• Gain Work Experience Through Volunteering
• Top Ten Job Tips in English and Spanish
• Summer Employment Tips for Teens
• How To Land Your First Job 
• Job Application Tips 

Get on a path to career success. We have the tools and resources that help build your job skills and knowledge.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A JOB, AN INTERNSHIP AND JOB SHADOW?

Job:

A job is a part or full-time paid opening offered by an employer to anyone who meets the skill requirements outlined in a job description. A job may be temporary or permanent and has specified responsibilities.

Internship:

A paid or unpaid internship is an opportunity created by an employer to provide a sort of on-the-job practice, but they do it in conjunction with your school, so you earn academic credit and get real world work experience at the same time. Internships are typically for short periods of time, a semester, for instance, and are developed to provide guidance, supervision and evaluation of your work as an intern.

Job Shadow:

An unpaid short-term activity offered by an employer who agrees to engage a student to follow or “shadow” them throughout their work day, providing insight on the duties and skills of the position, and information on career tracks.

COOL CAREERS AND HOT JOBS

HOW TO LAND YOUR FIRST JOB 

This article was published in the July 12th issue of Parade Magazine and has many good tips for landing that first job.

MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN JOB HUNTING

The tips offered within this article published by the NAWDP can help you avoid mistakes when job hunting and after you've landed one.

TIPS FOR FILLING OUT JOB APPLICATIONS

Use the tips in THIS document to make your application stand out.

OTHER HELPFUL EMPLOYMENT LINKS

We have two articles to share with you that should be helpful at job interview and once you have secured your dream job:  Personal Appearance and Getting Ahead on the job.
Read the tips in this article published by the NAWDP.

TOP TEN JOB TIPS IN ENGLISH and EN ESPAÑOL

JOB TIPS IN ENGLISH

1. Look for jobs with employers that hire seasonal help including movie theaters, local amusement parks, hotels, and shopping centers and look for help wanted signs.  Carry your resume and contact information with you at all times to provide to hiring employers.
   
   
2. Check job postings at school career centers, the Employment Development department and the Internet for job openings including JobSummit.com
   
   
3. Look for job opportunities in your community to provide babysitting, dog walking and run errands.
   
   
4. Identify twenty employers you want to target for your job search, including referrals from family and friends.
   
   
5. Keep a log of all the calls you make and the next steps.
   
   
6. Don't apply for jobs with friends and/or family members present.
   
   
7. Identify what days and hours you can work, before applying for jobs.  Consider transportation, costs associated with employment including uniforms and any tools/equipment needed and determine how you will cash your paycheck.
   
   
8. Dress conservatively when applying and interviewing for jobs.
   
   
9. Conduct follow-up with employers a minimum of three times, after completing an application or interview.  Send the employer a thank you note after interviewing.
   
   
10. Keep a positive attitude.  Employers are looking for motivated, enthusiastic employees that they can train.
    

CONSEJOS PARA ENCONTRAR TRABAJO

1. Busca empleo donde se ofrece trabajo de temporada, como en los cines, parques de atracción locales, hoteles y tiendas de compra, y busca un cartel que diga “Se necesita ayuda / Help Wanted”.  Siempre lleva tu currículum vitae (resumé) contigo e información de contacto para dárselos al empleador que ofrece trabajo. 
   
   
2. Revisa las listas de ofertas de trabajos en los School to Career Centers (centros que ayudan a jóvenes a encontrar trabajo), en el departamento de desarrollo laboral (Economic Development Department) y en el sitio de red JobSummit.com.
   
   
3. Busca oportunidades de empleo en tu comunidad tal como cuidando niños, sacando a pasear a perros, o ayudando a hacer las compras.
   
   
4. Identifica a veinte empleadores para los cuales te gustaría trabajar incluyendo referencias que te hayan dado tu familia y amigos.
   
   
5. Mantén una lista de las llamadas que haces y de los próximos pasos que tienes que tomar.
   
   
6. No solicites trabajo cuando tu familia y/o tus amigos están presentes. 
   
   
7. Verifica los días y los horarios en los cuales puedes trabajar.  Piensa en el método de transporte que vas a usar, los gastos que puede implicar este empleo, tal como la compra de un uniforme, herramienta / equipaje y comprueba como vas a cobrar tu cheque de pago.
   
   
8. Vístete con ropa seria de trabajo cuando solicitas empleo o vas a una entrevista.
   
   
9. Después de solicitar trabajo o de tener una entrevista, llama o manda una carta electrónica (e-mail) al empleador no menos de tres veces.  Después de entrevistar, mándale una carta para darse las gracias al empleador.
   
   
10. Siempre mantén una actitud positiva.  Los empleadores buscan a gente motivada y animada a las cuales pueden entrenar.
    
    

SUMMER EMPLOYMENT TIPS FOR TEENS

(As printed in San Diego Family Magazine, May 2004 Issue)

• Before your teen starts working, make sure he gets a work permit if he is under 18.  Work permits can be obtained from local high schools or from San Diego City Schools, 858-627-7355.  Or log on to www.workforce.org; click on youth; click on jobs and internships and scroll down for information about potential employers.  Make sure it’s a legitimate company, and contact the Better Business Bureau to find out if the company has any claims filed against it.  
  
  
  
• Get a copy of the child-labor laws and review the information with your son or daughter, including the hours and days they are allowed to work.

• Develop a plan with your teen regarding transportation to and from work.  If they will be using public transportation, or accepting rides from family and friends, get as much information as you can about bus routes (alternate routes, too), bus numbers, drop-off and pickup procedures and times, and determine which family members and friends you will allow your teen to ride with.

• If your teen is driving to work, go with them for a test run, so you know the route they will take each day to work.  Review basic driving and safety procedures as well as how to access roadside service in the event of a breakdown or emergency.  Provide your son or daughter with emergency contact information that they can carry with them at all times.

• When your teens begin interviewing, have them outline where they are going and whom they will be interviewing with.  This is to ensure their safety.  It also assists them with follow-up.

• Ask your children to provide you a copy of their weekly work schedule so you have information available in case of an emergency.

• Make sure your son or daughter’s employer has your contact information.  Drop in at the work site, and introduce yourself to the manager or supervisor so they feel comfortable with you, should a problem or emergency arise.

• If your son or daughter is taking a summer school class, keep an eye on them to make sure they are not too overwhelmed with school and work.  Make sure they have time to study and rest, and ask their teacher to notify you if your teen is having difficulty keeping up with homework and assignments.

• Assist your son or daughter in setting up a savings account before they start their job.  Go with them to the bank, and ask for information/procedures for making a deposit, earning interest and obtaining an ATM card.  For safety reasons, be sure your son or daughter does not deposit their paycheck at an ATM machine in the evening or at times when no one is around.

• For many young people, their first summer job can be very intimidating and overwhelming.  Be there to listen when they get home from work, and show interest in what they are learning.  As questions and suggest they go to their supervisor regarding any problems or concerns they may experience.

• Reward and celebrate your teenager’s job success at the end of the summer by doing something special for them, to let them know how proud you are of their accomplishment.

More Information

San Diego Workforce Partnership:

www.sandiegoatwork.com, 619-228-2900. 

The CDC’s NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) Alert:  Preventing Deaths, Injuries and Illnesses of Young Workers  http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/youth/ .   Valuable information as well as tragic examples of teens who have been injured or died as a result of unsafe work conditions.

National Consumers League:

http://nclnet.org/childlabor/ .  Great information, tips, as well as the five worst teen jobs of 2004.