I recently started blogging for Moneywatch.com and one of my first posts is all about how teens can try to get hired this summer. The good news is the job market hasn’t gotten any worse for the teen set. The bad news is, it hasn’t improved, either. Here’s a snippet of my blog post.  (For the rest, check out my new You’re So Money blog at Moneywatch.  The blog is based on the idea that youth is not wasted on the young.  I hope you’ll check it out regularly.)

6 Ways to Find a Summer Job

You think grown-ups are having a hard time finding work? Try teens. The teen unemployment rate in this country is more than 25% – about two-and-a-half times the overall national rate, according to the Labor Department.

With so much new competition for any and all jobs, the part-time,seasonal gigs that were once populated by teen workers are now being scooped up by older men and women.

For teens desperate for a part-time job this summer (and for parents hoping to get them out and about and away from the Wii), here is some advice.

Look into Federal Jobs

Government jobs pay at least $10 an hour, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. And the government has teen-specific openings. The student job search on USAJobs.gov lets you look for federal jobs by city and state.

Be the First to Apply

Discover job postings before everyone else with a few online tricks.First, sign up for free daily email alerts from job search sites likesnagajob.com and simplyhired.com - set your preferences to focus on the type of business and your location. Next, visit a site likeTwitJobSearch.com, a new job search engine that tracks postings on Twitter. There you can search for small businesses and big brands like Nike, Domino’s, The Gap, etc and possibly find official company tweets mentioning current job offers.

Finally, by becoming a “fan” of a company’s Facebook page you can start receiving updates from the company, including job postings. If it’s a national company Facebook suggests you become a “fan” of the local branch, when possible

For the more tips click here.