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MONEY SMART KIDS
Job Tips for Teens
by Janet Bodnar

I am 16, and I need to get a job. Can you help me?

I'm almost 18, and I'd like to open my own business. Do you have any recommendations?

It's obvious from my e-mail bag that even older teen-agers need lots of basic guidance when it comes to landing a job. Kids especially need help from their parents when it comes to marketing themselves, whether that means producing a flier or writing a résumé.

Children tend to downplay talents that adults appreciate -- such as being an honor-roll student or a volunteer at the local elementary school. And they need to be reminded that when speaking to adults, manners count. They should dress neatly, be polite and speak up. Mr. Miyagi's sage advice to Daniel 20 years ago in "The Karate Kid" still applies: "Always look eye."

Don't be a job snob. Teens sometimes turn up their noses at flipping burgers, for example. But as a regular customer at fast-food joints, I certainly appreciate getting service with a smile from perky teenagers. And as a parent I'd be proud if my kids could survive and even thrive in what can sometimes be a pressure-cooker atmosphere.

Offer your kids financial advice on what to do with their earnings. Lest they be shocked on their first payday, warn them that Uncle Sam will take a significant cut of their wages. The good news is that even if you claim your child as a dependent on your tax return, he or she is permitted one withholding allowance. Make sure he claims it. Kids making minimum wage appreciate the extra cash.

Even though your children are earning their own money, you should have a say in what they do with it. It's not unreasonable to require your 16-year-old to save, say, half of his or her summer earnings for college.

If your children show even the slightest entrepreneurial inclination, encourage them to find their niche -- like teenagers Evan and Elise Macmillan, who run the Chocolate Farm, a candy company, or Matt Hinson, a student at Wake Forest University whose Wake Works Staffing provides servers for banquets and other functions in the Winston-Salem area.

To get advice for your budding Bill Gates, visit www.youngbiz.com. Nurturing your child's entrepreneurial spirit could be your own ticket to a secure retirement.