Seldom any of our schools teach the practical aspects of life and business. We have our youth going into the world having to fend for themselves. Many younger people do try to get part-time or summer jobs to help with their expenses or to have some pocket money or to buy a computer or a car. However, many of them don’t know how to go about it. Many still have school courses, sports commitments or other events and obviously it is hard for them to understand in the business world commitment, reliability is highly regarded. When they apply for a job they need to at least appear serious about doing the job well committed. It is true and we all know that most of the time they are at the stage where they are learning priorities and responsibilities, though some kids do learn that early.
Yet , we need to show them how to do a first resume, how to go about the interview and so forth. Obviously, the first resume does not have a lot of experience but resume is not only a list of places you worked, it tells the other person about your habits, your goals, your skills and accomplishments. Anyone at any age has goals and aspirations, they have accomplishments and things they do well and are proud. Our youth need to learn how to put this information in context to convince an employer to give them a chance.
We need to help them practice what to say in an interview, how to approach each question, what subjects to emphasize and what to avoid. To think before answering and to think about consequences of saying something frivolous or immature. Teachers and parents should practice with their young ones to help the draw on their experiences so when they are confronted with the actual situation they are at least somewhat prepared.
It is also important to learn how to organize and communicate their availability for work and how they can balance some of their personal commitments with their workload and schedule. They need to realize that it is time to learn how to organize between different responsibilities and interests. Many students obviously have class or sport engagements throughout the week but that does not eliminate the opportunity for them to apply and hold a job. They just need to start looking for positions that are flexible and are available during the hours they have free time. There are many positions that are in the evening hours. There are retail businesses open late. Food is another business, grocery stores are sometimes 24 hours, or drugstores. There are many places open on weekends. Our youth also need to learn not to overburden themselves so their studies or work is not suffering.
And I hope a business owners we are responsible to help the new generations not only become active part of the work force but to mentor them and help learn to be responsible and productive members as they grow and take more serious roles as part of working community.
