June 5, 2010

Summer job blues? Get help with teen Interview workshops

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Summer's here and the time is right for...looking for work. Sorry, but according to the latest jobs figures, it looks like the "dancing in the streets" part of the summer may have to be put on hold--especially if you have just graduated from high school or college.

Even though the economy has been showing definite signs of strength over the last few fiscal quarters, the job market continues to lag far behind. Yesterday's Labor Department figures, with 431,000 new jobs, looked pretty good at first glance, until you realize that about 90 percent of them were temporary U.S. Census jobs that are about to evaporate in a few weeks.

On top of that, recent reports show that the April unemployment rate for those aged 16 to 24 was nearly 20 percent. According to a depressing New York Times article, Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies and other research groups predict that less than 30 percent of able-bodied teenagers will be able to find jobs this summer; 10 years ago, at least half of the teens in the U.S. were able to find jobs, no sweat.

Anticipating a tough road ahead for enterprising Seattle-area youth, two librarians in the King County Library System are looking to give these kids a little help by providing some free interview advice this coming week.

"The job market is already bleak and I fear that teens looking for summer work will be competing against adults with more experience," said Darcy Brixey, teen services librarian for the Bellevue Regional Library. To help prepare teenagers for a world that demands savvy networking and interviewing skills, Brixey and Jose Garcia, her counterpart at the Lake Hills Library, are hosting two Interview Prep for Teens workshops on the Eastside next week that are intended specifically for the young adult demographic.

During these sessions, Paul Abodeely, a presenter and job coach with the Greater Seattle YMCA and a contractor for the career development service Keys to Success, will cover topics such as marketing yourself to the employer, identifying your strengths and overcoming common barriers, such as lack of experience. By going over some commonly asked interview questions, conducting a few mock interviews and dispensing some post-interview advice, Abodeely will help give the inexperienced youngster the tools to overcome what may be the biggest obstacle they face: looking professional and responsible in the eyes of hiring managers.

Here are the particulars:

Tues., June 8: Lake Hills Library, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Sat., June 12: Bellevue Library, 10:30 a.m. to noon .

Registration is required to ensure that the workshop will be small enough to allow time for personal instruction. To sign up, visit the program's registration page.

Now all you have to do is get your teen off the Xbox and off the couch. Good luck with that.

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.

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