Things aren’t as bad in the UK as in the USA, where there may now be up to ten adults competing even for the part time work that used to be the preserve of the college student or teen who was not yet ready for full-time employment, but it is reaching the point where part-time and casual jobs are definitely getting tougher to snag.  There are things you can do to improve your success in the job hunt though.

• Let everybody know – your Nan, your best mate, your Dad’s workmates … any of them might know of a job for you
• If it’s a formal application, make sure you fill the whole thing in and give it to somebody else to check. If you don’t have work experience, put down extracurricular activities, volunteer work and other attributes
• Look the part – you make an impression before they see you, so make sure your e-mail address is appropriate: no ‘jackass’ or other silly monikers, and research the company to find out what people who work there actually wear. You can do this by standing outside on the opposite side of the street and checking out the staff – if they wear jeans and T-shirts, you should step up a single item, so jeans and a button-down shirt would be ideal, or a T-shirt with smarter trousers or a skirt. If everybody you see wears a polo-shirt, so should you. If they wear suits, guess what, if you don’t have a suit, your absolute minimum interview outfit is a jacket, shirt and formal trousers.
• Rehearse being interviewed, especially the killer question ‘Why should we give you the job?’
• Be prepared to face rejection and, where possible, call back into the shop or restaurant if it’s a public job and thank the interviewer even though you didn’t get the job. Leave this call until three weeks after the interview and wear smart clothes but not as smart as your interview wear, so a good shirt and jeans is fine, for example and make it look as if you were just walking past and thought you’d pop in. If the person they did hire isn’t working out too well, you might find you get a job offer on the spot.

Students and other teenagers looking for work face a struggle is a post from: Polo Shirts Blog