It’s never too early to start a job search—particularly if you’re a teenager. As the national employment figures continue to tick up, young people looking for work this summer may have an even more difficult time trying to secure a steady paycheck because more experienced workers are re-entering the job market.
The city of Palmdale is helping to alleviate the “summertime blues” by embarking on a novel idea to help more youth find those important “first jobs” that teach character, commitment, discipline, responsibility and so many more aspects of the maturation process. Local youth ages 15-18 who are interested in developing the skills needed to successfully interview for a job can now register for one of the upcoming sessions at the Palmdale Works! Youth Academy. Session one will be on Mondays and Wednesdays from Feb. 23 through March 11; session two will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from March 24 through April 9, all held at the Larry Chimbole Cultural Center, 38550 Sierra Highway, from 3:30 to 5: 30 p.m.
Also, the Palmdale Recreation and Culture Department is accepting applications for summer jobs. Here, a variety of program areas will be made available for persons with a wide range of experience, but not necessarily “on-the-job” work skills. Persons with volunteer experience are said to be especially welcome to the job recruitment program. Right now, registration is underway for the positions of program leader, senior lifeguard and head lifeguard.
There is no cost to attend the Palmdale Works sessions, but pre-registration is required. During the course of the program, students will be taught how to dress and prepare for a job interview, and also have the opportunity to meet with employers from local businesses and participate in “role-playing’ exercises during mock interviews. You must attend each session to graduate.
“Participation in a program like this really does speak volumes to potential employers about the motivation and commitment of any young person entering the job market,” said Trish Jones, Palmdale community programs supervisor. At the summer jobs seminars, qualified applicants must demonstrate professionalism during the recruitment process which will include good written and verbal communications skills—specifically grammar and spelling—and demonstrate the ability to correctly complete a job application. Organizers also want to teach young people how to provide the appropriate e-mail and phone information and instruct them on how to gather at least three quality references.
“These are great opportunities for our residents to join the city’s team next summer,” said Keri Smith, director of the Palmdale Recreation and Culture Department. “We’re offering entry-level positions which provide individuals who are positive, motivated and community-minded the opportunity to develop transferable, versatile skills which will benefit them throughout their careers”
Your job: ‘Find a job’
Landing a job—whether it be the first or the latest of many—can be a 40-hour per week “job” in and of itself. For generations of Americans, the summer job has been a gateway from youth into the adult work world; employment helps young people discover the satisfactions and responsibilities of work. The so-called “soft” and “hard” skills (ex. accepting criticism, exhibiting self confidence, demonstrating a strong work ethic) they gain are important to enduring success in the future. In some cases, a summer job can help teens discover career pathways. Early work experience—including internships—can often become crucial resume-building tools which, invariably, can lead to the so-called “hard skills” found on a resume such as education and specific qualifications.
One analysis conducted in 2013 by the U.S. Department of Labor has indicated, for every year that a teenager works, his/her income from the age of 20 to 25 can reportedly increase 14 to 16 percent. Unfortunately, the United States has seen a precipitous decline in youth employment amounting to a 40-percent drop during the past 12 years according to the same Labor Department study. In 2012 less than one-quarter of American teenagers held a paid position over the course of the year.
The Labor Department report revealed that the lack of employment opportunities for lower-income young people and minorities is likely to have a “profound” effect on their adult years. Employers in today’s highly competitive and globalized economy are demanding more workers with specific skills and capabilities; American educational and training programs are reportedly not doing enough to equip job seekers with those skills.
Unemployment among youth and young adults remains high throughout the county. A U.S. Census Bureau report last year found that unemployment for those 20 to 24 years old stood at 19.2 percent; it is even worse for 16- to 19-year-olds with 41.1 percent of those looking for work unable to find it. Robert Kleinhenz, chief economist with the Kyser Center for Economic Research, explained it this way: “Unemployment is particularly severe among young people,” he said. “That is because a lot of workers who lost their jobs during the recession are returning to work because they have the experience, and they may have other attributes that give them a leg up.” His organization is also working with local community colleges so they can successfully train students for jobs that are being created locally. “The more education you have,” Kleinhenz noted, “the more successful your job hunt will be. The jobs that once required only a strong back, if you will, are really fewer and father between.”
