By Trinh Bui
Teens looking for summer employment can turn to the NOVA Summer Youth Job Program for free help.
For more than 12 years, the NOVA Summer Youth Job Program, in cooperation with Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, has been staking out jobs for teenagers. A year-round program that's in high demand during the summer, NOVA has compiled 280 job listings throughout the South Bay for young people 14 to 21 years old. Coordinators estimate that the program will have helped 3,500 teens find employment by year's end.
The NOVA office is located on the second floor of the Sunnyvale Town Center, next to the Montgomery Ward outlet; the walls are lined with prospective job offers from companies that do everything from sell tacos to deliver packages.
NOVA director Matt Anderson encourages kids to come in and see what the program has to offer. There are few restrictions and fewer requirements. Any teenager 14 years or older can participate in the program. The only requirement is that all teens who want a job referral go through a one-hour application and interview workshop held weekly at the NOVA office.
Anderson says the majority of teens don't really understand how to properly prepare for the rigors of job-hunting, so he and his staff have created a workshop that stresses the basics. In the workshop, kids are taught how to fill out an application correctly, are prepped for the tough questions employers might ask and are given tips on how to dress. NOVA is holding the workshops Monday through Thursday from 2 to 3 p.m.
"I think it's good because it gives a chance for all the young people that don't have job experience to get help," says Melissa Tagatac, a junior at Cupertino High School.
After the workshop, students are able to talk one-on-one with a counselor and go through a mock interview before getting referred to a real one. The hope is that the workshops will better prepare would-be employees for the job market by helping them understand the procedures behind successful employment.
Anderson suggests that those who are searching for summer employment follow-up after an interview; some employers wait for a person to phone back before deciding.
"Be prepared for the application and interview because they are a reflection of you," Anderson advises. "Dress for success. First impressions are very important. Most people fail to contact their references beforehand and might not get the best reference. Also know that the most qualified person might not get the job. Keep your spirits up."
Two new NOVA offices will be opened this summer in San Mateo and San Jose. Teens interested in NOVA should contact 522-9845.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, June 26, 1996.
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