<![CDATA[The Sailors' Log]]> <![CDATA[The Sailors' Log]]> /Portals/2/logos/__TFMF_b1stq545guvtz245qngkv555_48ac61c3-b861-47e3-b24e-e840f07dffd3_0___Selected.jpg en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Tue, 21 May 2013 09:10:59 GMT 15 <![CDATA[Rough job market makes finding employment difficult for teens]]> By Connor Deur


Senior Emily Olsen is one of the lucky ones as she rings up a customer while working at The Coffee House. Many students are struggling to find jobs in the weakened job market.

As of January, 11.3 percent of the labor force in Michigan was unemployed, which was 1.8 percent higher than the national average. What do those numbers mean for teens? Well, with so many adults unemployed, it is becoming increasingly difficult for teens to find a job. Julie Horness, manager of Jets Pizza, 950 W. Norton Ave, said it is difficult to hire teenagers. "We hire more adults than students because they are more reliable, have a better work ethic, and can work more hours," Horness said. "They need the job more than most students, and for them, it becomes a necessity. They work harder and longer and do a better job." With that said, Horness said there are still some benefits to hiring teens. "They can work Fridays and weekends, so regular full-time adults can take the weekend off, and they usually will come into work whenever I call them," said Horness, who added that Jets currently has three part-time student workers. Even though there can be benefits for hiring a teenager, there are also a lot of disadvantages of hiring students. "Due to national work regulations, students can’t work past certain hours, and they can only work a certain number of hours per week," Horness said. "Sometimes, we hire a student who has a bad work ethic and will call-in sick a lot or even make their parents call for them." Whenever Jets receives a job opening, Horness said they get about 20 applications, half of which are from high school students. "The ideal student-worker for us is one who is always on time, very friendly, works hard, and will come into work whenever they are needed," Horness said. Sophomore Jake Dewitt, who needs gas money, is one of those teens who is struggling to find a job. "I got my license, but my mom said I can’t drive it until I get a job so I can afford to pay for my own gas," Dewitt said. Dewitt said he’s applied for many jobs and still hasn’t even received a call back from the manager. "I’ve applied to every place I could think of, like McDonald’s, Burger King, Chuck E. Cheese, and many more," Dewitt said. "It’s almost impossible for a teen in Muskegon to get a job because so many adults are out of work." Dewitt said that whenever he doesn’t hear back from an employer, he just forgets about it and keeps trying. "If I don’t get called back, I don’t take it personally," Dewitt said. "It’s important to remember that they are looking for the best employee possible, so if they find someone else, it’s no big deal." Above and Beyond Catering Services, located inside the Oakridge Golf Course, is one of the places that hires a majority of teens. Above and Beyond goes to many locations and caters to parties, weddings, and important events. "We get a lot of applications from teens because our available jobs are relatively simple and the pay is pretty decent," said Michael Skloff, owner and manager of Above and Beyond. "We usually give teens the jobs like setup crew, waiters and waitresses, and bus boys. The only adults we hire are for supervisors, chefs, and kitchen workers." So what do employers look for in teen applicants? Many teens apply for jobs, but do they have the right attributes? "When we see a teen applicant, we immediately check for work experience," Skloff said. "When we see that a teen has worked before and has some sort of experience, we look at them higher than other applicants without any experience. Another important thing we look for is how they represent themselves. When the first come into the office, we look at how they are dressed, their posture, and how they speak." Colin Turnbow, who works at Tradehome Shoes in the mall and used to work for Aberdeen Steakhouse, said he knows the importance of getting good references and being prepared for the interview. "The most important thing to do when applying for a job is get good references and dress well when you go into your interview," Turnbow said. ]]> Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:01:48 GMT