Job Hunting for Youth

Many urban youth are completely digitally literate, but are not sure how to get a job. I've been asked to speak at a upcoming youth job fair, here's some of what I'm planning to present to them:

If you watch American Idol, then you know that it's not always the best singer that wins - it's the person with the best package: voice, style, age/race/gender, and song selection. It's the same with a job. The most qualified people only get hired if they have the best package. Here are the keys to putting together your package.

Email - Most jobs nowadays will contact you through email. You will also put your email on your resume. Make sure you know what your email says about you. The current trend is firstname.lastname@gmail.com
Lifehacker on Email trends

Phone - You need to have a dependable phone number. Do not sign up for a cell phone plan that you won't be able to afford down the road. Employer's can't hire you if they are calling a disconnected number.

A regular home line for $16 a month is the best deal. Just buy an answering machine at the swap meet. You can even get a lower price on the phone if you sign up for LIFELINE or LINK-UP service.) Regardless, make sure your phone message sounds professional - put your name and your phone number in the message. "Thank you for calling. You have reached Ms. Smitty B at (510)123-1234. Please leave me a message with your phone number and the best time to call back."

Do not have music or loud noise in the background. Make it easy for people to get a hold of you. If you are somewhere noisy when the phone rings, let it go to voice mail while you get somewhere quiet. Then call back right away.

Resume - Your resume tells all about the jobs you've had, your school experience, skills and achievements, and can even include volunteer work. A great new tool for you is Google Docs. If you have a google account, you can put your resume here and get copies of it from ANY computer with internet. No more need to carry around a usb drive. Also, there are many templates on google docs. Templates are like a skeleton - you will have to add the muscle, but they're a good place to start from.
Google Resume Templates

Before you write your resume, look at some other resumes to get a sense of what they look like. You can find lots of them here: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/res/ Don't just copy someone else's resume - write something that's original, like you!

Cover Letter - This goes with your resume and, same as the resume, you can find templates on google docs. Look at some samples but write your own letter. Get an adult you trust to read it and give you suggestions for how to make it better. It needs to be personal, but not too personal. Email cover letters are shorter than traditional ones, but you should still write more than "here's my resume".

References - You only give references when a job asks for them. They are people like coaches, teachers, bosses, and other adults you know who can speak about how great you are. They cannot be friends or family. Make sure you have the right phone numbers for your references. Also, call them to let them know who you gave their name/number to. Talk with them about what good things they can say about you.

Online ID - What does google say about you? What about facebook or myspace? You are building an online id every day. Your boss might do a search on your name, your email address, your phone number, or even your address. (They can even pay companies to get info you thought was private, like your status updates, who you friend and fan pages you subscribe to.) Make sure you think about that when you put comments, pictures, or other information online. It's a good habit to keep info you want private off the internet.

Your Online ID is a tool. You can use it to help show off the best of who you are. You already know how to make friends online - tell those friends you're looking for help to find a job. Use online clubs, fan pages, and blogs to find out more about subjects that interest you. Friend people who are already successful in the job or career that you are interested in. Ask them for advice. You can become an expert by doing your own online research. You can also create an online rep for being hardworking, smart, kind, creative....all the things your new boss will be looking for.

Your package includes all these things: email + phone + resume + cover letter + online ID. If you're lucky, you will get to add phone conversations and interviews to the package.
Remember: Only the contestants with the best complete package get the job!

Before I wrap up, a couple of ways to find jobs:
* Craigslist job listings. Be sure to use the search functions. Look in different areas - including non-profit sector and gigs.

* Follow the Twitter Feeds of folks you'd like to work for.

* Look for Twitter Feeds & Lists of specific types of jobs like Social Media or Youth Uprising's Jobs List

* Don't forget about people ITRW. A lot of times they know about jobs that will never even make it to the website. Visit old teachers and neighborhood businesses. Reach out to cousins on Facebook. Tell them what you're looking for and see if they offer any suggestions or advice.

* Go to places where they post job flyers/listings. This includes the Unemployment Office, City and County Human Resources Offices, and Youth Job Centers. Bring a notebook so you can write down who to email your resume.

MOST IMPORTANT:
Make getting a job, your job. If you want to work 40 hours a week then go to sleep and get up early, take a shower, dress professionally, and work your job hunt every day. Look for jobs, send out resumes, and go out on interviews 40 hours a week. Make getting a job, your job.