BusinessReport.com

My first job was selling mistletoe that I’d pilfered from hardwood trees while on a family campout. I tied red ribbons around small bundles, and sold them from a wagon door-to-door around the neighborhood. My customers loved my product, I sold out fast and, at the end of the day, the cash box contained nearly pure profit. It planted the seed for earning a buck, and from then on, holidays and summers meant temporary jobs and paychecks sporting my name.

’Tis the season for the first taste of the job market. Right now, a slew of businesses are casting about for worthy temporary help to assist with the holiday onslaught, and it’s a great opportunity for teens to learn about the fundamentals of the working world, says Renée Ward, founder of Teens4Hire.org.

“Work experience at this stage in life is critical,” says Ward, a Huntington Beach, Calif.-based recruitment and staffing expert. “It’s the first realm outside the home and outside school for teens to learn things work.”

Ward’s Web-based firm offers sample résumés, tips on landing jobs and a fee-based certification program called “Ready for the Workplace,” which teens can present to prospective employers to demonstrate their motivation.

Despite the organization’s behind-the-keyboard orientation, Ward warns that surfing the Internet solely won’t secure a position.

It’s the face-to-face interaction with potential employers that often results in a good match, Ward says. Among her holiday job hunting tips are “visiting every place of business in your community that might need some help for the holidays.” She also suggests dressing neatly, completing applications thoroughly and being prepared to be interviewed on the spot.

And don’t underestimate the power of networks, says Ward.

Teens might have lean experience, but most have lively networks stemming from school, clubs, athletic teams, places of worship, siblings, parents and friends.

It works that way at the Baton Rouge retail outlet, the Royal Standard, where a chain of LSU students have traditionally passed around the word about sales associates jobs, and students from St. Joseph’s Academy have told each other about gift-wrapper positions, says Anna Frey, manager of the store’s 2877 Perkins Rd. location.

“We need a lot of help during the holidays,” she says. “It takes a team around here.” Frey says the store prefers applicants who show a willingness to go above and beyond, have a good attitude and are flexible.

Retail is one of the most common spots for teens to work this time of year, but Ward also suggests grocery stores, fast food and casual dining restaurants, photo studios and seasonal outfits like tree lots.

While nearly a quarter of teens say they want a job to gain experience, 30% say they’re doing it to contribute to the family income, according to a Teens4Hire.org survey. And UPromise, which helps families understand higher education expenses, says more teens see the need to participate in saving for college.

“In my opinion, the most important thing you can have in any line of work is people skills,” Frey says.

Ward cautions that teens need to be ready for work, so that they and their employers come away with good experiences. Teens need to understand that it’s not just getting the job, Ward says, it’s meeting the target, performing well and garnering a reference that leads to the next job. “Many young people tend to think people are going to give them things, and they’re not going to have to work for it,” she says. “The sooner we can dispel that myth the better.”