This summer of 2010 has been a hard one for teenagers of all ages looking for jobs. There aren’t enough companies that are hiring and there are too many people looking for jobs. Employers want some sort of work history and for 16 year olds that are looking for their very first jobs, they obviously don’t have any. It’s a catch 22: how do you ever get work history if you can’t get a job in the first place, right?

If you don’t find a job this summer make sure you at least learn this valuable lesson: nothing is given to you in life and there will be many obstacles and challenges ahead for you as you get older. Remember, you are only 16 years old and you don’t have rent to pay, food to buy, or a family to feed. Chances are good that you have a roof over your head and parents who are providing for you. Yes, a job would have been real nice and it would have given you the opportunity to earn money for yourself or your family that you probably want very badly. However, you are just a kid and you will make it through.

Imagine what you would feel like if you were an adult with a family and you couldn’t get a job. Perhaps some of you are experiencing this as well if your parents are out of work and can’t find a job. Adults who can’t find work have REAL problems because they have bills to pay and people relying on them.

At age 16 this is probably your first job hunt and it is a good lesson early on in life. If you keep looking you will eventually find a job but it is important to learn that nothing in life is given to you. That is why it is important to go to school and continue on to college if at all possible. Your education will help you get jobs later on in life and as you have learned this summer, you need all the tools you can get so that employers will give you an interview and consider you for a job.

These kinds of neighborhood chores might be put on a resume for your first job but they are not as good work experience as getting a real job from a real company. Most prospective employers like to see some real work history where the teen had a real job. This would be a job where you had a work schedule, were required to show up on time, and performed the duties required. This is the type of job experience that you can only get from a real employer. 

If you are fortunate and are hired for a summer job with a company that would be a big step up from doing work for people in your neighborhood. Most companies that employ teens will be looking at 16 as the minimum age they are interested in. This is because it is around the age of 16 that kids start to mature and they can also drive at that age as well.

If you are 16 and get work this summer you will want to make sure you include it on your resume. Your parents will probably be able to help you with that. Your first job will ultimately help you get your second job when that time comes so it is important to do a act responsibly and work hard so you can get good references.