How to Prepare your Teen for a First Job

You may not be as misty-eyed as you were when your child left for the first day of school, but the day your teenager goes to his or her first day of work can be emotional, too. In fact, if the passage of time seems to be flashing by at an unreal speed, you may feel worse.

But now's not the time for soul-searching. For the moment, if your teenager is searching for employment, you'll want to be thinking about several issues to properly prepare your teenager – and yourself – for that first job.

Don't assume it'll be easy to find work. You may remember it being easy to get a summer job. That could be your faulty memory at play, or maybe it was easier to find a summer job than it is now: Fewer teenagers have summer jobs these days.

There are a lot of factors involved in the disappearance of summer jobs, such as teenagers volunteering or taking unpaid internships to get a leg up on college applications.

The Pew report also noted that there are fewer low-skill, entry-level jobs available than in previous decades.

Most teenagers think they can apply for one job and get it. They really don't understand the idea of pounding the pavement and sending out multiple applications!

Consider transportation options. The schedule surrounding getting your teen back and forth from work can be a nightmare, and let's just say that Uber can make a lot of money out of teenagers who don’t have the ideal transportation.

On the bright side, your teen can save enough to buy a used car or take the bus everyday. But transportation is something you'll want to consider, especially if your child's work hours overlap with your own. Will helping your teenager with his or her job hurt yours?

Encourage your teen to ask questions during the job interview. Your child is going to have to get a job on his or her own, but you can help with preparation for job interviews. Encourage your teen to ask lots of questions during the process.

Often, teens will accept a job without even knowing the pay rate. Why? They may be too embarrassed or shy to ask.

Think about work attire. Depending on the job, your teen may need to buy work clothes. Perhaps not, if the local grocery store or fast-food restaurant provides uniforms. But what if your teenager is working in an office? It is best to find out as soon as possible if your child needs special clothes for the job.

Go shopping with plenty of notice in case you can't find what you need locally and need to purchase items online and wait for them to arrive in the mail.

This is a great teaching moment. Your teenager is about to learn a lot about working and the real world, even if you don't get involved in his or her job search.

But if you are one of those parents who to loves to pass on your collection of hard-earned parental pearls of wisdom, this is your chance. Especially if your teen is nervous about making a good impression, he or she may even be interested in listening to you. Maybe.

Here are some helpful tips for your teen:

Take initiative. If there is nothing to do, find a broom and clean something.

Be a problem-solver. Figure out what is the biggest problem your boss is having at work and help find a solution.

Use your money wisely.  Take one-third of your paycheck and put it in savings. Use one-third for your expenses, like petrol, food, toiletries ... Take the final one-third and do or buy something fun with it.

Be punctual.  Ten minutes early means you're arriving on time.

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