Start looking early
Practically everyone associated with job opportunities—from the Department of Labor to the Los Angeles County Employment Development Department—recommends that youth begin researching job possibilities early in the year. Find organizations and other places that you know pay teenagers to work, such as government departments and non-profits ranging from the city park and recreation departments, zoos, museums, camps and even hospitals. Get the word out that you’re available to work and pinpoint just what type of work you’re capable of such as lawn mowing, babysitting, dog walking, light custodial, etc. This information can be posted on a website, Facebook, Instagram, etc. You can also go “old school” by posting your employment search on a bulletin board at school, the local library branch or at church. Then use your connections and ask friends and family about any paying jobs they may know of and follow through ASAP (remember, the work world is extremely competitive no matter what age).
Volunteerism can be an excellent way to begin. Although you may have to donate some of your time for free, treat this volunteer work as though it were a regular job which means get there on time every day. Listen and learn about the organization. By doing a good job each and every day, your direct supervisor just may consider you for an opening when the time comes. Also, it is vital that you compose a resume, even if most first jobs don’t ask for one. A resume will have your work, volunteer and educational history and will make filling out an application much easier.
It is equally important to be prompt and neatly attired for an interview. A common question will likely be: “Why do you feel you are qualified for this job? At that point, let the employer know how positive and confident you are and note that you are always willing to help out and go out of your way for special requests. “Can you type?” “Can you file?” “What about phone experience…taking messages?” In a prospective office environment, these and many more questions are relevant to you landing the job…even if you’re simply distributing the mail each morning.
After a few summers at the same entry-level position, you will eventually gain the experience to work at a higher level once you have graduated from high school. Such early work experience can be valuable if you accept a work-study position to help with finances if you decide to continue on to college.
Los Angeles County for the past few years has offered the Earn and Learn program for youth ages 14 to 21 years who need that essential early employment experience. Once enrolled, Earn and Learn provides an average of 120 hours of paid training and work experience. Youth may earn up to $1,000 by working in a variety of worksites with private, public and non-profit employers throughout the county. Priority is given to CalWORKS, foster care, probation, homeless, general relief and low-income youth.
‘Earn and Learn’
“There must be more done to strengthen the infrastructure of summer youth programs,” said Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Johnson has suggested more skills-based summer learning opportunities. Programs managers, he said, must make sure that youth training programs be structured to reflect the specific skill needs of the growing economic sectors in a “specific community” so that young people can envision a pathway that can lead to a rewarding, well-paying job. Last summer the city of Sacramento launched a coalition of hiring agencies to grow job opportunities for youth. The coalition had an eye on strengthening individual programs operated by leading businesspersons and nonprofits, while academic partners provided resume, interview and financial management training to further empower students.
“Companies of all sizes need to recognize that preparing the next generation of employees is both the right thing and smart thing to do,” said Johnson, a former NBA All-Pro. “They can and should play a role in providing funding and hands-on support for public and non-profit training summer youth employment programs. We owe it to our young people and our entire country to make sure more summer youth employment programs are available that are integrated into our existing school year, specifically investments in education and training.”
Interview response skills can be enhanced everytime you sit before a prospective employer. This is a positive trait that can last a lifetime. Learning how to answer questions with poise and confidence can help with everything from getting in college to landing a full-time job when the time comes. You’ll also learn how to accept rejection. A teenager will probably not get the first job he/she applies for, but the more a person faces rejection and learns how to bounce back, the easier it can become to press forward in the knowledge that life’s disappointments ultimately build character and fortitude. You can learn something about yourself. Even if you don’t get the job you originally pursued, landing any early employment can teach you to stick with the responsibility and try to master a new field of endeavor.
Often a person relies on a “comfort zone” whereby you may rely on doing something that you are familiar with. The job search may take you into varied fields of endeavor and you never know what you might find. Sometimes a hidden talent may be exactly what a prospective employer may be seeking, but maybe in a another department at the company or at another business the interviewer is familiar with. Also, if you start the job search early, you may face less competition. It is generally accepted that you won’t find a summer job the day after graduation or when school lets out for vacation. Begin the search early in the year. That way, if dozens of applicants are vying for the position, you could be included among the final candidates, instead of waiting until May or June when the prospective employer has narrowed the candidate pool to just three or four people.
