It's one of the ironies of teenage living that the younger you are, the more you want a job, but it's hard to find someone who will hire a young teen. By the time you are old enough to get hired, you desire the job less. However, persistent teens can manage to find a job regardless of age, as long as they're willing to work hard, do the least appealing jobs, and scrounge a ride to work with someone who has a driver's license.

        Before job hunting even begins, it helps to know the labor laws that apply to teens. Here are the hours teens may work and the kinds of jobs allowed by age.

For more information go to youthrules.dol.gov. 

Hours

• 14- to 15-year-olds are allowed to work non-school hours, 7am to 7pm. They can work up to three hours on a school day and 18 hours in a school week. Non-school weeks: 40 hours/week; 8 hours/day
• Age 16 and older: No restrictions on hours

Kinds of jobs

• Age 13 and younger: deliver newspapers, babysit, work in parents' business or farm, work as an actor
• Age 14-15: office, grocery store, retail store, restaurant, movie theater, amusement park
• Age 16: anything except jobs deemed hazardous

        The next step is deciding what you want to do. For most teens, any job is a good job, as long as there's a paycheck at the end of the month. But if you want to try to match a job with your interests, here are a few things to consider. Do you like to be outdoors? Then look for a job at the zoo or the parks department. Or perhaps you know someone who owns a landscaping company. If the mall is your favorite place, why not try for a job there? If you really like people and are good with problem-solving, waiting tables can be lucrative. If you like children, think about after-school programs, teaching swimming lessons, or babysitting.

        Before you go looking, consider your schedule and how many hours you are able to work. Most employers will want someone who can work the maximum number of hours. But keep in mind that once you take the job, you will be expected to show up when you're scheduled, so don't commit to something unless you can honor that commitment.

        Finally, consider how you will get to your job, and look accordingly. If you have a driver's license, you have more options, but remember, you'll probably be paying for the gas to drive to your job, so you might look close to home for starters. If you don't have a driver's license, then you'll need to work harder to arrange transportation. Can you get a ride? Can you ride your bike or the bus? Can you walk? Make sure you know how you will get to a job before you apply.

        Now, you need to get creative in the ways you look for a job. You can go the traditional pound-the-pavement routine, which isn't necessarily a bad method, especially if you choose a location with lots of retail stores, restaurants, and ice cream shops. You can look at job sites on the internet, which can be more time-consuming than you might think. Plus, those sites only show jobs that someone chooses to post. Many jobs are never posted to the public.  So here are some other ways to learn about available jobs:

• Look at newspaper ads
• Walk around and look for help-wanted posters
• Talk to people you know
• Ask your parents
• Decide what kind of job you want and try to make one
• Look at internet help-wanted ads
• Don't neglect non-paying jobs to get your foot in the door
• Use school resources
• Check out job fairs

         Let's say you have the job now. Hooray for you! Now is your chance to prove to adults that teenagers are not flakes and can be good employees.

 Top Tips for Acting Like an Employee

• Show up on time
• Show up when you are scheduled
• Be nice to customers
• Don't flake out
• Don't oversleep
• Be enthusiastic
• Learn as much as you can
• Volunteer for new responsibilities

         Leah's story illustrates the work ethic employers would like from teens. She worked in a shoe store in high school. Before she had worked there even a year, she was promoted to assistant manager. Why? Because she was on time, responsible, and dependable. She also stayed with the same employer longer than other employees. By the time Leah graduated from high school, she had a good solid base as an employee and as a manager. She moved to another company and was quickly promoted to manager of a department. Now 21, she helps make marketing and promotional decisions. All because she came to work on her scheduled days, on time, and prepared.

Neysa CM Jensen is a Boise mother, writer, and musician. She wishes all her children would get a job.