How Do I Get My Teen Ready for the Real World?

How to prepare for a job interview

It's almost the end of another year and students are getting ready for some well-deserved time off to rest and connect with family and friends. But once the holiday season is over, weary parents will start readying their offspring for another year at school or university, or worse - entry into the working world!

For many parents, that's a daunting proposition, because years of study and hard work now need to translate into a real-word career. And for some kids, all the skill and knowledge in the world can come unstuck in a job interview simply because they may lack the skills needed to effectively convince an employer that they're the right person for the job.

Job interviews are stressful for even experienced workers, more so for students entering the workforce for the first time. It's likely to be their first experience having to really present themselves to a stranger who has a list of requirements they can only hope to have limited insight into.

When I left school I'd missed out on the marks I needed to get into my chosen university course, journalism. I was gutted because I'd worked so hard but my dad had died just a few weeks out from the final exams and my preparation was majorly impacted. But I was desperate to become a journalist, and with only one road left to me, I began applying for cadetships at newspapers.

I sat down and hand typed letters to every single newspaper in Australia - at that time about 120. I didn't have a computer, so each letter was hand-typed on an old typewriter, signed, and sealed into an envelope and mailed out. It took me a week, and I got only one reply.

I had no formal training other than running the school newspaper, which I used to lampoon teachers and students alike. But that one reply landed me an interview at one of the biggest newspapers in the country, and after teaching myself how to tie a tie, I headed off for my first interview.

I had only ever worked in a fast food shop where a friend got me the job. This interview was literally my only chance to get a foothold in the only career I'd ever considered. I was a nervous wreck. The guy interviewing me was an old school journalist who ran the cadet program and had interviewed politicians and captains of industry. He was cold and efficient and ran me through the standard questions, which I tried to answer as best I could.

I had no qualifications and only examples of my school newspaper writing that showed more of my cutting humour than my literary skills.

But I got the job ... as an office gofer, as in 'go get me a coffee' or 'go empty my ash tray'.

Yet I was ecstatic! I had my foothold and after six months of doing absolutely soul-destroying and menial work, I was given a shot at becoming an actual journalist, and the rest is history.

The reason I offer up this anecdote is simple. The first thing new job seekers should do is set a realistic expectation. Even a university graduate is going to start at the bottom, at least for a while. But that's okay. For me, starting at the bottom meant I met a guy who many years later would ask me to run his national publishing company.

But what can we do as parents to really prepare our kids for a job interview?

Transitioning from teen to employee is no easy step

My advice beyond all the usual resume and presentation preparation is to really sit down with them and see how well they communicate. Practice job interviews with them, but more importantly, see how they respond to questions and try to figure out how well they are comprehending the questions and providing clear and concise responses.

Obviously, I'm all about communication, but there's a reason we need to be good communicators. Effective communicators are able to think quickly, provide a considered and well-structured response, and impart a sense of who they are, and how they will react given any situation.

I've hired hundreds of people during my career, and sat through hundreds of interviews. In at least 70% of interviews, the interviewee makes the fatal mistake of trying to stick to a well-rehearsed script. They have a story they want to impart and it can be hard as hell to crack through to discover the person beneath the facade they are presenting.

The people I've ended up hiring are not always the most qualified or experienced. In almost all cases I've hired the ones who can comfortably slip into a meaningful, two-way dialogue. They can think quickly and comprehend what you are really looking for. They ask questions of the interviewer that go beyond 'what's the salary' and try to get to know you on a personal level. They might ask something like 'what's been your experience of working here?' Or 'what kind of team dynamic will I be working in?'

These types of questions go beyond the superficial and start getting into the aspects of a job that really matter. They show that the candidate is able to perceive themselves beyond just the role being discussed. They have a curiosity not just for the job, but for the people they will be interacting with.

So when you practice interview techniques with your kids, try to get them thinking beyond what skills they want to present, and start thinking about how they will present the real 'them'.

Get them thinking about why they want the job and what they think they will contribute to both the role and the culture of the company. Get them practising making eye contact, sitting still, using body language to convey confidence and calmness. Help them research the company and where possible, its culture and people.

Your teens will be successful

The advent of the internet means it's easier than ever to find out huge amounts of information about a company, and even its employees (see if you can find the interviewer on Linkedin and learn what you can about that person. Dropping a line such as 'I see you used to work at such and such a place, what made you come to this company' shows you've taken the time to come well-prepared, and will open a new level of personal interaction with the interviewer).

Also, see how well your child listens. I can't stress enough the importance of listening in an interview. So many candidates I've interviewed have been so focussed on their 'story' they miss the point of what I'm trying to learn about them. Listening is a way to show better comprehension because when we actually pause to listen we are able to understand what the other person is seeking, and deliver a considered response. Listening helps that voice in our head say 'he wants to see how well you react to stress' and you can then respond accordingly.

The best candidates I've met are the ones who understand who they are and what they intend to bring to the role. They are confident and able communicators and they take the time to listen and actively engage me in genuine conversation. They show they are as keen to 'discover', as they are to 'reveal'. It sets them apart almost from the very beginning.

And don't stress too much. Anyone hiring at a junior level will know their candidates will be raw, and will have a limited skillset. They'll be looking for personal attributes they think will help the successful candidate thrive. They'll want to know about you, and how easily you interact and engage with others.

It will all come down to how well your child is able to communicate who they are, not what they can do.

For anyone interested, I offer a Become an Effective Communicator course which helps people at all levels become more effective communicators. It's just $49.95 and takes only a few hours to complete, with participants receiving a certificate they can include in their resume. Click HERE to learn more.

Stay happy,

Jay