Guest Author - Shanita Alexander

Summer is just a month away and many teenagers are in the process of looking for summer employment. Not only are summer jobs fun and you're making money, but they will produce experiences that will help you in your future. The first thing you need to do is decide on the summer job you want or need. The type of job, the location, the hours and the pay should be considered. You may not find a job that meets all your need but you should still strive to find one that meets as many of your needs as possible.

Secondly you need to complete a self analysis. What do you have to offer an employer? What kinds of skills do you have? What kind of other work have you done, paid or volunteer? Also, don't forget to keep in mind things you have learned at school that might be useful in your summer job. Depending on the type of job you may need to develop a resume. Ask an adult to help you if you're not familiar with this task. Many computer programs have resume templates that you can use.

Next, make sure you use all your available resources to help land that summer job. Talk with your parents, older family members, your friends' parents, teachers and any other adults you know. Ask them if they have any contacts with companies. You may want to give them a copy of your resume. This is called networking and it may give you the best chances of landing the ideal summer job. If this doesn't work there are plenty of other resource readily available. Reading the newspaper want ads, surfing the net , visiting malls and/or checking bulletin boards at libraries or local stores may help too.

Practice completing job applications if you haven't completed one before. You can download one off the internet or pick up one at a local store. You may want to ask an adult to look it over to make sure it's filled out completely and correctly. Lastly ask a parent, older sibling or another adult to perform a mock job interview with you. This will tell you what you need to work on and will help you so you're not too nervous with an actual interview. Try to familiarize yourself with something about the company you are applying with, dress nicely and always thank the interviewer for their time. Oh, don't forget to keep a positive attitude. Employers want motivated teens who will arrive to work on time, work well with others and do the best job they can. Good luck with finding an awesome summer job!