Preparing Your Child for Employment

When the time comes for your child to enter the workforce, it can be tricky navigating the world as a young job seeker and, by extension, their parent. You want to encourage them to find the most suitable employment for themselves without forcing them to take up work that is wholly unsuitable for who they are.

So how can you support your child as they prepare to enter the workforce for the first time?

Familiarise yourself with the job market

You can’t help them look for a job if you have no idea what types of roles are available. Get to know the job market and look at the positions open to know what to expect when you reach the application stage. Doing a bit of research into the types of skills employers are looking for, the vacancy duration, e.g. to cover high seasons, temporary etc. and what will be expected of them should they be hired.

Consider All Options

Whether your child is applying for a weekend job or post-education at any level, there are always different options available depending on the type of work they are looking to do.

It may be that the best job role for them isn’t in your local area and is one they will need to relocate for. Maybe your child would like to train further and get work experience at the same time or explore other careers than they were previously interested in. TradeSchoolsNearYou.com can guide you to your nearest trade school to help your child further their career options and training.

Allow Them Room to Explore

Forcing your child into employment isn’t going to make anyone happy. Every one of us is different, so allowing them to work out what they want to do could mean they take on many different roles until they find the right or they have a better idea of what their long-term career should be. Allowing them to make mistakes, learn valuable lessons, and gain life experience is one of the best ways to help them learn. Once they are sure of what they don’t want, they will have a better idea of what they want.

Listen and Support 

There are many different ways you can support your child as they look to enter the workforce. Regardless of their age, they will have questions that need answers and look for guidance from you as their parent. Help them understand exactly what employers will be expected of them. How to conduct themselves during an interview and how to show off their skills. Teach them how different skills will give them different advantages within specific employment areas and convey this across in interviews.

Discuss the type of work they see themselves doing and support them as they look at the best ways to find a career that suits their skill set and desires for the future. Help them build their confidence to learn to be independent and advocate for themselves to help them get started in their perfect career going forward.

Teach Basic Skills

As their parent, they will look to you to guide them in all employment areas, from finding the right career to helping them manage their first wage. Let’s be honest; there is nothing more exciting than getting your first paycheck!

With this in mind, your child must understand what is expected of them when collecting their paycheck and, of course, paying their taxes. While you might have been doing this for a long time, it will all be new to your child.

Talk to them about the responsibilities of working, assist them in opening their bank account if they don’t have one already, explain how credit works and the impact of bad credit on them. Once they know how to best approach finances, they can build the foundations for a good financial future. Implore the importance of good timekeeping skills and showing respect to others in the workplace. Share with them what you have learned regarding office politics, including how to deal with different situations and the best way to handle any conflict at work.

Time Management

find a job, they need to learn how to effectively manage their time to allow them enough time to study, work, sleep and rest. Teenagers especially like to think they are invincible, but ultimately, they aren’t. Burning the candle at both ends could lead to them dropping the ball in other areas of their lives.

Help them find a balance that works for them if this is the case and stresses the importance of making sure they eat as well as possible and get enough sleep to help them manage their workload.

Allow Independence

It can be hard as a parent to watch your child set foot in the grown-up world. Sadly, at some point, every child and parent relationship must adjust to allow for this. Giving your child the space to live and learn is one of the best things you can do for them. You can prepare them as much as possible for what they are about to experience, but ultimately, once they enter the workforce, they need to learn to stand up for themselves and discover who they are as adults and how to engage in the world around them.

Sure, offer advice and support, along with guidance when asked. But they need to learn to speak up and deal with any issues themselves without resorting to having their parents do it for them. It is a steep learning curve for everyone but a learning curve we all must follow to help them grow as people and learn more about the world around them and who they are in an adult world.

In conclusion, teaching your child how to enter the workforce and allowing them the independence to do will help them learn valuable experiences they can use to build their life and further their career.