How To Prepare For Your First Interview As A Teenager

Practice These 5 Job Interview Questions And Answers

Employers use your interview answers to gauge how successful you would be at the job. Thats why its so important to practice job interview questions and answers.

Start practicing a week before your interview. Make a list of common interview questions and have a few answers prepared.

Here are the most common questions youll encounter as a teen interviewee.

Have You Ever Had Difficulty With A Supervisor Or Teacher

What They Want to Know: The interviewer will ask this question to determine how you relate to authority. Always answer honestly, but make sure that you have a positive outcome. Remember that the most difficult situations are sometimes the best learning experiences.

I love both playing varsity football and performing with our high schools marching band. At first my coach and band director told me that Id have to choose one or the other, since practices sometimes conflicted and there was no time to change at halftime into my band uniform. But I convinced them to compromise with me, since Im a strong football team member and a first-chair trumpet player. The band director agreed to let me perform in my football uniform, and Coach let me leave football practice early on Tuesdays and Thursdays so I wouldnt miss marching practice.

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Dress Like You Mean Business

Again, you want to dress professionally.If you are ever in doubt about what to wear, make sure you wear a shirt and tie with your slacks if you are a guy or a modest-looking dress if you are a girl.If the place is more casual, again, you can probably get by with khaki pants or professional-looking skirt and button-down shirt.If you are going to err, it is better to overdress as it sends the message to the interviewer that you are serious about getting work.

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Use Professional Body Language

At an interview, your body language will be assessed by the hiring manager, including how you’re seated and your gestures. These behaviors are all part of your nonverbal communication, which is just as important as your verbal communication. It’s important to say the right things with your body language, so use the following advice:

• Let the interviewer make the first move in relation to a physical greeting such as a handshake or fist bump.
• Practice a firm handshake and a fist bump before the interview with friends or family members until you get them right.
• Make eye contact with the interviewer when you first see them and smile.
• Sit or stand in confident, open positions with your arms at your sides instead of clenched in your lap.
• Focus on the interviewer’s face when they are speaking to you.
• Avoid fidgeting, such as unnecessarily tapping your legs on the floor or twisting your hair.
• Maintain eye contact with the hiring manager when you’re answering questions.

The Application Process Is Also Online

Maybe you got your first job after dropping off a paper resumé to the manager on duty at the grocery store, arcade, or coolest clothing boutique in town. Now, many companies require interested parties to submit their applications through their own job portals, an external job board, or even a site like LinkedIn.

While some places still take in-person resumé drop-offs, youll want to look online first to see what the company prefers. You dont want to encourage your kid to submit their application in person if the businesss site clearly states they need to apply online it wont make a good impression and their resumé might very well end up in the trash.

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Dress For The Occasion

Regardless of whether or not you’re interviewing in person or virtually, it is so important for you to dress professionally. Although different industries have different standards, and each company has its own culture, you want to present yourself in a clean, professional way.

Business professional attire for men should include a navy blue or grey suit with a matching tie. This is a must for legal, finance, or business services. You may have some wiggle room on the tie at a tech startup or marketing agency. Pair it with a simple colored button-down shirt and a dark-colored belt that matches your oxford or loafer shoes.

Business professional attire for women can include a button-down shirt or blouse with a blazer, a skirt or slacks, and polished, closed-toe heels, flats, or loafers.

All in all, regardless of gender, be sure to pick tasteful and fitted clothing. Stay away from anything with oversized logos, overly distracting colors or patterns, or clothing with profanity. How you dress for an interview reflects your professionalism, so keep this in mind moving forward. You got this!

Mydoh Helps Kids Learn The Money Skills They Need For The Real World

Before your kid even starts the teen job search, they will need to understand how to spend their money, not just earn it. Mydoh is a chores and allowance app designed for both parents and kids. It gives kids valuable experience with making, saving, and spending money, getting them ready to manage their own money once they land their first job.

After you download the app, you can work together to manage household chores, allowance, and spending habits.

They can start spendingand savingthe money they make from allowance-based chores with the Mydoh Smart Card, which is the equivalent of a debit card. You both have access to the account to see the list of chores, how much your teen has been paid, and how much money theyve spent. Its a great way to help kids learn the money skills they need for the real world.

to help you raise money-smart kids with an easy-to-follow chore-based allowance system.

