Skills teens need at a job

Anonymous
I am a woman. Try not to assume that attorneys with hiring authority are male. Some women, like you and me, know how to shake hands. An overwhelming number of women do not in my, admittedly, anecdotal experience.
Anonymous
This thread is very helpful, as I have two teenagers. I will be sure to make them read this, so that they can see that all of my harping about eye contact and no texting at the table/with relatives, etc. has been for good reason.

And yes, my 14-year-old daughter knows how to shake hands.


Anonymous
Hey, another thing.

Dress code.

This is something that came up with HS students but especially (for some reason) college students.

Please dress neatly and conservatively, if you are in a non-artsy environment.

This goes for boys and girls. No slouchy pants falling off your butt. Clean clothes (unless you're working outside doing things like gardening labor). Go for shirts with a relatively high neckline--no strappy, low-cut camisoles. Shorts are not recommended for an office environment--start off looking very "square" and nerdy and loosen up only if you see other colleagues--adult colleagues--sporting less-square and less-nerdy attire.

The clothes you wear kind of project an air of respect for the work, your clients, your colleagues, and the general workplace environment.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
6. No. I do not want to talk to your parents about your peanut allergy, hypoglycemia, need for a nap, or any of your other personal needs. Either you know how to manage your issues or not. If you don't, you won't be learning on my time.


Wow. Really? My response would be "No, but I suggest you pack your things and go home, so mommie can take care of that."
Anonymous
Courtesy.

I wouldn't recommend that you curtsy, unless maybe you are interning in an embassy with a monarch present. And even then, I expect someone will coach you in advance.

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Courtesy.

I wouldn't recommend that you curtsy, unless maybe you are interning in an embassy with a monarch present. And even then, I expect someone will coach you in advance.



12:41 should have added "SPELLCHECK" to the list.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Those are stupid skills, my kid does it stuff during the summer and it will go on his resume. Mopping toilets no thanks


OP here: I'm happy to not write college/internship/scholarship recommendations for your kid if he/she doesn't want to learn the "stupid skills" to keep the job.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Courtesy.

I wouldn't recommend that you curtsy, unless maybe you are interning in an embassy with a monarch present. And even then, I expect someone will coach you in advance.



12:41 should have added "SPELLCHECK" to the list.


Ha! That's me! Oh my, 'tis true: I have an fairly expansive vocabulary (you know, relatively speaking) but, man, typos SLAY me. My Achilles heel.
Anonymous
Wow, do people still shake hands? Germy. I thought most people had stopped that.
Anonymous
Phones- no. I had many teenage interns, and if I saw a phone, that intern didn't come back. Leave it at home or in your car.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Wow, do people still shake hands? Germy. I thought most people had stopped that.


Just weirdos like Donald Trump.
Anonymous
You damn well better shake hands when I am introducing you to a judge I appear in front of regularly and he/she extends a hand in greeting when we bump into them in the courthouse cafeteria and I say, "Judge A, this is Skippy the Intern and she is really excited to be following in your exalted footsteps to (Insert College or Law School Name here)."
Anonymous
Value and honor your commitments. Don't call out sick or take vacation days unless you really need them -- something like going on an impromptu trip to the beach with your friends is not a good enough reason to ask for time off of work. And sick days are for when you are sick, not for when you think you found something better to do that day than go to work.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Those are stupid skills, my kid does it stuff during the summer and it will go on his resume. Mopping toilets no thanks


I see kids like yours all the time. They never last because they thinks certain tasks are beneath them. In many jobs you do have to work your way up and do lots of menaial tasks. If your kid is not willing to start at the bottom and prve themselves, good luck to them.
ThatSmileyFaceGuy
Member Offline
Anonymous wrote:Those are stupid skills, my kid does it stuff during the summer and it will go on his resume. Mopping toilets no thanks


You know what, in my first summer job I made the same 3.35 an hour (dating myself here) whether I was stocking shelves, running a register, gathering carts in the parking lot, or mopping up spills.
Employers do look to see that you are willing to do what it takes to get the job done and to help out.
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