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Adults, Whats Your Advice for Teens Who Want to Start Working?
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9 Replies
Reply by Kylie
posted
I have a little bit of experience with this being that I am 18 and I just entered the work field after trying for the past two years.
Community service is extremely important for teens as a lot of places won't want to hire you if you straight up have no experience. It can also help give you work experience that you can add onto your resume, which will make you stand out compaired to other teens applying. Volunteer work can also fall into this category as well!
It's a good idea to try to get involved with clubs, organizations, and/or sports teams as well because this tells employeers that your also an active community member, you can work in a team, and you're a sociable person.
It is okay to tell white lies on your resume, literally the whole process of hiring is finding the best liars who will tell you exactly what you want to hear, but it's also up to you to keep these lies believable as well, if you're a teen you obviously won't have a degree in computer programming or anything like that.
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Reply by Wumpi
posted
- If you haven't graduated highschool just lie about it.
- Your friends and family can be your references.
- Apply for jobs you don't have the qualifications for.
- Avoid hard labor if you can, that's factory work and lawn service and junk.
- Standing around that much is going to hurt, get insoles or crocs.
Opening a bank account is easy, some of them you can do online. I personally use Ally Bank but it might be ideal to go for whichever bank has the most ATMs around you just in case you ever need to get cash. There's a chance you could do it online or over the phone but if that doesn't work go ahead and ask a friend or family member for a ride to the bank and they'll walk you through it. As for keeping a workplace non-toxic unfortunately you have very little control over that. People don't like working and it'll show in ugly ways. You'll meet distressed people wherever you go. What's more important for you as someone new to these situations is to know how to let stuff go. You'll feel frustrated and angry but so are they. When you make room for forgiveness of rash actions you'll get some back, and if you don't then it's time to talk to a higher up.
Most important of all is to remember that your boss is not your friend. You'll hear stories about people with that one in a million perfect boss, but don't count on it being yours. The only way to get ahead in any business is to step on others and your boss knows that. Working harder might get you a raise, but it won't get you a new position. If you're doing too much work you'll make your fellow employees look bad and put them in a bad place, and you won't get paid any more for it. If you're too good at your job and you don't ask for much, it becomes too profitable to give you a promotion of any kind.
Reply by Brittney
posted
My advice would be go for it! Find somewhere that will work with your school schedule and don’t be scared to try it! I worked nights at a small factory while in high school and I loved it and made life long friends (they were all older than me but they loved me and taught me so much about life!)
Also, never let having a job overwhelm you! If you are stressed out about school work and your job is making it harder quit because at the end of the day, your education is so important! I fell behind in school because I loved my job so much! I looked forward to going in and would go straight to bed after work and never did my homework!
Reply by BuggyD
posted
Please don't lie on applications, have some integrity. It's one thing to embellish or word something to help it sound more appealing to a hiring manager but to straight up tell lies is just not a good way to start out in life. Adulting is owning your truth and improving yourself.
I started working at 15 and other than a couple of spots in my life I have worked consistently since then. - I'm 49 now. My first job was working for the spouse of one of my father's coworkers at the food court in a local mall. Networking and accepting help from adults around you to find a job is the best way, I think, to find a first job. I moved up to a fast food place then was hired at an office after I graduated high school. My best advice is to just find something for your first job. Something you can be proud to do and can list on an application as experience, of course, but you will be limited to jobs you can do after school/weekends. Just start somewhere and move up from there. If you have a specific field you want to work in as an adult, try volunteering first with the hopes of being hired on or moving into an intern position.
Most of all, don't give up. Persevere, keep trying till you land something. Then, set your goals for moving up.
For applications: check your spelling and grammar, punctuation and if you are handwriting it, write clearly and neatly.
For experience: give it some thought. Experience can be babysitting, volunteering, helping a parent organize, involvement in clubs at school, if you cook/prepare meals at home, etc. As you are doing these things, keep a list of people who you can use as a personal reference and ask them if you could include them and their phone number/email for job searching.
Before an interview: Research the place, check out their website, know their hours and what they sell/provide. Know how to answer the "why do you want to work here" type questions that likely will come.
At interviews: Show your desire to work at the place and to be a part of their team. Be upbeat and smile.
When you are hired: Please show up on time every time, do the work to the best of your ability and be a team player. Appreciate the job and the opportunity that has been given to you. So many are just lazy, grumpy and unreliable. Set yourself apart and set yourself up for success.
Bank Accounts: Often under 17 need to have a co-signer for a bank account so if you have a parent willing to help you open one is best. Otherwise, contact different banks and find out what their restrictions are, if any. Be careful of online scams. Try to stick with a reputable establishment like a credit union or nationwide bank.
Good luck and thank you for wanting to earn a living!
Reply by trenchfry
posted
updated
I've been in the work force since I was sixteen and got three out of the four jobs that I applied to. During part of that time, I had severe anxiety and still got the job. Here's what I've learned.
- Cover letters or resumes, if required, are basically you advertising yourself as a product to your employer. They most likely won't take more than ten seconds to look at it, so make it short yet eye-catching with perfect spelling and grammar. Just like any advertisement. Microsoft Word has some good templates for both.
