Young summer job seekers may have more employable skills than they realize

With high schools across the lower mainland emptying in just a few short weeks, many B.C. teens will be looking for that perfect summer job to fund several months of warm weather fun.

So CBC'sThe Early Editionasked Meagan Orozco,the director of employment services at the YMCA, for her tips on crafting a resum.

1. Draw from your everyday experience when building a CV

Many high schoolers will be entering the job market for the first time, and it can be difficult to fill a resum without work experience to draw on. Orozco says if you've volunteered anywhere, even for a day, that experienceshould be included. Besides volunteer work, consider your daily routine.

"Often [young workers] don't realize what they do have," says Orozco."Let's say you cook one night a week for your family that's food preparation skills. If you're a part of a sports team, there'd be teamwork skills involved with that."

"You have to look at the different things you do inyoureveryday life and try to pull as much as you can from those things," she said.

2. Know which industries tend to hire inexperienced workers

Growing your network by telling the people you know that you're looking for a job can help open doors, according to Orozco. It's also good to know the industries that are friendly to first-time workers, like customer service, general labour and sales.

"Those industries are really open to hiring young individuals who don't have experience, but do really show positivity and a dedication and a want to work. They're willing to train.They're willing to develop you," Orozco said.

3.Apply directly to the manager

Take your resum to the person who will decide whether or not youget the job.

"If you're applying for your first job, I always suggest going in person. You don't have a lot on your resum, so you want to have that quick talk with a manager and really show that you have that positivity and that dedication for work," said Orozco.

4. Researchthe company you're applying to

If you get an interview, arrive prepared.Know the company and what it is they sell or provide. Good research can also help first-time applicants avoid predatory employers and pyramid schemes.

"Any company you work for, you really want toknow the company's background. If you see a job online that seems too good to be true, look up the company," saidOrozco.

5. If a job isn't in the cards this summer, volunteer

If your job search comes up empty, get ready to pad that resum for next year by donating your time at community centres, libraries, charity runs and the like.

"Those are great opportunities to really develop some of those pre-employment skills that you can put on your resum."

With files fromThe Early Edition