7 strategies for landing that summer job

Is your teen finding it a little tough to find a summer job? Here are seven strategies that might help her get that elusive opening.

1. Wear business attire. "Overdress," says Shawn Boyer, CEO of SnagAJob.com. Even if all you're doing is going into the grocery store to pick up an application, dress nicely. You might get an on-the-spot interview or meet your potential boss.

2. Ace the written portion of the exam. Resume or not, the employer will ask you to fill out an application. You know the drill: Use your best handwriting and grammar, watch the spelling and punctuation, and be truthful.

3. Ace the verbal, too. It should go without saying, but sometimes it doesn't. Show up on time, dressed well and prepared for your interview.

4. Prep for an interview. Sit down with a parent, guidance counselor, older sibling or friend who has some job experience and practice interviewing. Why do you want the job? What do you have to offer? Why should the employer hire you? Focus on maintaining eye contact. Adopt a relaxed, but confident, attitude. If you have examples you want to use or points you want to make, practice them until you come up with wording that you like and will remember.

5. Line up some references. Who do you know who would vouch for you? And whose word might carry the most weight with your prospective employer? Teachers, coaches, pastors, neighbors and past bosses are all good candidates. Try to give your employer-to-be three people who have experience in the same area of work you're seeking or who have seen you in situations most like what you'll be doing on the job.

6. Follow up. Send a hand-written thank-you note to your interviewer as soon as you leave. And "don't be shy about following up with a phone call," says Boyer. "That will show you're interested in the job."

7. Put on your business face. To get a job and keep it, you have to maintain a professional persona. It doesn't require you to change into a different person, just develop a different side of your personality, says Renee Ward, founder of Teens4Hire.org. "It's business."

Dana Dratch is a freelance writer based in Atlanta.