Editor #10
At the ripe young ages of seventeen or eighteen, the youth of America usually have their first experiences with joining the workforce. Whether working summer jobs at Home Depot or offering tutoring services, youths of this age go into the jungle of the working world with a distinct disadvantage: they have no experience. While this may be a daunting obstacle to overcome, every individual has to start out somewhere, and now is the time to begin.
Job interviews can be stressful to say the least, as there is a lot riding on those few minutes with your potential employer. The key to interviews is marketing yourself to your potential employer as best as you can. You can do this by highlighting skills that you listed on your resumé, especially skills that have to do with the job you are trying to get. These skills are what make you different from other applicants and are more likely to get you the job than anything else. Another helpful factor is dressing appropriately for the interview. The old maxim says, “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have,” and that is a fairly reliable guideline to follow. Be professional and highlight your skills, and you’ll stand a fair chance for any job interviews.
Even though at this age you do not have the vast stores of work experience that your competitors may have, you have the benefit of a fresh and modern education. Students have more opportunities to develop their skills in school than ever before, with classes such as robotics, music technology and video production on the rise. This shiny new education will most likely make you desirable to employers despite your lack of real-world experience. You have to start somewhere just like everyone else. Look long enough, and you’ll find yourself employed in no time.