Get Job Ready: A teen's guide to getting their first job

Get Job Ready: A teen's guide to getting their first job

Australia's unemployment rate sits at 5.1* percent in July and Mrs Kerr believes that in order for teenagers not to become part of this statistic later in life, it is imperative for them to develop a positive attitude towards work, now.

Having worked in numerous managerial and business owner roles, Mrs Kerr had seen her fair share of unsatisfactory resumes and decided it was time to take action.

'I came across many resumes that were atrocious and if teens were lucky enough to get an interview, often they wouldn't present themselves favourably," she said.
'I wanted to tell them on the spot what they had done wrong but because of political correctness, I couldn't."

Twelve months ago, Mrs Kerr decided she would use her experiences to write an easy-to-follow guide for today's youth. Her book was launched at the Australian Teenage Expo and has received endorsement from the expo's Director Sacha Kaluri.

Ms Kaluri who is also the Director of The Motivational Company said Mrs Kerr's book was a useful resource to teenagers, parents and teachers.

'It makes so much sense. How can we send teenagers into the world and into the workplace without this information? This is the perfect step by step guide for preparing a young person to enter the workforce," she said.
'I love the activities, I even did some myself. Lisa-Marie has touched on all aspects, from passion in everything you do to the correct grammar in your resume."

Mrs Kerr applied for her first job when she was 15 and since, has obtained every job she has ever wanted.

'When I was young, no one told me the best way to write a resume or how to approach an interview. Fortunately, I somehow had this unfathomable confidence. I don't know how I got this confidence as I wasn't popular and certainly faced my fair share of challenges growing up," she said.
'My first job interview was at McDonalds. I dressed professionally and as I walked to the interview a man stopped me and said hundreds of people had applied for the same job and I had no chance," she said.
'Defiantly, I decided that I would get the job."

Since this memorable day, Mrs Kerr has been successful in multiple industries including travel, retail and franchising companies and has held senior roles throughout.

To encourage young people to have the same success she has enjoyed, Mrs Kerr has developed a unique 'no-fail" resume template with tips and guidelines for teens to follow to not just get any job, but a job they will enjoy.

'Let's be honest, not every teen wants to work, they want the money. I want to encourage teens to apply for the jobs they might enjoy. Their first job will contribute a large amount to their work ethic and whether or not they are successful in later life," she said.

Mrs Kerr said targeting young people now would impact hugely on unemployment rates.
It is very debilitating to continually get knocked back and this can be a fundamental problem as people develop," Mrs Kerr said.

'It's important that we instill a positive attitude and a real sense of self-belief into young people's mentalities now."

Mrs Kerr's tips in the guide include writing date of birth and work availability in resumes, communication skills and having a suitable email address in the contact details. Teens should also address employability skills by drawing on their life experiences.

'Job seekers need to speak the same language as the employers. When you're young you don't have a lot of experience, so you need to elaborate in other areas and be creative," she said.

Every chapter of Get Job Ready has been written with today's teenager in mind and includes activities for job seekers to work through to develop resume skills and confidence.

'I've written the book in a friendly format to keep teens interested and to give them confidence to apply for jobs, and to be successful," Mrs Kerr said.

Mrs Kerr soon plans to begin work on a handbook for teachers written in alignment with the Australian Blueprint for Career Development to be included in school syllabuses.

Get Job Ready: A teen's guide to getting their first job
Lisa-Marie Kerr: www.getjobready.com
Author: Lisa-Marie Kerr
ISBN: 9780987351029
Price: $24.95

Interview with Lisa-Marie Kerr

Question: What inspired you to write Get Job Ready?

Lisa-Marie Kerr: Having employed thousands of teens in my career, for my own business and for others, I consistently saw the numerous simple errors teens would make when applying for jobs. These small things often resulted in them not being successful in being asked for an interview, and or offered a position with the company.

In today's society, where political correctness reigns supreme and quite often extreme, as an employer I was hindered in my ability to give open and honest feedback to them. Not to mention the lack of time you have to personally speak with each individual applicant.

And so one day, when it came time for my own teenage step-children to start applying for jobs, I realised there was a need to communicate these life-long skills with them to ensure their success, or to at least maximise their opportunities.

Hence Get Job Ready, was born. I wrote it so that EVERY teenager would know and have access to the basic skills and knowledge required to be successful in landing their first job. As a third party, I have been able to be honest, authentic and open with teens about the realities of joining the workforce.

It is crucial that we are honest about the realities with them, because not talking about them, only hinders them in the long run. Imagine applying for 20 jobs, and not getting one interview and then thinking you must be UNEMPLOYABLE! This can be demoralising for anyone, but especially a teenager at such a young and impressionable age. And what they won't be told is that perhaps the only thing holding them back from being invited for an interview is their lack of ability to communicate their skills and abilities effectively in a resume that speaks an employer's language.


Question: How can parents encourage their children to develop a positive attitude to work?

