Teens who need summer jobs should start searching now, as the market is expected to be even worse than last year.

Experts say teens should be willing to take entry-level positions with a smile. Otherwise, teens who can afford to go without a salary are better off hunting for internships and volunteer work to beef up their experience for next year.

Given that high schoolers are competing with adults as well as college students for minimum wages (now $7.01 an hour in Washington), young job seekers need to be professional with résumés and references, experts say.

Last summer, the proportion of youths in the national labor force — 69.5 percent — was the lowest for any July since 1971, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

And the job situation is expected to be worse this year, at least in Seattle.

"It's definitely not going to be a better labor market than last year, and it will probably be weaker," said Roberta Pauer, a state labor economist for the Seattle region.

"Competition for job openings is going to be pretty high. Teens are at a disadvantage always, let alone in a weak economy. When the labor market is poor, they suffer the most."

The state doesn't break out statistics on teens (the overall state unemployment rate hit 7 percent in March). But national unemployment figures don't bode well for young job seekers. Last month, the national unemployment rate was 5.8 percent overall but jumped to 17.7 percent for 16- to 19-year-olds, Pauer said.

Ron Cooper, marketing teacher at Lake Washington High School, sometimes screens students for employers looking to hire teens. He gets eight or nine teens trying for a job opening, with a handful of really strong candidates. "In past years, I had some jobs go by the wayside, but now there's interest all the time," he said.

Sofiya Ahmed, 16, has been looking for a job since the fall, applying for four jobs at such places as Washington Mutual, the Pacific Science Center and the King County Library System.

"I plan to do more if I can find any more openings," said the Garfield High School student.

Most of her friends with jobs are over 18 and are out of school, she said. "It seems like most places are looking for full-time (workers)."

One of the lucky ones, Jimma Njoku, 17, credits her persistence in helping her land a new part-time job at Teri's Toybox/Toytropolis at Northgate Mall.

"After I dropped off an application, I asked to speak with the manager," she said. "I didn't just turn in the application and not check on the status."

Job searching since December, Njoku had applied at eight businesses. "I was trying very hard," she said. "My parents told me if I didn't get a job they'd take away my car. I was turning in résumés, but places were not calling me back."

Many working teens

Nearly eight out of 10 teens work by the time they graduate from high school, said Mary Miller, an occupational health nurse with the state Department of Labor and Industries. Minors make up 2 to 3 percent of the working population in Washington state, with up to 100,000 teen potentially working at some time during the year, she said.

About half of minors work in retail (mostly restaurants) but also find jobs in agriculture, grocery stores, clothing shops, gas/auto services, health care, hotels, recreation and business.

Unless teens are desperate for cash, experts recommend they see a job as a step toward a career, rather than a paycheck.

"They should work for experience, to add depth and breadth to their resume," said Cooper.

Experience helps later

Given that more workers now have bachelor's degrees, previous job experience can be pivotal in landing a "real" job after college.

"Kids need to be much more focused with specific job experience to be competitive now," said Susan Quattrociocchi, director of the Northeast Tech Prep Consortium, which links high-school technical programs with community colleges.

"A lot of kids who work really hurt themselves in terms of career preparation."

Good jobs relate to a teen's interest or provide skills they'll need later. While any job can teach teens a work ethic (show up on time, etc.), that takes about four months, Quattrociocchi said.

If they stay in a job that is unrelated to their future career all through high school and college, that's years of time wasted, she said.

"I tell kids they should be learning as much as they're earning," she said.

If teens just take any position that pays, "they learn that work sucks," she said. "That's a terrible thing to teach them, to do something they hate with the least amount of work just to get money."

Focus on interests

Rather than simply respond to want ads, experts suggest teens look at their interests and talents to target potential employers. "When they first start looking, it does seem like McDonald's or pizza restaurants or summer camps are the only jobs for teens," said Molly Delano, author of "Summer Jobs and Opportunities for Teenagers." "Looking beyond the immediate jobs takes some creative thinking."

While a teen isn't going to be a lawyer while in high school, she might answer phones at a law office, for example. "If you like music, then go to every music store and ask if they're hiring for the summer," Delano advised.

A six-week after-school internship at Canlis Restaurant through Shorewood High School's culinary arts program helped Brett Treloar, 16, land a part-time job prepping food for Marco Polo Restaurant in Mukilteo after nine months of looking. Though most restaurant workers start as dishwashers, his experience helped him skip "the bottom stage," said Treloar, who hopes to become a chef and own a catering service.

Getting a taste of immunology

Another Shorewood High School student, Lilian Ho, 18, will spend her summer working full-time in the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's immunology program as a paid intern. While interested in science, she hasn't decided on a field yet and hopes her summer position will help her choose. "I thought this year I should do a career job-type thing," she said. Last summer she volunteered as a teacher's assistant in English as a Second Language classes at Shoreline Community College.

For those who can afford it, "volunteer work is just as valuable in terms of experience — and it's often a lot of fun," Delano said. A volunteer job can go on a résumé, provide a reference and show potential employers a teen can be responsible and committed.

The city of Seattle's Youth Engaged in Service volunteer program is open to 13-to 18-year-olds but attracts mostly younger teens who find few paid employment opportunities, said Dave Gilbertson, teen advocate with Seattle Parks and Recreation. As a first experience, it's not as threatening as a paid job — they won't get fired — but teens are accountable for showing up on time and communicating schedule changes to their supervisor.

"Overall, teens are not very prepared (for jobs)," Gilbertson said. "It's my impression they haven't had much experience applying what they're learning in school to real-life situations."

Hands-on experience

That's not true for Spencer Nye, 18. He developed a business plan for his multiservice business, which includes house cleaning, landscaping, yard work and car detailing, in a Shorewood High School marketing class. He learned how to design his business' Web site in another class. He'll attend Shoreline Community College next fall and then hopes to study business administration and accounting at the University of Washington.

He's already getting lots of accounting experience managing his own business. He quit his part-time job at a child-care center after realizing he made more money working eight to 10 hours a week with his business than he did in a month at his part-time position.

While parents might remember getting a teen job on a handshake or penciled application, Cooper tells his students not to go job searching without a résumé and to remember to send a thank-you note after an interview. "I try to groom them," he said. "It's competitive, but jobs are still there for qualified people."

Stephanie Dunnewind: sdunnewind@seattletimes.com