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Follow Up With A Thank You Note

Whether its an email or a personal note, its important to take a moment to thank the person you interviewed with for their time and the opportunity to meet with them. Statistically, very few people ever send a thank you note which will offer you a competitive edge against all the other people who skipped this important step.

Choose An Outfit You Feel Confident And Comfortable In

While it’s important to look professional and neat, it’s also essential that you feel confident in your outfit. Consider trying your outfit on ahead of time and practice wearing it for a while to ensure you can move comfortably in it. You may want to practice walking and sitting in the outfit so you feel prepared for your interview day.

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Interview Questions And Answers For Teens

• Interview Tips

You have submitted your resume and cover letter for a job and have been called in for an interview. You are excited. And very nervous. Whether this is your first interview or perhaps you have a few under your belt, it is natural to be nervous when interviewing for a job, especially one that you really want. Fortunately, it is possible to do some research and a little practice, which will help you feel more comfortable.

This blog post will cover the following:

• Preparing for the job interview
• Common questions and how you can answer them
• Coming up with questions for the interviewer

Job Interview Question #: What Extracurricular Activities Do You Participate In

Now is when you get to talk about hobbies and clubs.

But dont go off on a tangent! Choose no more than three activities.

Each activity you list should reflect a skill the employer would find valuable.

If youre president of the Spanish club, that would be a great way to talk about your language and leadership skills.

Example: For the past year, Ive served as the president of the fashion club, which is one reason Im so interested in the fashion industry. Thats one reason why I want to work at XYZ shoes.

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What Are Your Strengths And Weaknesses

You wont get this question in professional interviews, but you may get it applying as a teen, for an entry level job. The key is to pick strengths that are relevant for the job you want to get.

Following the same logic, you should pick weaknesses that wont hinder you in your new job. Check our article dedicated to Weakness interview question, to see good answers for a variety of jobs.

An Introduction To Interview Tips For Teens

As a teenager, preparing for a job interview can be challenging. Performing well at an interview is important to impress the hiring manager and help you stand out from other job applicants. Getting some advice on handling this meeting effectively can improve your performance and chances. Consider this article for a few reliable interview tips for teens so you can handle your next interview professionally.

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Why Are You Looking For A Job

What They Want to Know: Of course, everyone wants to make money at a job, but the reasons you should share with a potential employer should reflect your interest in the field, or in helping to develop your skill set.

My favorite hobby is baking for my family and friends. Im hoping to gain restaurant experience in order to decide if I have what it takes to go to culinary school and become a pastry chef.

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With Summer Just Around The Bend High School And College Kids Will Be Scrambling To Land The Perfect Summer Job To Make A Few Extra Bucks But Before They Can Actually Land The Job They First Have To Ace The Interview Which For Some High School And College Kids Can Be A Fairly Intimidating And Stressful Experience

Whether your child is interviewing for a camp counselor job, a retail associate at the mall or a bagger at a local grocery store, help them make the absolute best impression during the interview by encouraging them to keep these important tips in mind. Here are 8 tips for teens to ace a job interview.

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How Do I Prepare For My First Job Interview

Preparing for a first job interview can be nerve-wracking. In order to feel prepared, there are certain things that you can do to help you feel that you gave the best interview possible.

1. Research the company that youre applying forOne of the biggest mistakes that you can do when applying for a job is to not research what they stand for and what theyre about. At the very minimum, you need to know their vision and mission statement and understand what their company is about. After that, take the time to understand their management and leadership styles so that you can prepare your responses and answers based on that.

2. Work on answering questions in front of a mirrorIf youre nervous about answering questions, you need to make certain that youre practicing. You can easily work on your answers to interview questions by sitting in front of a mirror and working on your words.

3. Do a practice runOr another great option is that you can have a family member or friend ask you interview questions so that you can answer and move on. This will give you the skillsets of answering questions and working on your responses.

Just keep in mind that you dont want your responses to be cannedbut you do want them to flow well so that they dont seem stuffy as well.