Lisa-Marie Kerr: As parents, we play a large part in influencing our children and their attitudes and beliefs. From a young age, my children have always been involved in both my husband's and my careers and businesses, and quite often we would discuss with them, what their own aspirations were, and possible jobs that might take their interest. From their first job, through to future long term career plans.

Sometimes it can be hard as a parent to not push our own wants and desires for our children on to them. And certainly it is important we offer them guidance and our thoughts, however to foster a positive attitude to work, we must also listen to what our children want. What are their dreams? What do your children enjoy doing in their spare time? What are they naturally good at? Watch them and listen to them on a daily basis, as quite often these daily activities hold the clues to jobs, which might take their interest.

Whenever a teen approaches me to assist them with writing their resume, I get them to complete a 'getting to know you" sheet. In doing this I ask them to describe their perfect day to me. From this perfect day, we then look at employers that match their interests, be it being physically active, hanging out with friends, reading books etc. By doing this and then encouraging them to apply for jobs they feel they will enjoy and or learn something from, you foster a positive attitude and approach to work. Rather than a 'ho hum" attitude that work is boring and the only reason we go to work is to earn money. Even if the ONLY reason your child wants to work is because they want to enjoy financial freedom, they can still have a great attitude to work, if we show them that their job affords them the luxuries they want.

It's all a matter of perspective really. Our attitudes rub off on our children, so choose a positive one.


Question: What are your top five resume tips?

Lisa-Marie Kerr: 1. Write your own resume: Don't get Mum or Dad to do it for you. After all they won't be there in the interview to answer the questions for you. Writing your own resume (with a little feedback from Mum and Dad) builds your self-confidence and belief. And if you do it as per the steps I have listed in my book, it will give you the valuable answers to many possible interview questions that may be asked of you.
2. Write your availability on your resume: THIS IS THE BIG ONE! When are you available to work? For the types of jobs that teens predominantly apply for, availability is a crucial piece of information to an employer. If you fail to put it on, it could cost you an interview.
3. Write your date of birth on your resume: Quite often employers will hire juniors to help reduce their labour costs. While they may not openly ask you your date of birth, by putting it on your resume, if an employer is looking for a junior you will go straight to the top. If you don't put it on there, and they are looking for a junior, they probably won't call you to ask. Especially if they have hundreds of applicants and 20 or so tell them their date of birth, without them having to ask.
4. Have an appropriate email address: Daddyslittleprincess@....... Is NOT appropriate. An employer will not think, 'oh how lovely they are the apple of their Daddy's eye". Instead they will probably think, 'spoilt brat" (well potentially). Always use your first and last name@....... Or first initial and surname@....... This is simple and professional.
5. Make sure your resume is tailored to each individual employer: Address the skills, attributes and needs of each employer, rather than treating them all with the same cookie cutter approach and template. Employers need to know at a glance you are the right fit for them.
There are plenty more tips in my book, however these top five tips will see you well on the way to securing the all-important interview.


Question: What are the main categories of information presented in Get Job Ready?

Lisa-Marie Kerr: Get Job Ready – A teen's guide to getting their first job, is a workbook style book that guides and mentors the reader through the following;
Part 1: Laying the Right Foundations For Success: Here I reveal the number one secret to getting a job. I also guide you through how to identify what you are passionate about and what jobs will be the perfect fit for you

Part 2: Creating Your Killer Resume and Cover Letter: Here I reveal my employer secrets as I guide you step by step through creating your very own resume and cover letter, that ensures you catch an employer's attention and stand out from the crowd

Part 3: Let's Go Get That Job: In this section you will learn how to put all of your hard work into practice, hit the pavement and start applying for jobs. You will discover how to find jobs and the best ways to apply. Then you will look at some of the questions you may be asked in an interview and practise your responses, to ensure you go in to the interview with confidence.

Part 4: You Got The Job, Now What?: Finally to wrap it all up, you will learn about what to expect once you get the job, and how to update your resume in the future. I also have included some useful resources at the back of the book as well.


Question: What piece advice would you give a teenager going for a job interview?

Lisa-Marie Kerr: Without a doubt the interview is what terrifies teens the most. To help alleviate those fears and concerns, my number one piece of advice is: Research and Preparation!

Research the business you are applying for as much as you possibly can. Check out their website and use the Employer Research Template I provide in the book to ensure you find out as much information as you can about them.

Preparation is the next key to success. Write down your responses to the various possible questions that you may be asked in the interview. Again I have some practice ones in the book. This will ensure you are able to answer the interviewer's questions with confidence, rather than struggling to think of an appropriate response, which can create an awkward silence. The other thing you need to prepare is yourself. Get your outfit ready the night before, get ready listening to your favourite song that puts you in a good mood, and make sure you arrive for the interview about 5-10 minutes early.

Even if you do all of this, I am not saying you won't still get nervous (nerves can be a good thing anyway) I am saying, that those three things will ensure you go in to the interview with confidence.

The confidence to look the interviewer in the eye, because you know your stuff and the confidence that you have done everything you possibly could do, to ace the interview and get the job.


Interview by Brooke Hunter