As a teenager, most of us are looking for a job
Whether you need the money, need something to do, or just want to have a job, here are some tips to help you nail that job interview.
* Look the part
When going to a job interview, you're going to want to dress nicely for it. Don't wear your pajamas, sweats or jeans, but you also don't want to wear your fanciest outfit. Go for something business casual. Girls, wear a skirt and a nice shirt, or a casual dress. As for the boys, you should wear dress pants and a nice collared shirt.
* Make sure your Facebook page is clean
Jeff Montague, who hires sales staff at Alpine Sports in Ogden, says, "When considering an applicant for hire, I search for them on Facebook. I try to get an idea about who they are before I make a decision. Social medias are a great way to find out about an applicant."
After all, you don't want your future boss to see the pictures of you and your boyfriend making out, or any posts about your love life really. Keep it clean with pics of you, friends and family.
* Use your "adult voice"
When the interviewer asks you questions, respond in the way an adult would. You definitely don't want to say "I don't know" during an interview. Those words just cause your interview to plummet to the ground. Answer with intelligence and confidence.
* Be prepared
Be ready to answer lots of questions about your hobbies and your work ethic. Employers ask lots of questions about those two topics, along with others. Go to www.millionaire-kids.com/interviewquestions.html and you'll be able to find some questions that are commonly asked in an interview.
* Be on time
If you're late for the interview, how can the employer trust that you won't be late for work? Make sure you show up about 15 minutes before the interview starts. That way your employer knows you can be on time, AND have some time to spare! (But don't just show up for the interview on time, and then show up for work later every day.)
* Send a thank you note after the interview
The day after the interview, take a few minutes and write a thank you note to the person who conducted the interview. Make it short, sweet and simple. Just thank the prospective employer for his or her time, say you enjoyed the interview and say you look forward to working with/for the individual in the future.
A few other all-around, simple, good-to-know tips include
* Make eye contact with interviewer.
* Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake.
* Know some facts about the business you're interviewing with.
Also, when you're out for job interviews, you might want to know some sneaky tricks that can help you get your resume to the top of the pile, am I right?
Here is a list of things you can do that will help your resume get noticed:
* Know a second language: Take Spanish, German, Sign Language or whatever other languages your school offers.
* Get good grades/join National Honor Society: If you mention in your application that you belong to this society, the employer will most likely move it toward the top of the pile.
* Use neat handwriting. If your application is hard to read, the employer won't want to spend tons of time trying interpret your alien handwriting. Make things easier for the employer and your actions will be rewarded.
* Avoid spills, oil spots, water marks, etc., on your application. A prospective employer won't want to see what you had for lunch by looking at your application. By not taking care of your application, you may give the employer the impression that you can't keep track of things and are a tad scatterbrained!
If you need any more help or have more questions about having a successful job interview, check out www.millionaire-kids.com/index.html -- and then get out there and nail that interview!
Morgan Sewell is a junior at Bonneville High School. She loves Justin Bieber, makeup and fashion. Email her at pinkdaisy009@gmail.com.
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