Job Search Archives - Eva Varga


July 25, 20173

In high school, students are expected to spend time on homework assignments, prepare for exams, participate in extracurricular activities, and help out with chores at home. While these responsibilities are important, teens can also develop job skills and work experience that will serve them for a lifetime.

Build Skills Through Volunteer Work

art museum volunteer

Volunteering is the perfect way to gain experience and develop the skills you will need in the work place when you are an adult. Volunteering is one of a kind work that you don’t need to be a certain age to do. Though some organizations will require that a parent or other adult accompany you – at least until they get to know you and your work ethic.

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My daughter started volunteering at our local art museum when she was just 13. The best part about it was that she was able to set her own schedule and work as many hours as she wished. In the summer months, she worked 1-2 days each week depending on whether there was a special event. During the school year, she pulled back to once a month.Volunteering is generally regarded with as much respect as paid work. Employers consider it to be as valuable job experience because they know that volunteers have a range of duties and are highly motivated. Often, volunteer positions can also evolve into paid positions.

College admissions officers are also impressed by teens who volunteer. Donating your time shows you are a dedicated and compassionate person – a characteristic that will set you apart from other applicants.

Volunteering will provide you so much more than a good mark on your application, however. You will also learn so much, including:

  1. You’ll meet people of diverse ages and backgrounds.
  2. You may encounter a variety of viewpoints and perspectives.
  3. You’ll observe how people deal with adversity and conflict.
  4. Your own skills and abilities will be tested in a real-world setting.
  5. You’ll gain new skills and experience.
  6. You’ll have a new activity to talk about when meeting friends.

Build Skills Through an Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships and internships are similar. An apprenticeship is a paid position that involves working closely with a supervisor or master craftsman, who trains you to learn a skill or trade. It is a formal method of training for a skilled occupation.

mill apprentice

At the end of an apprenticeship, you will be awarded a certificate of Occupational Proficiency (recognized by the Secretary of Labor) which articulates that you have participated in the program and corresponding classroom training and have thereby acquired a particular set of skills. Apprenticeships are available in a variety of fields, including:

  • cooking
  • blacksmithing and welding
  • graphic design
  • appliance repair
  • furniture repair and restoration

An internship is a temporary agreement with a profession person, company, or organization. In exchange for your time and labor, you get actual on-the-job experience, plus the guidance of a supervisor who can serve as a mentor. You may work a few weeks or a few months – depending upon the agreement.

While most internships are unpaid, there are some that offer stipends or pay (minimum wage or a few hundred dollars per month). While an internship does not necessarily need to be in the field of work you desire but it is certainly a plus. Internships are often available through government agencies – check the websites of the Forest Service, Fish & Wildlife, Watershed Associations, etc.

Celebrate Your Job Skills in a Résumé

When you are ready to seek out a position – whether it is an internship or paid employment, you will want a résumé. Your résumé should serve as an at-a-glance summary of what you’ve accomplished so far. This is your time to brag about yourself and all you have done!

Begin by making a list of the extracurricular activities, passion projects, and work experiences in which you have taken part. Write down all of your responsibilities for each major activity and the skills you have learned – whether you learned them from your parents, a mentor, or in the classroom.

basic invite resume graphic

Drafting a great résumé takes time. There are a multitude of templates available online. For youth, a single page résumé is sufficient as they don’t yet have the experience to warrant a second page. The key is to be concise and to use strong action words when describing the key contributions made. This video featuring Amanda Augustine is an excellent overview of how to put together a résumé that pops.

You may wish to consider Creating a Student Resume with Basic Invitethey also have a fabulous selection of stationery products and each template is fully customizable – both the text and the graphics.

Gain Skills Through Non-Traditional Learning Experiences

For some teens, the traditional four-year high school curriculum is just what they need. Others would benefit more from nontraditional learning experiences—if they knew how to find them and what to do next. Regardless of what path you may consider, I highly suggest the book, The Teenager’s Guide to School Outside the Box.

This practical, inspiring book explores the world of alternative learning, giving teens the knowledge and tools they need to make good choices. It is about enhancing the education teens are already getting and making the most of their time in and out of school.

Are you homeschooling a teen and looking for practical tools and encouragement to help navigate the journey? You’ll love Heather’s 10 Myths You’re Believing about Your Out-of-the-Box Teen.



July 20, 2017

My daughter turns 15 this autumn and is now in the process of putting together her first resume. She would like to get  job at our local community pool as a life guard because she knows the staff and the hours are flexible. Its the perfect first job for her.

Yet, how does one write a resume when your work experience is so very little? Even when confining her skills and experience to a single page, there is a lot of white space. How does a teen make her resume stand out?

I was compensated for my time writing this product review.

A Unique Student Resume with Basic Invite

I shared with her the idea of using Basic Invite to create a resume. Among their offerings of baby shower invitations  and elegant birth announcements, they also have a fabulous selection of stationery. I explained to her that each template is fully customizable – both the text and the graphics.

“As the card is smaller than a traditional resume printed on paper, your text will fill the space. Thereby, your skills and volunteer experience will pop.” In just a few minutes I drafted a sample for her by customizing a birth announcement.

basic invite graphic

“That’s cool!” she exclaimed. “I want to try.”

Fully Customizable Stationery

Creating an elegant resume took only a few minutes and it was all so easy. Best of all, everything is customizable. If desired, you can even build your own color theme!

Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers almost unlimited color options. Once you select a design you can change the color of each element on the card to over 180 different color options so you can make sure the card is exactly how you want it down to the littlest detail.

In addition, color photos can quickly be changed to black and white or sepia. Each change that you make is instantly previewed for you and you can move text boxes around easily by simply dragging your mouse until your card is just right.

Through the development of unique technology, they’re able to provide you with limitless options that allow you to instantly create a card that is truly unique.

Basic Invite also allows customers the ability to order a printed sample of their actual invitation so they can see exactly how it will print as well as the paer quality before they ever have to place their final order.

Customers can choose from over 40 different colors when it comes to their envelopes so that they can make their invitation stand out even before it is opened. All of our envelopes are peel and seal so the envelopes can be quickly and securely closed.

Based in Saint George, Utah, their passionate team has been creating the perfect card for every event since 2006.

basic invite grad stationeryMany Stationery Categories to Choose From

Check out the many options at Basic Invite. In addition to the elegant birth announcements that I customized, they also have hundreds of options for other occasions such as:

I love the diverse collection of stationery they offer. I know in just a few years I will be using Basic Invite to order graduation announcements and thank you cards.

Unbeatable prices and value, plus innovative products found nowhere else – Basic Invite is now my go-to resource for personalized stationery products.

They often have a sale – look at the top of this page for the discount code and follow Basic Invite on social media Facebook and Twitter).