- References are getting less common nowadays, but if they're needed, ask any adult besides relatives. I asked my mom's friend and she was thrilled at a chance to brag on me. Same with my music teacher, who was a mentor to me for seven years. It doesn't have to be a former employer or someone you worked under. Just someone older than you who's under the impression that you're a good kid.
- As a teen, your goal in the interview is to keep yourself collected even if you're a nervous wreck on the inside. Most likely (if you're being considered for a customer service job), they want employees who are social and friendly. I have tricked many people into thinking that I had any social intelligence whatsoever just by being calm at an interview and answering honestly without sounding like a bad candidate.
- Coming to an interview with your own questions prepared makes you look more professional, for some reason.
- When you start working, bring your own expectations and standards. Ask as many questions as possible while you're still in training so you don't miss anything and get in trouble for something you didn't know.
- If you make a mistake and someone corrects you on it, don't over-apologize. Say sorry once and thank them for the info. It makes you look teachable and dignified. Mistakes are a part of the learning process and everyone makes them, so don't dwell on them longer than you need to.
- Don't complain about your boss, coworkers, or work conditions while you're on the clock. It contributes to a toxic environment.
- Honestly, just try to enjoy your job even if others complain about it. there will be things you hate about it and you have two choices; to change your attitude, or to give up. It's financially and emotionally way more beneficial to do the former. But if you really hate it and your management treats you poorly, have another few jobs in mind and maybe even apply to them before you quit your current one.
- For some reason, your boss expects you to tell them that you're handing in your two weeks before you actually hand it in. It's stupid, but they consider it more professional even though your two weeks is literally the professional head's up.
- If you want to quit on good terms, don't slack off on your last days. Work harder than you ever have before. I promise it's worth it, especially if you're using your former boss as a reference for your next job.
Reply by Kade
posted
If the company says any variation of this: “this company is a family/you’re part of the family here”, then fucking RUN. That’s just code for “we Weill exploit the FUCK out of you. Especially if you’re fresh meat”.
Been there, man. We all have. It’s not worth it. Especially for the pittance of pay companies prefer to give to yo-yo her folk for their inexperience/short resumes.
Reply by Kit
posted
Reply by hikkineetboi
posted
there are so many good responses here wow :3 <3
my advice to teens looking for a job comes from me working with teens myself,
every employer hiring you over an unemployed adult is doing it to exploit you directly.
i worked a lot of retail with teenagers (ie, subway, starbucks, pizza hut, walmart, vans, etc) and the thing each had in common was that the only ones who hired and trained teenagers were taking advantage of them never having worked a job before.
retail jobs are the most eager to take up child labor over other careers that require experience and training that isnt a two day computer course.
i'm not saying don't get your job, but i'm saying be prepared for your boss to push you past what is expected of you.
for example my coworker at walmart who was 16 started working there to save up for a car. she has been working there much longer and has been put through the hr, trained for front end and the cake making. realistically, she isn't staying at walmart for long, and they aren't paying her extra for being over qualified for every department. the reality was that they short staffed the hr department so we only had two women working the department all week for both opening and closing shift.
and with closing shift, another example i have is my coworker from subway, the place with the MOST minors working (besides the walmart ogp with a high turn over rate).
a 15 yr old really shouldn't be closing a store with only one other person, it gets very dark and i would worry about them finding a ride home because i also car pooled. they push your boundaries.
it's your choice to get a job, and i think having some money is freedom, and i know in this economy a lot of people need their kids to help out with the house even...
my best advice for balancing this is to only go for summer jobs or seasonal positions.
yeah it's the busiest time and there will be a lot of work to do, but i remember my time working seasonal at vans and my mal was pretty slow during the lull as everyone left to visit their families.
it ended up being mostly empty during the actual holiday, which is typically why you're hired to begin with! so employees already working there can spend time with their families.
starting the school year after the summer with pocket cash is such a good way to start off the year and it can keep you from being bored during the break. and the biggest perk is being able to ditch the store with zero remorse or guilt when the season is over.
so many other jobs try to guilt you into making a two week notice and be honest, youre a 16yr old working at walmart to save up for a car... are you planning on coming back to walmart for work again anytime soon? are you expecting to add them as a source for your new job to call them and ask how well you worked there? are they even going to remember you at a place like walmart where the turn over is already so stinking high, and after they already made you work hr are they gonna have anything they can't say about you? idk just makes breaking things off and having that healthy boundary of work life kept in place.
plus a lot of stores treat their seasonal employees not like actual long term employees anyways, it just give you a lot less pressure for your FIRST EVER job where you might feel a bit nervous without having expereince
Reply by jadearons
posted
updated
Totally agree. These are things everyone should know, but no one really teaches you. I’d also add that having a good resume is super underrated. Even if you’re not job hunting right now, it helps to have one ready. A solid resume makes filling out applications way easier, and it’s super helpful when you’re asking for references or writing cover letters. Plus, keeping it updated kinda forces you to see what you’ve done and where you’re growing (or where you need to grow). For me, creating my resume was so hard, even though I used emails. After all, I decided to get help from https://craftresumes.co/ats-resume-service/, and it was the best decision ever. It saved me so much time and effort, and I received the perfect resume. I believe that when it comes to something like this, it's always a good idea to use professional assistance if there is a need.