers face plenty of hurdles when they look forsummer season jobs. Would-be recruiters often worry that they’ll be undependable, late and generally flaky - and teens must convince prospective bosses 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 ages of work experience behind them. And they’ll be doing so in a job market that has fewer jobs available in the market.

A current study by SnagAJob.Com, an employment Web site that connects people with hourly jobs, found that close to half of hourly hiring supervisors won’t be hiring summer months employees this season. Even more ominous, 73 percentage of hiring executives anticipate receiving more applications this summer than they did last summer from job seekers of all age ranges.

Does this mean that youngsters should give up all expectation of getting gainful employment this summer? Not at all! The following guidelines can assist.

1. Begin hunting today. Shawn Boyer, chief executive officer of SnagAJob.Com, said employers are already considering about their upcoming summer staffing issues, even if we’re only in the month of April. One way to outperform at least some of the competitors is to begin 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 position. Think about all the adults in your lifetime: your teachers, guidance advisors and mentors, your family doctor and veterinarian, your parents’ close friends, your friends’ parents, and so on. This approach could turn you on to job prospects.

3. Plan for a repeat performance. The study of more than 1,000 employing managers revealed that 65 per-cent of their summertime staffs will consist of returning staffs. If you had a job previoussummer timeand you didn’t absolutely hate it, take into consideration reapplying again this year. Your past employer will be interested in you because you’re already trained.

4. Be professional. Make convinced that every little thing you involve in your job application is spelled effectively and is free of grammatical issues. Don’t use all lowercase or all uppercase letters, Boyer suggested. 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 cellular phone or home phone.

5. Do mock job 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 training job interviews with somebody other than a friend or mom 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. Display some power. Employers who bring teenagers on board say they appreciate their enthusiasm and restlessness to do whatever it takes to get a job done. Present those characteristics on your job interview - and on the task, as well.

7. Get effectively gussied. Costume nicely for your job interview, as if you were about to attend a religious service. Do this even if the costume code for employees is casual. Absolutely bear in mind to send a written by hand thank-you note after your interview - a step many adults routinely forget to take.

8. Play up your talents. Many teens show a trend to be hard on themselves and minimize their successes. Keep in mind that a job interview is not the place to beat yourself up. Rather, point out flattering specifics about yourself, such as being an honor-roll student, 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. Understand where to look. As bleak asthe job market placeis at this time, 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 of 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 time months when many of their staff members go on holiday, Boyer said - and he added that a bank job can look good on your application.