Can you help me get a job as a teenager?

What are some things that would help a teenager get their first job? What interview skills would be very handy?

• Answer:

  Conduct some informational interviews where you're totally honest about what you're trying to accomplish, which is learn how to interview well and get a job. For example, you probably have some connections with people already in the workforce: a relative, neighbor, etc. Maybe one of them is a manager or someone in a hiring role. Say to them something like, "I'm going to start interviewing for a job soon and I'd like to prepare. Could I buy you a cup of coffee and ask you some advice on what I can do to prepare?" Then, have some questions ready in case the conversation gets flat. For example, What kinds of things do you look for when you're hiring someone? Are there certain interviews that you've conducted that were particularly great or particularly awful? Tell me about them. People like to help. People like to sound smart. Hope this helps. If you have more questions about this kind of thing, feel free to post a comment on a blog post here: http://socialcapitalmentor.com. We're talking about these kinds of things all the time and we love to help.