Every parent wants their child to be successful and success starts with the basics. Responsibility, financial planning, time management, and teamwork can set your child up for a successful future.
Employers are looking for young people to join their team right now! They provide flexible hours, from middle school through college to accommodate for all schedules. Jobs at an early age give children the experience and resume-building skills to advance quickly and achieve greatness!
Take the next step in the right direction
Step 1: Help your child assess their skills
- What classes do they excel in?
- What after school activities do they enjoy?
- What related arts classes are they interested in?
- You can also get help identifying these skills at your local SC Works center.
Step 2: Help your child write a resume
- Make sure to include:
- Community service or volunteer work your child has done.
- After school activities or clubs they have participated in.
- Highlight any of the skill that you discovered through step one.
- Staff at SC Works are here to help polish your child's first resume. Contact your local center for information.
Step 3: Explore job opportunities
- Local businesses are a great place to start looking for first time employment.
- SCWOS, or jobs.scworks.org, is another great tool as it pulls openings listed on multiple job posting platforms to one place.
- Keep in mind transportation to these possible jobs and school scheduling conflicts that could arise.
Step 4: Prepare for an interview
- Find interview questions online to start preparing your child for what they may be asked during their first interview.
- Make a good first impression on employers by dressing for success.
- Practice a firm handshake.
- Arrive to your interview a few minutes early to show you are punctual and also give yourself time to get comfortable in the interviewing environment.
- Staff at SC Works are here to help practice interviewing skills. Contact your local center for information.
Step 5: Once your child gets a job, talk about financial planning
- Savings
- Taxes
Step 6: Prepare for the future.
- Help your child add any jobs to their resume to prepare for college and for their next job. Don’t forget to include any new skills they’ve learned!
Frequently Asked Questions
Types of jobs:
Retail, restaurant, warehouse, manufacturing.
How much money will my child make?
Each job is different but the state minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. However, many companies pay above minimum wage.
How to apply for job:
Many employers have moved to an online process to apply for a job; however, this will vary depending on where you live and how big the business is. A quick phone call or visit will steer you in the right direction.
While it is not required for all jobs, many will request a resume. These are easy to put together and a quick internet search for “resume templates” will provide lots of fill-in-the-blank formats.
But you also do not need to try to do this with your child alone. The representatives in the SC Works center can help your child write their resume and they have the pulse of the local community. They know which employers are open to young people looking for a first job, and they know how to help your child apply. You can learn more by contacting the local SC Works center in your area.
What are soft skills?
When you think about soft skills, think about the types of skills that can be used in any job. They are not specific to one job.
Some of the most common include:
- Communication: The ability to talk and write effectively in order to work with other people.
- Digital Literacy: Knowing basic computer and technology skills.
- Responsibility: Owning and caring about quality or work.
- Time Management: Arriving on time and knowing how to plan work to complete all expected tasks.
- Conflict Resolution: Knowing how to respectfully disagree but continue to work cooperatively with other people.
- Problem Solving: Thinking of creative ways to address and solve challenges.
- Teamwork: Working with other people and taking being considerate of their needs and goals when thinking of your own.
- Positive Attitude: Being cheerful and helpful, not talking bad about the job or coworkers and being fun to work with.
- Common Sense: Using good judgment when making decisions and not just responding emotionally.
- Adaptability: Being able to accept change and react quickly to help.
While soft skills can certainly be learned at school and at home, the workplace provides the leadership and real-world experience of applying these skills – and it pays!
