Teens and Unemployment Archives - Page 2 of 3

12 Most Positive Ways to Help Your Teen Find a Job

Editors Note: This is my guest post originally published at 12Most.com, and republished with their permission.

My oldest is a high school graduate (by the time) with two years of work experience. Not just summer experience, he worked throughout his junior and senior years of high school while maintaining a 3.0 g.p.a, playing sports, and participating in clubs.

As a father, seeing him grow in character was just as important as his high school diploma. Our children become more resilient if we allow discipline to prepare them for life after high school including college.

Teens should work. They will find time for video games or hanging out with their friends. When teens turn 16, they are job seekers, as defined by their parents, and when possible the fathers.

These are my suggestions in creating teen job seekers:

1. Employ them early

Give your three and four year old a job, pay them, and watch them work. Notice and remember his or her enthusiasm and zeal. Think about how you can build on their willingness. Oh yeah, did I say pay them?

2. Teach them how to work

If you don’t work with them and teach them, he or she may never work. The younger the easier, the older the harder —then you’re on your own.

3. Don’t make them fill out 100 applications

Instead, dress them up and take them around to small businesses to talk to adults. If they do not like adults during the teen years, they will with pay.

4. Coach your children in their relationships with adults

Yes, they need coaching and monitoring by YOU the parent. Everything un-taught will appear ugly, so prepare them now. Networking 101 starts with conversations, shaking hands, eye contact, and the parent starring as the loving weirdo. Take a bow. You’re welcome.

5. Explain to them what you do

Show them how you do it and make sure they can explain your career to peers and teachers with clarity. Even if you’re unemployed, provide examples of your work and your career.

6. Be honest about your career struggles

You will connect with them in positively profound ways. I did this with my oldest son. At 18, he has more working experience than his under 30 cousins with two years at the same job.

7. Make it clear that at 16, they are job seekers

No matter what your economic status, your teen should work at a minimum during the summer. They can buy their own school clothes and treat the family to lunch or dinner. The pride he or she displays is priceless. I promise.

8. Show them your accomplishments

Awards, prizes, accommodations, or certificates send a subtle message what you expect of them. If they are not proud of you, your work has just begun.

9. Inspire them

Chastising, hazing, stalking, or harassing doesn’t work. Trust them to the seeds of knowledge and experience to grow over time.

10. Anticipate resistance

It is not a cakewalk for many teens as peers claim to lead the glamorous life on Facebook. Have them think about the job they want, and a target company. Is it that bad to work at The Gap because he or she loves clothes?

11. Allow working peers to influence them

There is nothing wrong with them wanting to work where peers already work, unless it is illegal or the friend is a bad influence.

12. Reveal to them that money is not the only incentive

Restrain your inner Warren Buffett and make experience attractive. Don’t be surprised that relationships sprout from working with people from different cultures, genders, and ages. She may be cute, sure he is charming, but work will cultivate character.

My son works out his budget, understands his financial obligations and responsibilities, and values time. Most of his friends still think money grows on trees and aggravate their parents to pay for everything. My son has imperfections and immaturity like many young adults, but he can experience making a few adult decisions as he treats for family dinner on payday.

Is it tough to get your teen to work? I think teens should work. Do you? Please share, I would love to hear.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Your Teen, the High School Graduate, and Jobseeker

I’ve written about my son, “Boy Wonder,” and his adventures in working part-time at a famous retail in Chicago. He will be graduating in two months, earning Silver Honors for most of his high school career, lettering in several sports, and more important, quality character. The high school graduate must prepare for career worthiness. He or she is a job seeker in one form or another, and one time or the other.

I’m a proud dad who can only take partial credit. I will give my wife a little more credit because she gave birth, but “Boy Wonder” has two years of working experience and 18 in May. Boy Wonder accrued more than 100 service hours in the community, and does not blink at doing more in the future. In February, he earned scholarship funds because of his “excellence in academic and community service.” He has become career worthy.

