All of the sudden, allowance just isn’t cutting it anymore: Your teenager is always asking for money for something, and you (or they) have decided a part-time job would be the perfect solution to provide them with cash, experience and perspective about the value of money.

If you want to help your fledgling employee land their first jobs, here are some good ideas – and some bad ones to avoid – when it comes to giving them a good start in the working world.

Bad Idea: Handing your teen a stack of applications. Good luck getting your hands on that many paper applications these days anyway, but finding potential jobs for your kid doesn’t help teach them to find the right jobs on their own. Instead, sit down with your teen and brainstorm: what is he or she good at? What jobs are nearby? What hours might work? Once you have that information, employers that could fit the bill will be easier to find.

Good Idea: Help your teen draft a resume. Everyone has useful skills and life experiences to highlight even without work experience, but teens often don’t realize that volunteering, clubs and community activities can be included on resumes and applications. If your teen has done odd jobs for neighbors, include those (and offer a reminder to ask respectfully if the neighbor would provide a reference). Be sure to get your young job seeker in the habit of checking for errors and always sharing application materials with someone who’s handy with the English language; spelling errors are a nearly surefire way to not get called for an interview.

Bad idea: Calling employers. Sure, it will seem to your teen like he or she will never hear back about that application. But you calling the employer is going to make it look like your teen doesn’t have the initiative to follow up on applications themselves.

Good idea: Interview practice. A better idea is rehearsing with them what to say to employers on the phone or in person.  Questions like “explain your biggest weakness” and “talk about a time something went wrong for you and how you handled it” don’t often come up in day-to-day conversations –  help your teen ace interviews by scheduling one with them, right down to having them show up early dressed professionally. If you think your teen might take feedback from someone else a bit better, pick a trusted family friend or relative to take on the role of hiring manager.

Everyone can benefit from a helping hand when it comes to getting a job, and your teen is no exception. Handing teens their first job may get them to work faster, but teaching them how to get a job  means they’ll be able to land  the next one themselves (and the job after that – you get the idea).