Q. “Teens and the Job Game is a great tool to help prepare teens for the real world of job searching.  What inspired you to write this book?
A. I was inspired to write “Teens and the Job Game” after spending nearly 25 years as a business manager and recruiter in financial services and then managing staff in the health care field.  Over the years, I realized that it is not just a person’s natural talent and education that he or she brings to the workplace.  Rather, it is one’s “whole person” that a recruiter and manager encounters in a job interview and on the job.  One’s whole person is everything one brings to the workplace - one’s feelings, attitudes, work ethic, deportment, communication skills, judgment, professionalism and much more. Unfortunately, I, along with other managers and recruiters have seen deterioration in workplace preparedness in recent years, and it was this observation that inspired me to bring the message to young people of the importance of developing their whole person for the world of work.  I wanted to guide them in forming an appropriate work image so that they can succeed in this very competitive work world of today.  I felt strongly about getting this message out to teens as they are the future leaders of the world.  We need workers in all fields who are not only good at what they do, but who will bring a sense of maturity, loyalty, work ethic and have the incentive to build good relationships in the workplace so that everyone can produce and succeed.  “Teens and the Job Game” brings that message to young people and provides a step by step method to help them grow into effective workers.
     
Q. “Are there plans for “Teens and the Job Game” to be used in high school or college business classes?
A. Yes. It is my goal to bring “Teens and the Job Game” to the attention of guidance staff and business teachers, as I feel it is a useful, easy to read, and easy to use tool for the classroom.  In fact, the book has already been used by a teacher of business in a private high school in New Jersey.  As the book was being published, this teacher was at the point of putting a career and job preparation curriculum together.  When the book was released, she used it very successfully in her class.  She wrote to me that it worked very well, especially as there is a series of questions at the end of each chapter to promote reflection on the chapter’s content and to encourage students to make action plans. Currently, the book is being reviewed by the American School Counselor Association and many schools throughout New York City as a potential tool for the classroom.
     
Q. When I was a teen, I often looked for available jobs rather than think about what I really wanted to do.  In your time as a staff recruiter how often did you come across applicants who were just looking for any job?  Can teens use this book as a way to motivate their careers?
A. Since I did recruit staff for financial services and health care, most of the time I interviewed candidates that had a specific interest in these areas.  However, while in financial services I did interview many young college students for summer jobs who may not have decided on their career, but thought that working in business would help them decide what they wanted to do.  In “Teens and the Job Game” I address the issue of part-time and summer jobs and how teens ideally should look for a job that relates to their career interest.  While it is not always possible to obtain a part-time or summer job that fits in with their long term goal, it is important for teens to begin to work, either for pay, or in a volunteer situation.  I stress that every type of work is an experience that will help them grow.  No matter how simple a job may be, the worker has to learn how to communicate with others on the job.  He or she begins to take on responsibility for a task, and has to learn how to navigate in the workplace. It is a learning experience no matter what the task. In “Teens and the Job Game” I also stress the importance of volunteer work as a way for teens to test out their career interest if they can’t find a paid job, or one that is related to their long term goals.  I give real life examples of young people who volunteered specifically to test out their career interest through volunteer work.
     
Q. If teens aren’t doing well in school can this book help give them the tools they need to prepare for the workforce and find a good job?
A. In the second chapter of “Teens and the Job Game”, I focus on the importance of how teens approach their studies and what to do if they are struggling in school.  I point out several ways teens can address subjects that are difficult for them.  I give real life examples of how I and others have coped with difficult subjects, and encourage teens to seek help when they are struggling.  In addition, throughout the book I make it clear that I’m not just talking to students who will go on to college, but also to students that may be in vocational schools, or will go on to work in a trade after high school. The message is that everyone can succeed, even if they find themselves struggling at times in school.  The key is to apply oneself and persist in everything.  Once again, I give real life examples of those who went on to succeed even though they might have struggled through school.
     
Q. Your website, http://www.teensandthejobgame.com/ offers employment and career news, links to career sources and other great resources.  How often is it updated?
A. I update the site every few days.  My goal on this website is to offer up-to-date resources to teens, and teachers or guidance counselors who will come to the site.  I look at many sources of information to be sure that I provide any employment or career news that is relevant for teens, and those that work with them, as they prepare for work or for college.  I constantly look for new resources for teens and guidance staff, and hope to get new and challenging questions from teens that I can answer in the On-the-Job primer section.  I plan to grow the site as I hope to form relationships with other teen or job related sites.