This is a good time to start looking for a summer job for your teen, the job seeker, especially if he or she is 16 years old. A job seeker. Like it or not. Working before high school graduation is a necessity in our texting, Twitter, and Facebook society. The are vulnerable by not getting job experience.

I don’t agree with helicopter parenting when they are 23 and possessing a bachelors’ degree. You should be Air Force One upon eligibility when they can work at 16. Walk with them through every step of the employment process, teach them how to think, drink, and eat responsibility. Teach them how to dress appropriately for an interview, and later they will be sharp to get that first college internship.

Another reason for your teen, the job seeker, must work is their baptism in the fire of working relationships. You can tell them how to work with others in theory alone, and draw them stick figures of how to handle conflict, but until he or she experiences it, your bantering is in vain.

Character is something parents discuss, and experience in part with him or her, but only the teen can embody the lifelong gifts that these changes can bring:

Pride, self-esteem, and independence is appreciated more
Appreciation for your hard work
Emotional and physical maturity begins
Responsibility and accountability is regular
Focus on school work is self-motivated
Mature understanding of professionalism (not perfect, advanced beyond peers)
The respect from other adults for working and doing well in school (I’ve witnessed his display of manhood)

I have a longer list than this. Parents, you miss golden opportunities to train your teen to mature and gain character. Jobs will rarely be plentiful. YOU, are the best career coach available.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Dads, Talk With Your Son About His Future Career, After The Sex Talk

image credit

The future career talk during teen years is critical. I would like to proclaim that we as “Dad” have a “relationship” talk instead of a “sex” talk with our sons. Both jobs and sex are about relationships, and as Dads, we need to help our sons with building relationships. Our women will love us a little more. Not to mention the similarities that we should no longer ignore, nor disassociate from the main bridge between the two.

Careers are largely about the relationships we build. We have to be liked, but in different ways, without it being about us. Relationships are not about sex, but sex is about the relationship. I didn’t appreciate it until I was married for some time, and I like other Dads, learned this the hard way.

Here are several reasons of my own that relationships make the career, dating, and marriage intertwined:

Relationships and careers require respect and like, giving first, then earning the receipt of it. As a baby boomer, we grew up with a chauvinistic view of women, and the synonym was being macho. In this day and age, I am the caveman. Without validation, it sprinkled on my boys. If we fathers do not teach our boys to respect and like Mom, we have failed to help them with their future relationships with co-workers, bosses, girlfriends, wives, and in-laws.
Both require longitudinal planning. Just because we had short relationships and careers, doesn’t mean our sons have to experience the same. Help them to plant seeds, not just build a shelter. A healthy plant requires cultivation over time. Relationships and careers need the same cultivation, not just when we need something from someone.
Neither relationships or careers are about you. You are going to give more than you get, and receive a portion in return if you’re successful. If you are getting more, then respond by giving more than the other person.
Both have difficult and complex issues. Careers and relationships should be handled with truth and responsibility. Our teen boys need training in handling conflicts, unfairness, and tragedy with grace, courage, and truthfulness. If lying and deceit develops into a pattern early, it is so hard to un-train it (but it can be done). As Dads, if we have a problem with honesty, then it is hard for us to detect it in our kids. This is where we need to be humble and pass the baton to the women in our lives.
Mishandling careers and relationships can tear your life apart. As my working, college-bound son makes career defining decisions at 17 years old, he needs the training from me. He received his first college acceptance, and has more work experience than knowledge about girls. The work challenges are intriguing, but we talk a lot about how to handle them. Dads need that conversation often, at least once a week, even if for a few minutes each. They need to know how to handle work and relationships equally. As Dads, mistakes are training opportunities, and teachable moments that need immediate attention. Be there to catch them when they stumble or fall.

Train your sons character, and not just the behavior. The best lessons are hard to digest, and trying to control him will only breed rebellion in the long run. Being successful for years at a time takes a man who is accountable, dutiful, and skillful at relationships and career. The best lesson is failure, so as a Father, teach them to learn from failure. .

What are you struggling with in having these talks? Feel free to share them with us by commenting below.