Stand Out or Sit Down: Stories and Lessons for Teens and Young Adults to Find a Job They Love, Paperback/Tenaz Purdy

Teenagers and young adults face unique challenges when searching for a job while still in school: balancing school-work-home commitments, overcoming a perceived lack of work experience, managing various levels of parental involvement, and using and misusing technology, just to name a few. Stand Out or Sit Down offers time-tested techniques that have helped thousands of young jobseekers overcome these and other obstacles. Succeeding in a job begins by finding the right job for them-not just any job. Self-assessment, networking, researching job opportunities, using technology to their advantage, properly completing job applications, resume writing, and interviewing are all taught with the young job seeker in mind. For example: How do they complete an application or construct a credible resume with no prior work history? Why is going in person to pick up or drop off an application their best shot at landing an interview? How do they create the opportunity to speak to a hiring manager, and when given that opportunity, what should they say and how should they present themselves? How to develop a compelling 30-second commercial? What's the proper way to quit their current job? A fun and easy read, Stand Out or Sit Down encompasses true stories of others their age who have undergone the job search process and enjoyed rewarding successes but also endured disappointing failures. What are some common practices that will bring an early end to their efforts? Dressing too casually even when picking up an application. Empty or incomplete sections on an application. Waiting for a phone call after applying. Inappropriate voice mail greetings and social media posts. The list goes on. Stand Out or Sit Down also gives a voice to the thousands of employers whose businesses depend on the youth labor force. Most are happy to employ and mentor the young but have serious concerns about young workers' lack of preparation for the working world. Their stories about young job applicants are also told to convey their concerns, expectations, and insider advice.