Tips for Teens on Finding a Summer Job

With the unemployment rate hovering around 24 percent for teenagers, many may have to work extra hard to grab that part-time summer job this year.

"The job market this summer will be tough for all Americans, regardless of age. It is very possible that teens will be competing with adults who have been laid off or are coming out of retirement," says Joseph Peri, president of Junior Achievement New York (JANY), a nonprofit organization that brings the "real world" to NYC-area students through hands-on curriculum.

To help, here are JANY's guidelines for teens who want to land a coveted summer position.

1. Sell yourself through a professional resume. An updated professional resume, free of mistakes, is an important job search tool for young people. It should highlight work experience, or, if this is a teen's first job, include public service and extracurricular activities, along with computer skills and relevant course work.

2. Spring clean your personal brand and public reputation. Use an e-mail address that reflects you well, not one that may be silly, distracting, or offensive to prospective employers. Spend time reviewing and cleaning up your online profiles of any questionable images or postings in poor taste. Delete all inappropriate or offensive material from friends in your network to maintain a responsible, job-ready image.

3. Put social media to work. Teens should join LinkedIn, a professional social network, and join groups in their desired industry. Not only can teens post their resume, but often these groups will post jobs. Similar groups can be found on Facebook.

4. Use message boards. Teens should post their resume and search job postings on sites like Monster.com, SnagAJob.com, and Idealist.org (for nonprofits). Most of these online sites allow users to search by zip code for job opportunities. Teens should also use more traditional means like the classified section of their local newspaper.

5. Talk to everyone and anyone. Since job opportunities can come about at any time, teens should constantly network. E-mail friends, parents of friends, relatives, and teachers giving a brief description of the job they're looking for, or stating that they're available for any position.