One of the things parents forget is how difficult it is for a child to do something new. You may be lucky and have a child that is a true go getter, lots of self confidence and initiative. But for the most part teens need alot of support. They need to be walked through the process of finding a job. Some tasks they may be able to complete with no help from you and others will require that you put your heads together. Job hunting is one of those tasks. How do they write a resume when they have never held a job before? With my youngest son, we included odd jobs he had done for neighbours, his acheivement and commitment to sport, any volunteer work. The key was writing a covering letter and describing why he would make a great employee even though he has no experience. So we did this and then I drove him door to door- bulk barn, grocery stores, retail stores, McDonalds etc. It was discouraging many places told him to come back when he was 16, but it was a great experience. That is how it is in life, don't take it personally and keep at it. His break came at McDonalds. The son of the manager knew Bobby even though the son was several years younger. This got Bobby through the door and he is now employed with McDonalds. I didn't know much about McDonalds as an employer but I can tell you I am extremely impressed. They don't expect the teens to work long shifts or even many shifts- school comes first. Very smart business model, the kids also won't get burned out and they will have experience and some pocket money. I have much more respect for McDonalds as an organization now
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This blog really caught my attention because I've never had an actually job myself (I'm 20) and I know the older you get the more difficult it is to get one if you have no experience. However, I like your son have experience with odd jobs such as babysitting and I volunteered MANY hours and MANY years with the Boy Scouts of America helping out a friend at their summer camp. What I've come to find through my few years of job hunting (and your entry supports that idea) is that a majority of the time (when it comes to your first job) you get hired because of who you know. Every person I know that I can name got their first jobs because of someone they know. It makes it very difficult. Luckily, my step-sister is now trying to get me employed at one of her two jobs (thank goodness). Good luck to your son. I'm happy he was able to get a job.
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