It will soon be the busiest time of year at the company I work for, and for the past several weeks, I have been screening job candidates and arranging interviews, mostly with young adults, for entry-level or seasonal positions. I find that maybe one in five or so candidates meet my minimum standards for an interview, and very few go on to make a good impression after phone contact and an interview. It seems like some of these young people have been raised in an Occupy camp, but when you draw them out, they come mostly from normal middle class homes, and often Mom or Dad is waiting in the car or the store. Their parents may have even made the first contact, inquiring whether there was a position available. I hope if you have a teenager or even college student seeking employment you have thought through the things you might be able to help them with to seriously seek employment. 
First of all, any job, seasonal, entry-level, or otherwise, is a serious matter and should be treated that way. It is not a matter you take care of on the way home from a beach outing, nor is it a family occasion with Mom asking the questions. Perhaps some examples will paint a picture.
It is perfectly acceptable for a parent to inquire if there is a job opening at any establishment. Then thank the manager or owner you spoke to, and tell them your son or daughter’s name and ask if they will look for an application, if you are alone. If your son or daughter is with you, allow them to do the talking, as you should at every stage of the interview/hiring process. You are not applying for the job. If you are encouraging them to inquire in person, then you should have advised them to be dressed neatly. No, they do not need to be formally dressed, but if your daughter is wearing a halter top and exhibiting skin, or your son’s pants are hanging around his knees, don’t expect a phone call. It’s a matter of respect, common sense, and judgement. If a person has proven to me that they don’t have much at a first meeting, I have rarely been wrong to assume they won’t have it on the job either.
Let’s move on to phone protocol. This is not a deal breaker, but it is something to think about. If the ring tone is set to a Snoop Dog song, or other unusual or possibly shocking songs, comedy skits, or smart ass remarks, you might advise your offspring to temporarily change it. The recorded greeting might need the same attention. Then there is the professionalism, or lack of it, a person exhibits when they actually answer the phone. “May I please speak with Kathy Jones” should not provoke a response of “You got ‘er” or “whose asking?” If your child needs to confirm transportation to an interview, teach them to put a caller on hold, or call back, not to yell “Moooooom can you take me to …..” across the house and into the caller’s ear.
No one should be late to a job interview. Ever. Leave early enough to be on time, even if you encounter a traffic jam.
Now, on to the all important issue, how to dress. It does not matter that this is a first job, a seasonal job, or an entry-level position. It is a job. Take it seriously. I am specifically giving advice with retail positions in mind, but I believe this advice is sound for almost any job a young person might be interviewing for, with the exception of a more formal environment such as a business office, bank, or medical practice. Shorts, halters, blue jeans, tee shirts, and ill-fitting attire are not appropriate. Jewelry should be professional, for male or female. Be clean, and your clothes should be pressed. I suggest khaki or dress pants, and a neat, preferably collared shirt. A young lady need not wear a skirt or dress, but if she does, it should not be short, or tight. Cleavage should be covered. No matter whether she wears skirts or pants, the clothes should never be tight or revealing. It is a job interview, not a beauty contest, and diva positions are not currently available in this job market. This is the number one reason your son or daughter will not get a job, even more so than being unable to interview well, which will improve with practice. And they will get practice if they dress slouchy or tacky.

If you really want to help your son or daughter, give them some tips on how to interview, look up some questions online, or even practice with them. Teach them to make eye contact, sit straight in the chair, exhibit manners, and thank the interviewer for their time. Yes, this is a first job, but if you can set the tone for them, they can start their journey into the world of work with a leg up on the competition, as well as the idea that it is important, worthy of their professionalism, and something to put their best effort into. At what point, if they have a casual attitude about work, will they turn into a professional?
Last week I interviewed a young lady who will begin pursuit of her masters degree this fall. She has a college degree, and she came in dressed in shorts and a revealing top. She seemed confident, and even gave the impression that she knew she was overqualified for the job, which sadly she was not. Tutoring for the college you attend is not an excellent record which should launch you into the world with a head start on every one else. She also falsified her social security number, because she didn’t want to give it to us for a back ground check. At what point in her life will she develop the attitude that it is not all about her, and she is not doing a company a favor by applying? She has made it through college and found no one to counsel her about how to get a job, not parents, or a career office at college? Older friends, mentors? Or perhaps she will have to just learn the hard way, after ignoring advice and training.
I have a feeling I am preaching to the choir here. I know that I taught these things to my kids when they were teenagers, and my husband and I worked very hard to teach them a solid work ethic. We treated each job they held as a family responsibility. No one called in because we didn’t want to miss a favorite TV show, and they were not allowed to miss work for parties, etc., unless they had arranged time off. We never interfered with their problems at work. We never called them, and we never tried to intervene. Again, we were not the employees.
Unfortunately, most of the young people I encounter appear to have had none of these things taught to them. Most show up in shorts, which in my opinion, is something you should know not to do even if you have never been told. Some things we just know, by observation or common sense. Not so many in this generation.
A first or second job is an important event in the development of your son or daughter. It will set the foundation for a productive lifetime of work, and you have a lot to do with how they enter that phase of their life. An employer will invest a lot of time and money in every employee, and every job should be taken seriously and treated with respect. I had a young man explain to me the other day that this was just his first job, and there was no reason to get bent out of shape over his performance issues. He will soon be looking for his second job.