Emmie: When I was living in Calgary, a lot of employers told me they wanted people with experience, people with professional attitudes. And the other thing was that employers looked at me and thought, "She's young. How long is she going to be around for this job?"

Career Paths: What do you think, Doug? Are you looking for people who are going to stick around for a while?

Doug: We look for an individual that we know can work for us for at least two years. In today's economy, you can't afford to supervise or train continually.

CP: So, would you say a lack of skills or training is part of the reason youth struggle to get hired?

Julie: It's about getting along with people. The way Jason got his job at Overwaitea was by getting to know one of the parents from my daycare-he was one of the managers at the store. He saw that Jason was a good worker and was helpful and that work was important to him. That's how he got in.

Jason: It doesn't always work though. My girlfriend is only 5'1" and she's stereotyped because she doesn't really look that old. She's applied at so many places but people who look older get the jobs.

Melanie: That was another thing we learned from our survey-90 per cent of employers said a youth's appearance affects their decision in hiring. The employers we talked to said they looked at appearance and hygiene first. Secondly, body language, piercings and smile. And third, excessive jewellery, visible tattoos and make-up.

CP: Aren't youth just trying to be themselves?

Doug: You can be you on your own time. When we go to hire someone, we have a good look at the individual. Are they clean? Do they make eye contact? That sort of thing. I pay more attention to the person who comes back several times after they drop off their resume. It's very typical of teenagers to just drop off a resume and leave it at that.

Randy: We've always encouraged our kids to know themselves. It's a little tough for them but they're making their way in the city. All three have very good self-confidence and people skills. Without those, you can't get in, you can't have the work. We've always encouraged that with our children and that's why they're doing well.

CP: Let's switch gears for a bit. Are confidence, a work-friendly appearance and people skills enough to keep a job?

Melanie: What we're finding with our skills training project is that everybody gets the work experience opportunity but maintaining the job is another thing, especially for those with low confidence. It's hard for someone with low confidence to be outspoken or to suddenly go into a fast-paced customer service environment.

Doug: When it comes to shyness, I feel I can bring them out of it after time. At least, I'm more than willing to give it a try. The other thing that comes into it is reliability. If you hire someone and the first thing they tell you is that they're looking for time off, that's always a warning sign that they're not really interested in the job.

Julie: Reliability and responsibility-are you going to show up and be dependable? It's about life skills.

Jason: It's also about going after the shifts. I did not work in produce until a month ago and I told them, "Give me the training. Put me over there and I'll work it." They were going to give the shifts to another guy, but they said: "Okay, we'll give you the shifts."

So, what exactly is the key message from the coast? Our panel says people skills pave the way to employment and employers care more about appearance than you may think. So, if you want to get your foot in the door, you might have to ditch those chunky shoes, hide that tattoo and flash your pearly whites. Know yourself and know what impresses employers so you can get the job and keep it.

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