Looking for a job when you come with job-seeking experience is daunting enough, but it can be terrifying when it's the first time you have had to do it. Supporting your child in this next stage of their life is essential to ensure that you provide them with the right tools and techniques to help them showcase their best selves and protect their mindset while building resilience. I will share some simple things that you can do based on my personal experience while supporting my teenage children to secure their desired jobs.
Planning and Preparation are Valuable Life Skills
To begin with, I cast my mind back to when I was my children's age to appreciate some of the challenges I faced at a similar time. I recalled being in my final year at school with my GCSE's looming. It was 9 p.m., and I had an 8-page essay due in the morning, and I hadn't written a single sentence. Putting off what I could do tomorrow was not unusual back then. My natural traits to overthink and procrastinate paralysed me. When applying for a job at the age of 16, my natural procrastination reared its ugly head. I was fortunate that my dad sat with me and helped me break down each stage of the process.
Maybe you can relate to my experience? Most importantly, as parents, we can teach our kids planning and preparation skills (essential life skills) to support them as they venture onto the job market. Teach them to 'begin with the end in mind' - Many young people are unsure of their career direction. Being that this is entirely normal and it's never too late to start a career, it's vital to build upon their inherent strengths to help them develop essential life skills that will enable them to make educated decisions for their future. By asking curious questions, you can support them with their first steps regardless of their academic ability. Are they good with people? What problems do they enjoy solving? Which subjects do they enjoy and least enjoy? Etc.
Establishing preferences and natural strengths will help you point them toward job adverts that appeal more to them. Once they can see what they are striving for, it will help to motivate them.
Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance
Break down each step - Once they can see which direction they are heading, you can help them determine the smaller steps they need to take to get them there. The first step is to understand the value that they can bring to the role. Reading the CV guide I have created will help them appreciate what they offer. If they already possess some work experience, they may also find the guide 'Highlighting your value to a prospective employer' helpful.
The next step is to create a CV. Creating a CV is far easier to achieve when you have clarity of the direction you are heading.
As well as accessing CV guides and templates, they can watch a video to support them to create a stand-out CV 'Early Careers' website page.
When applying for a specific position, they will need to research the company and review the job advertisement to ensure they create their CV with the particular job and company in mind. The likelihood is that they will also need to create a tailored cover letter aligned to the job vacancy.
From personal experience, it's all about timing and environment. Ensure you section off enough time when you can both sit down together. Both parent and child need to be in the right mindset and free of interruptions to enable a productive and supportive experience.
Confidence comes from being prepared
Prepare them for the next steps
Once they have started applying for jobs, there will be a high likelihood that your child will receive a call or email from a prospective employer. Being forewarned is being prepared and what you don't want is your son or daughter answering their mobile from an unknown number without thinking that a prospective employer could be at the other end. Read my guide on 'How to Impress an Employer' so that they familiarise themselves with the behaviours they will need to demonstrate.
The Interview
Have patience as it may take a few weeks before they receive an invitation to interview. As we know, a job interview can make the most confident adult feel nervous, so it's no wonder they can be nerverattling for teen's (and, of course, us parents too). As a parent, I am keen to ensure that my children make the right decision for their immediate future and well-being. Years of experience in the recruitment industry has taught me to take time to do my due diligence. We have all experienced oversold jobs and work cultures that do not enable us to perform at our best. I have used the following method four times with my children with 100% success (I have five children, three are stepchildren).
Interviews Are Like First Dates, First Impressions Count
I created a guide on how to ace your interview that provides an excellent initial understanding of interview preparation, and it may be enough for your son or daughter to get them started. However, my children were younger and fresh out of school and college, so they needed more support.
So, I created an interview preparation template similar to what you can see on the next page. I have created a slightly different version for each job and company based on the information available from the job advertisement and the company website. The aim is to investigate the resources they have available to answer the questions given to them. It does mean that you will need to do the work first. However, it doesn't take too long and is worth the while considering the success rate my children have experienced.
Once they completed their research and successfully relayed it to me, I presented them with some commonly asked interview questions and asked them to write their answers down. (You can access these questions along with some sample answers in the interview preparation guide).
- Why do you want this job?
- Describe a time when you have worked effectively as part of a team?
- What are your strengths?
- What are your weaknesses? Do you have any questions for us?
Seeing your Child's Face When they Receive an Offer is the Best Feeling in the World
Every employer wants to feel reassured that you want to work for them and not just any company. Therefore your son or daughter must consider what they would like to know about the job role and the company to help to make the right decision should they be offered the position. So, while my interview preparation guide has some example questions to ask, encourage your child to think about what is important to them. An insightful question based upon what they have researched can help them stand out for all the right reasons.
The bond that I have built with my children by spending this time with them I cannot capture in words. We all know that time is a precious commodity that we never have enough of and knowing that I have helped steer them along a positive path is one of the best gifts I can give them and I am confident you will be able to experience the same.
Written by Becky Webber, Regional Director for Tate Recruitment
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