Understand Behavioural Competency And Situational Interview Questions

When preparing for a job interview, you should next make sure you understand how to answer job interview questions. To get to the motivations and working style of a potential employee, interviewers often turn to behavioural, competency, and situational interview questions to understand your behaviours and establish your core skills and competencies relevant to the role, such as teamwork, creativity and innovation, decision making ability, business awareness or conflict resolution.Behavioural and competency based interview questions usually begin with, Tell me about a time when or Give me an example of an occasion when Both behavioural and competency based interviewing are based on the idea that past behaviour can predict future action.

Sample competency based interview questions and behavioural based interview questions include

• Describe a situation in which you didnt meet your stated goal. How did you handle it?
• Describe a situation in which you took the initiative to change a process or system and make it better. How did you identify the problem? How did you go about instituting change?
• Describe a time when you were required to use your analytical skills to make an informed decision.
• Tell me about a time when you used your creativity to solve a problem.

Sample situational interview questions include:

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Watch Your Body Language

Everybody gets nervous in job interviews. The key is to not show that youre anxious.

Do you have any nervous tics? Do you rub your arm, jiggle your foot or fidget with a pen?

Notice these behaviors so you dont drive your interviewer crazy.

Sit still during the job interview. Sit up straight, maintain eye contact and keep your shoulders up.

Even if you feel like a nervous wreck, you want to look calm and professional. Practice your interview posture in the mirror to make sure you look confident, relaxed and professional ahead of time.

Interview Tips For Teens

When you prepare for an interview, it’s important to keep in mind suggestions that can help your overall performance. Adhering to them can make your interview more pleasant and successful. Here is some advice to keep in mind for your next interview:

• Prepare common interview questions and answers.

• Determine your qualifications.

• Go alone.

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What Should A Teenager Bring To A Job Interview

What should a teenager bring to a job interview. Optionally, take a folder or portfolio, pack of chewing gum, and a list of question to the interviewer. Always bring a pen and notepad to an interview. Employers who hire teens arent expecting you to have a proven track record of success, years of work experience, or a long list of skills.all

Contemplate The Future Show How You Can Benefit The Company

The employer may also ask what you would like to see yourself doing five years from now.Maybe you would like to work as a manager in 5 years.Maybe you plan to go to college and want to use the job to supplement your education.Think about this question contemplate on it for a while as the response is important.It shows the employer how he can benefit from hiring you.

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Getting Ready For An Interview: How To Become Interview Ready

Whether your high schooler is looking for a summer job or uploading a resume to their college applicationyes, thats a thing!its a good idea to have a polished resume ready to go. Knowing how to write a cover letter, use social media apps for job searches, and handle an interview will also help land a job.

During Your First Job Interview

• If you’re under 18 and your state requires teens to have working papers, bring these with you.
• Try to stay cool and collected. Staying as calm as possible will help you focus on the interviewer.
• If you feel flustered, pause and take a few deep breaths to gather your thoughts.
• Be confident in your skills and abilities when you are talking to the interviewer. Remember this is a first job and you aren’t expected to have a lot of experience.
• Try to incorporate what you know about the company into the discussion.
• Be honest. If you have sports or other activities that might conflict with your work schedule, tell the interviewer.
• Be flexible. You may have some leeway in setting a work schedule, but the more flexibility you have, the more likely it is that you’ll be hired.
• Make eye contact and avoid distractions.
• Listen and take notes. Have a question or two ready to ask at the end of the interview.
• At the end of the interview, thank the interviewer for taking the time to interview you.

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Get More Tips For Your First Job Interview

We know you’re stressing over the job interview. It’s completely normal to feel the pressure. Want some more advice on how to impress hiring managers as a rookie hire? We can help. Create a profile on Monster, and you’ll have access to loads of free career resources that can guide you through the entire job search process.

Before The Interview: Practice And Prepare

Review the steps below and schedule a mock-interview with Career Services .

• The interview atmosphere should be POSITIVE. Learn to articulate your strengths and weaknesses and emphasize the positive contributions you can make.
• Prepare for Questions
• The questions below are divided into two categories, traditional and behavior-based. You will recognize the difference between the two types of questions immediately. You will need to be prepared for both types of interview questions. The Student Career Development Office and the Library have several books and handouts containing additional interview questions.
• Examples of Behavioral Questions

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