David Reynoldson is so eager to buy a new baseball bat that he started his summer-job search by showing up for Thursday's Teen Job Fair early.
Fifteen weeks early.
Baldwin residents, from left, Terri Rockhold and her daughter, 15-year-old Lacey Rockhold, listen to job-search tips during a Teen Job Fair at the Lawrence Public Library. Teens learned how to find job openings, fill out applications and prepare for interviews.
"I'm 12," said Reynoldson, who officially becomes a teen-ager July 5. "I know it's going to be kind of hard (to find a job), probably."
Dozens of teens attended the fair at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt., where employers, job counselors and others gathered to help teach interview techniques, offer rmuggestions and discuss job opportunities.
"A lot of these kids have never had a job, and they're just beginning to look for employment," said Kim Patton, the library's young adult specialist and fair coordinator. "It's hard to know where to look.
"We just want to give them some good skills, so they can make good decisions and get a good start."
Many 14- and 15-year-olds, for example, can land work in offices, restaurants and golf courses, among other places, according to the Kansas Department of Human Resources. Jobs for 16- and 17-year-olds can branch into manufacturing, while the minimum age for many hazardous jobs including many involving machines and excavation is 18.
Cheryl White, of the Lawrence Workforce Center, 833 Ohio, advises teens to be flexible in their job searches, and to start as soon as possible.
A person interested in animals might check out a veterinarian's office, she said. Someone interested in sports might think about working in a concessions stand, or a swimmer might want to become a lifeguard.
Print. Printing is much easier to read than cursive.
Neatness counts. A neat-looking application says that you take pride in your work.
Answer every question. If a question does not apply, write "n.a." for not applicable.
Make sure your reason for leaving each job is a good one. Managers hate quitters.
Don't give an expected salary. Write "open," so that you don't price yourself out of a job.
"Be open-minded," White said. "Just go in and ask a company if they're interested in hiring a good person to work even a couple hours a day."
Jennifer Green, 14, said she picked up plenty of tips at the fair to assist in her job search. She figures it might even keep her a step ahead of the competition.
"Having this information will help me present myself as being more mature," she said.
No comments
Commenting is turned off for this story.