Many companies dear to hire teens, specially for seasonal and part time jobs. To the almost popular positions for teenagers belong: Waitresses, baristas, structure workers, customer assistants, call center operators, nannies, cashiers, fruit pickers, and other, mostly transmission jobs. In my feel, at that place are two ways in which companies and recruitment agencies rent teens:

  1. They brand no departure, and you will have to laissez passer the aforementioned interview as anyone else, ten or 20 years your senior. In this example you lot should navigate to Interview Questions for Different Job Titles, option your position from the listing, and outset reading.
  2. The interview is heavily simplified. You volition confront only several simple questions (we volition look at them in this article), and they will apace progress to orientation or a test twenty-four hours, then yous can start working as soon as possible, and they tin see you in action (which is, after all, the all-time test of your skills).

teen in a blue hoodie is studying

Non-verbal communication–brand it or break it

Virtually all jobs for teens are entry level. They do not expect you to know stuff, they plan to show you how to take care of your job. What they await still, is your willingness to learn, enthusiasm for the task, motivation to work hard, and your interest for their business and success.

What you say is important, but how you say it is crucial. Speak with enthusiasm, ask questions, bring some positive energy to the room. These things are essential for your success, and you should not underestimate them. Ready your mind the correct way if you want to succeed and get your first job. Allow'south have a expect at the questions they may enquire you, but because you are a teenager.

Tell me something about yourself

Your resume is pretty basic, or you maybe do non even have i yet. They want to know who you are as a person, and they will enquire.

Y'all can start with the school which y'all attend, and things yous practice in your leisure time, especially if these things relate to the job you want to have. For example, if y'all utilise for a task at Gamestop, your hobby in playing video games will be considered every bit something positive (which isn't the case most of the time:)).

Practice yous do any sports? They definitely help with stamina and strength, which you may demand working in the fields, or on the construction site. Yous will almost always find some connectedness with your hobbies. Just think almost it for a while a gear up a good reply.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Y'all won't get this question in professional person interviews, just you may get it applying every bit a teen, for an entry level job. The cardinal is to pick strengths that are (at least somehow) relevant for the task you want to become.

Following the same logic, you should pick weaknesses that won't hinder you in your new task. Check our article dedicated to Weakness interview question, to see good answers for a diversity of jobs.

young people in an informal interview

How do you feel near working 8/twelve hours a day? Practise you have any working feel?

The employers try to understand whether you have the basic working habits, and are non scared of working for more than an 60 minutes or two.

* Note: There are some laws and regulations, but these differ from one country to some other. As a teen, you may sometimes be allowed to work only iii or four hours a day, while in other countries you tin can work as long as you lot want. Check this out before your interview.

You lot should mention anything that demonstrates your readiness for employment. Fifty-fifty if you worked just with your uncle on a construction of his house, for eight hours each Saturday, information technology is good to mention it. Yous can also stress that you read the task description advisedly, know what is expected from y'all, and would non apply if yous were not set up for the workload.

Special Tip: Download the full list of questions in a one page long PDF, and practise your interview answers anytime later:

interview questions for teens, PDF

How exercise y'all imagine a typical solar day in work?

The fundamental is to show them that you do non await an easy ride, that you lot want to work difficult. I discover many teen employees–waitresses and store assistants, who spend most of their days texting on What's up or FaceBook, instead of actively attention the customers. Unless I ask them for something, they won't move their eyes from the screen of their smart phone, and their butt from the chair.

Such people are a waste material of money, and they will shortly be fired (unless the employer take no other selection, since nobody else applies for the task, and they have to go along them onboard).

Anyway, you lot should show a completely different attitude to work. Do yous apply for a job in a fashion store? Say that you imagine walking in the hall, asking customers whether they need aid, giving them advice, and so on.

Applying for a chore of a nanny? Say that you imagine playing with the kid, giving him or her all your attention, creating a meaningful program for the child from forenoon to evening. I hope you got the indicate, and will be able to come up with a great respond to this question…

How long do you want to have this job?

The biggest problems with teens' employment is the high fluctuation rate. Since about teens practise non accept to pay bills (lucky yous), and withal live with their parents, their commitment isn't particularly stiff.

They will ofttimes leave after a first argument with the boss, or fifty-fifty without whatever apparent reason. Obviously this is bad for the employer, and you lot should try to convince your interviewer that you are an exception to the dominion.

The best way of doing information technology is explaining clearly the role your new job volition play in your life. For instance if you study at high school (most likely y'all do), y'all tin can say that yous are already trying to salvage some money for the University, and want to have this job equally long as y'all are at a loftier school.

Or you can point to a item goal you lot have, such as ownership a new auto or paying centre surgery for your grandma, and say that you plan to have the job for a long time, to be able to achieve your goal…

What is your availability? Which days and hours can you work?

Try to testify some flexibility. They should not experience that your new job will be your last priority–after school, sport lodge, gaming club, boyfriend/girlfriend and everything else you devote your fourth dimension to.

Obviously school should stay above everything else, but you tin say that unless sitting in your classroom or preparing for the next day at schoolhouse, you consider your new job your first priority, and are fix to sacrifice some of your free time activities, to be available for your employer. You lot can too list item days and hours when y'all are available…

Some other interview questions for teens

  • What motivates you the most in piece of work?
  • How would your best friend describe yous?
  • Where do yous come across yourself in v years from now?
  • What are your salary expectations?
  • Do you have whatsoever part model in life?
  • What practise you know about our company?
  • Tell me about a goal you lot accomplished recently and how you did it.
  • Why should we rent you, and not someone else?

* If you lot are not certain how to respond these questions, check our commodity about the well-nigh common interview questions and answers.

Summary and adjacent steps

Interviews for teens are usually much easier than typical task interviews. You lot won't confront any behavioral questions or tests, and the expectations won't be loftier.

The most important thing is to show willingness to learn, motivation, enthusiasm, and agreement for the task and your role in the company. Once they see these things in yous, and once you reply their questions (and won't only dumbly sit down and say aught), they will hire you.

I promise this commodity helped you, and wish you good luck!

May besides interest yous:

  • How to wearing apparel for your interview – Four rules to consider when choosing clothes to wear.
  • What job is right for me? Starting your professional career? Deciding about your studies? Or feeling unhappy in your present occupation? The article should assistance y'all to find your true calling in life.
  • Go a task with no experience – If y'all take no previous working experience, you tin even so state a decent job. You just have to know how to turn your disadvantage (lack of experience) to an advantage in an interview.
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Matthew Chulaw

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