Like it or not, most people place a lot of emphasis on first impressions when initially meeting someone, especially in a job interview. You or a close ally will wish to be a resource to your child in preparing for such first impressions. First, there's the job application. If your child doesn't have a friend or ally who plans to apply for a job with her, it's probably best if you encourage your child to obtain an employment application and bring it home so you can review it together. Do not fill it out for her, but do discuss how to fill it out properly.

As with any job, it never hurts to follow up with an in-person inquiry or a phone call to reinforce one's interest and ensure that the application was received. It will help to partner with your child to script the words to say when making this contact, such as, “I'm calling to follow up on the job application I submitted last week. I'm really interested in the position and I am wondering if interviews are being scheduled yet.” Most likely, your child will be told her application is on file and that someone will contact her if she's selected for an interview. If your child hasn't heard from anyone in a reasonable amount of time, rather than ruminate about it, encourage her to contact the employer again — and emphasize that this is all perfectly acceptable (remember, this is practice for the big world). It may be that they are simply delayed in the process.