Teens anxious to find jobs

Tips for part-timers
Your teen wants some extra money and is looking for his first job. You want to be sure that he doesn't take too much on and that he can balance work, school and other commitments. Plus, you want a job that will keep him close to home and not working till the wee hours of the night.

Here are some suggestions to send your teen's way:

• babysitting;
• car washing;
• dog walking;
• housecleaning;
• lawn and yard care and snowshovelling;
• plant and pet care for vacationing neighbours;
• running errands for seniors;
• tutoring; or
• working in neighbourhood stores selling or stocking shelves.

How to find those jobs:
• Word of mouth. You and your teen can tell friends and neighbours.
• Help your teen create a flyer to hand out to people you know and trust.

Hire pressure
Do you know what stresses your teen? Is it the state of the world? Shopping? Health? Politics? Money?

Youth Culture Group, a Toronto-based youth media, marketing and research company, found that getting a job ranks high among Canadian teens' concerns. In Youth Culture's 2004 Trendscan study (the largest national study of teen culture), teens were asked: If you could ask a large corporation to help you somehow, what would you request? Hollis Hopkins, research director at Youth Culture, says the top answer for both genders was "help me find a job."

Why are teens so concerned about finding work? "It can be attributed to influences such as increased pressure to succeed, being the focus of countless consumer campaigns and wanting to maintain the lifestyle of their boomer parents," says Hopkins.

Trouble at Work?
Sexual harassment on the job is a problem your teen may face but be ill-equipped to handle, says Heidi Exner, prevention coordinator at the Victoria Women's Sexual Assault Centre in British Columbia.

The issue may be hard for teens to address, she says, because they're pressured to fit in and might not want to make trouble; plus they may not know what constitutes sexual harassment. Talk to your teen if you suspect something is amiss (does she call in sick a lot or is she reluctant to go to work?). A good opener is, "I'm sensing that you're uncomfortable about your job. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

If your daughter does confide in you, "allow her a say on how the situation can be solved," says Exner. If she has no suggestions, discuss some possible solutions, such as confronting the harasser together, reporting the incident or quitting and finding another job.