How to help your child find their first job

Getting that first job is important for your child’s development. It can give them financial independence, boost their maturity and help them make that next step into adulthood. But it can be a difficult process that requires plenty of resilience. Below, we explore how to help your child find their first job.

Open conversations

Having an honest, open conversation with your child can help you get the ball rolling. Often a child might be reluctant to search for a job – especially if they’re entering sixth form or going to university. But by having an honest conversation, you can highlight the benefits to them. From there, you can then chat about what they’d like to do for a career. Usually, your first job will simply be a way of earning money rather than the beginning of a career. But it can still be useful to plan ahead – even the most tenuous experience can help you when it comes to searching for a long-term role later on. Once you’ve chatted about their aspirations, you can discuss different options for their first jobs, before helping them work out which roles to apply for.

Job interview advice

Once your child has started applying to jobs, it’s worth giving them advice about job interviews. A job interview can be a stressful experience, but by preparing properly, you can give yourself the best possible chance to succeed. Remind your child to prepare answers to common interview questions and to rehearse them in advance. Usually, there are a number of set questions that you can work out answers to before your interview. From there, you can advise them on some other interview basics: adhering to the dress code, maintaining eye contact and getting to the interview punctually can all affect your chances of success.

Open a savings account

Once your child gets that first job, they’ll need somewhere to look after their money. Opening a bank account to deposit salary into should be a priority, but you also need to consider how to help them grow their savings too. By opening a savings account, they can deposit any leftover money and watch it grow over the long term. This requires careful budgeting but can help boost their savings and help them become more independent. Just encourage them to set aside any money they don’t spend, to be used in the future.

Getting your first job can be a difficult process, but once you have that first role, many new doors will open up for you. And by following the advice above, you should be all set to help guide your child in their journey.