Kevin Harrigan has an important tip for young people heading out this month to look for a summer job: The interview process starts sooner than you think.
| Prepare by writing down everything you’ve done, your work record, your education and your accomplishments.
* Show responsibilities and results. * Give examples of accomplishments or problem solving. * Include volunteer work. * Use a computer or type your resume. * Have 1-inch margins on sides and top and bottom. * Try to keep resumes to one page. Never exceed two. * Font size should be 10 or 12 points and the typeface should be conservative. |
“The receptionist has the ear of the boss,” Harrigan said. “She will be observing your attitude and your dress and she will probably make a note on your application.”
It’s the same for calls to the company.
“If you’re screaming at your friends in the background while you’re on the phone,” he said, “that is part of your interview.
Harrigan knows what he’s talking about. As youth business outreach coordinator for WorkSource, it’s his job to help young people win over employers and to be successful on the job.
He recently sponsored a job fair for several hundred teens at Lynnwood’s Embassy Suites Hotel. In addition to 38 employers, the fair included seminars by experts on writing resumes, being effective in job interviews and finding money for education.
There were also one-on-one sessions for critiquing resumes and going through mock interviews, with feedback on your participants’ style.
Harrigan recommends that young people craft both a resume and a cover letter of how they will fit in with their target company.
“A cover letter goes the extra step,” he said. “If everybody has a resume and you have a resume and a cover letter,” you stand out.
He also suggests young people play it down the middle when dressing for an interview – neither too fancy nor too dressed down. “Dress casual with a nice shirt and slacks,” he said. “I wouldn’t dress like I’m going out with friends at the park.”
Employers have a wide range of jobs, and young people who dress neatly but casually look appropriate for the widest number of positions, he said.
“I think it tells the employer that they don’t have to teach you how to dress,” he said. “Employers want to fill a void at their company, and there are certain skills they want you to come in with.”
In addition to appropriate attire, good communication skills on the phone and in person are another skill employers expect applicants to already have, Harrigan said.
Noting that it’s been tough for young people to find jobs during the recent recession, Harrigan said there are summer jobs out there, mostly in retailing. But students will have to work to find them.
Daniel Asefaw, 18, of Lynnwood said he’s finding the market a little difficult.
“I’ve been looking for a month,” he said, noting he’s applied for six positions so far.
Sam Peterson, 17, of Arlington said she’s looking for summer work in retail at some of the more popular stores, such as the Everett-based Zumiez chain.
“When it comes to earning commissions on top of wages, you want the places where you can earn a lot,” she said. “I know a lot of people, so that helps.”
Peterson, who was a volunteer at the job fair, also recommended that young people dress in business casual clothing.
“I’m not telling guys they should rent a tuxedo,” she said. “Just no holey jeans. And some deodorant. It’s good if you don’t smell bad.”
Girls, she added, “should keep their skirts below their knees and cover up their shoulders so their bra straps aren’t showing.”
A smile and a firm handshake are also good ideas, she said, adding, “And it’s OK to take a minute to think before you answer a question so you don’t stumble over your words.”
Safeway representative Pamela Baker agreed with the smile advice.
“We’re just looking for folks who are able to smile at the customers,” she said.
Baker said Safeway has a number of positions available in Western Washington because the company is opening a new store in Juanita and remodeling many others.
The requirements, she noted, are pretty basic. “If you’re able to look someone in the eye and give them a firm handshake, that’s a plus,” she said.
Baker also noted that parents can sometimes hinder their child’s chances without knowing it because they take over the interview and answer questions that their child should address.
“Sometimes the parents don’t let the child get a word in edgewise,” she said. “It makes us wonder who wants the job more, the child or the parent. They should leave their parents home or let them know that the student needs to give the answer.”
Zumiez, one of the companies favored by Peterson, also has a number of summer jobs available, both in its stores and in its Everett distribution center.
“The majority of our sales are in summer or during the back-to-school time,” the company’s Matt Warbonnet said. “We hire a lot of seasonal employees.”
He suggested that applicants for retail positions dress in clothes they might find at Zumiez. “We want them to reflect that same interest and bring in that same customer,” he said.
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