Tips for Parents with Teens: How to Prepare for Their First Job

We all remember our teenage years—figuring out what our style was going to be, thinking through what we wanted to do, and getting a dose of the real world. Well now, and I’ll speak for my teens, these young folk just aren’t excited to get into the world like were. But I’m here to speed things along. My son turns 16 next year and now is the perfect time to start strategizing on that big conversation: What will your first job be? Here are some Tips for Parents with Teens: How to Prepare for Their First Job.

Tips for Parents with Teens: How to Prepare for Their First Job

Some parents want their kids to only focus on school, in high school and I respect that, but not me. Being a young black man growing up in America already has its challenges and I want my son to be able to deal with the real world as soon as he legally can. There are so many financial and mental benefits to him getting into the working world. So, I’ve come up with five ways to prepare a teen for their first job. 

Sit Down and Research Teen Job Opportunities Together

If you’re ready to have that conversation with your teen, you have to make time to sit with them to discuss what it is that they like to do. Ideally, you want to line them up with jobs that that really interest them. Create a list that separates jobs into three categories: 1) What I want to do; 2) What I’m okay doing and 3) What I never want to do. This will be the blueprint for what you’ll recommend. This is also the perfect time to reach out to your network and see who may be able to connect your teen with the right opportunity.

Help Identify Their Current Skillset for Resumes

Job opportunities may ask for a simple application or resume. Resumes are a bit harder for high schoolers to complete but most internships will ask for them. Go over with your teen the activities that they do in and out of school and pull out the skill sets they’ve acquired. Here are some examples:

• Football Captain: Attends practice daily to help lead students at various grade levels in learning how to succeed at football.
• Member of the Debate Team: Attends weekly meetings to practice understanding various communication techniques and philosophies that can be used immediately.
• Church Usher: Volunteers to help prepare church services and serve members, as needed, both during and after sermons. 

Remember the Life Incentive: Money

Sometimes, kids need to understand that money doesn’t grow on trees and having them get a job is the easiest way to reinforce this lesson. They’ll learn quickly what taxes are, how to manage their paycheck, how an account works and more. Oh, and if they already have a car, let them learn about bills whether it’s putting money towards a car note, insurance or getting a low balance credit card for the cost of gas. 

Time the Conversation with Precision

If you’re like me, 16 is the perfect age for my child but you should go off their maturity level. If they’re not driving yet, it makes getting them to and from a job harder. Depending on your state, the youngest legal working age could be 15.5 years old. So, if your child is almost 16-years-old and is mature enough to take public transportation before they save up enough money to get a car, go for it.

Patience is Key in Finding the Right Fit

Of course, we don’t like our kids quitting anything. Be prepared that it may take them a few jobs to find the best fit. Just like grass, it looks greener on the other side until you realize it’s green mud…or whatever that saying is. I know plenty of mothers that have watched their kids go through two and three jobs until they find one that not only fits their personality but that doesn’t affect their schoolwork. We all know that education is their most important responsibility at this age. 

When you’re a parent of a teenager, it’s good to have “the job” conversation early and often–even if it’s in doses between the ages of 14 and 16. The world doesn’t stop spinning just because they may not feel like getting a job and it’s our duty to make sure our teenagers are prepared, especially our black children. Use these tips as a springboard to start thinking through this conversation. You won’t have all the answers but at least you will have some ideas you can share that will help your teen think through what a “job” could be.