Autor: Pequena Ilha | Publicado: 2010-07-30T15:21:00-07:00

Teens Volunteer - An Introduction To The Work WorldWhy  Volunteer?If your young teen is a bit nervous at the thought  of working a real job for a real  boss, he can gain  confidence and experience first by working as a  volunteer. Teens that  are not comfortable in a variety of social  situations may find adapting  to the demands of the workplace difficult.  Figuring out how to fit in  with co-workers and trying to understand  the job requirements while  under pressure to perform well can  dramatically impact a teen's attitude  toward  working. Most teenagers  realize that paid employment differs  from school in a couple of major  ways; actual money, the possibility of  being fired for not performing  well enough, and the fact that this is  the beginning of his adult  history that follows him for much of his  life. Beginning with volunteer  work is a lower-pressure, less stressful  introduction to the world of  real work.How Volunteering  HelpsVolunteering  gives your teenager the chance to work  for someone other than a parent  with a group of people other than only  their same-age peers. Mixed age  groups offer the opportunity to observe  adults interacting as a team  to accomplish a goal, adults that may be  strangers to each other at  first.Your child can watch the give-and-take  required as the other  volunteers figure out the best way to get the job  done -- there may be  mild power struggles for authority. These  situations are valuable for  the teenager to observe as he watches how it  plays out. Volunteering in  several different fields expands that  experience as well as exposing  your teen to differing management styles;  one boss may require speed  and quick thinking, another may be impressed  by a friendly attitude and  great customer service skills. Variety also  will help your teen  discover the environment that best fits his  interests and work style.Make Your  Teen AwareDuring  these early teen years is the time to  comment to your teen on people's  work habits when you're waited on at a  store or business. Draw your  teen's attention to the cleanliness and  order (or lack thereof!) where  you are a customer, discuss your  appreciation of the helpfulness and  smiles of service people you deal  with, the efficiency and knowledge of  workers. It won't hurt to also  recount to your teenager how you had a  complaint about a service that  was cheerfully and speedily corrected.  Bad experiences and how they  could have been handled better are also  things your teens needs to hear  about. He will have relevant stories to  share as well, from school,  remembered family experiences, or with  friends. Now is when these  situations will be particularly noticed as  your teen begins thinking of  entering the working world. How To StartYou   may need to take your young teen along with you while you're the   volunteer a time or two first -- your teen should be an asset to the   team, not a detriment; while learning, he may need a guiding hand. Be   careful not to allow too much dependence on you though; he's there to   work, not do chores for mom or dad. Help him see the difference.You  or your teen may already have ideas for interesting places to start; if  not, this site can get you started:What  are Some Volunteer Options for Teens?Brief and Straightforward  Guide: What are Some Volunteer Options for Teens?Making  the value of the  work personally obvious may be a start for hesitant  types. I participate  in a food co-op, this link is the second page of  an article about the  co-op that discusses the need for volunteers and  how to get involvedTeen With Work  ExperienceIt's  a great help to understand what is required in  a workplace before a  teen needs to impress a potential employer during  an interview. A teen  who can speak from experience about his previous  successes has an edge  over the competition. Teach your child to keep a  log of his volunteer  experience with contact information, place name,  type of work, and  dates; this information is what he will list as his  work experience.  The added confidence and sense of accomplishment that  comes with  meaningful volunteer work will give the extra boost to his  chance of  being hired when the time comes.