DR. WALLACE: I'm 17 and just finishing my junior year in high school. I have never had a job before and I really need to earn some money this summer for two reasons. First, I need experience in the work field, and I also need to earn some money because I'm saving money for my college education after I graduate from high school. I'm sure many other teens will also be looking for summer jobs, so I want to know how best to insure I can find a job. — Jeanie, Jackson, Mich.

JEANIE: Now is the time to start looking for your summer job. The following tips for first-time job seekers are courtesy of Careers and Colleges Magazine. These tips are useful for both summer and full-time job searches:

1. Define your goals. Before you start the job hunt, ask yourself the following questions: What do I hope to achieve from a summer job? What type of job do I want? Will I settle for a grunt job just to earn some spending money, or do I prefer a job that might open the door to a career?

2. Know when to start your search. If you're looking for a job simply to make some quick cash (waiter, cashier), line it up two to four weeks before summer. But if you're hoping for a position that will be a real learning experience (doctor's office assistant, intern), start making contacts now.

3. Know where to look. Start at your school — the career center, bulletin boards, teachers or possibly the school newspaper. Then check help-wanted ads, the state employment service (otherwise known as the unemployment office), private employment agencies and national temporary job services such as Manpower. You might want to try an electronic job search on the Internet; start with the key word "employment." If you currently have a part-time job, inquire about extending it into a full-time summer position.

4. Network! Network! Network! Two-thirds of all job-seekers find work by applying directly to an employer or networking through relatives or friends, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Make a list of everyone you know who might be in a position to help you. Then contact them in a systematic way.

5. Prepare a resume. A resume tells prospective employers about your qualifications and shows, in the way it is prepared (organization, neatness, grammar, and spelling), your willingness to present yourself in the best light. Don't worry if your resume is light on job experience because employers won't expect that you've had many previous jobs at your age. However, be sure to include your goals, honors and extracurricular activities. You can also get advice from your school's career center, a resume guidebook, or an English teacher.

I'VE GOT GOOD EYESIGHT

DR. WALLACE: Last week at school, I had my eyes checked in P.E. class. Today, I received a card in the mail telling me I had 20/20 vision in each eye. I'm not exactly sure I know what this really means, other than I've got good eyesight. I've asked several people including my parents, and no one seems to know how to explain it except to say that it is very good. Can you explain exactly what it means? — Kerry, Quincy, Mass.

KERRY: An eye earns a 20/20 rating if it can see at 20 feet what a normal eye can see at 20 feet.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Nithi Anand