[electic]

Hi,
Heres a little background info first. I am 17 years old, I have two years of work experience at a school district office, and I live in southern california. And, of course, I am looking for a part time job. Now, you may ask "Why is he posting this on Head-Fi?". Well the answer is simple, because a lot of the people here have very sucessful careers and I wouldnt mind taking a couple of pointers from them

.

I have been applying at such stores like Petsmart, Pizza Hut, Papa Johns, Millers Outpost, Old Navy, etc. But, I have this feeling that I didn't get any of the jobs I applied for

. I am in dire(did I spell that right?) of some assistance. What can I do to get a job as a teenager? How should I dress to look for a job? What are some really good jobs I can apply for? What are the jobs that no teen should ever apply for? What can I do to sway the managers to hire me? What should I put on my application if they ask for personal strengths or other stuff like that? Should I just B.S it? I, and many other teenagers around the US, really need some tips on how to catch our first, well second for me, job.

P.S
I am not currently working at the school district because the financial crisis in California. And one more question...will the employers call you if you are hired or if they want to interview you or should this be initiated by the applicant? And about how long does it usually take an employer to call back?

 

[electic]

any1? please?!?!?

 

[MuZI]

Start small, start in a grocery store..

 

[Hajime]

Quote:

Originally Posted by electic Hi, How should I dress to look for a job?

This doesn't really help you, but when I go to Blockbusters people always ask me questions. I figured out it's because I wear a navy button down shirt every day and that's what Blockbuster employees wear. At one point the manager asked me if I wanted a job, but I was with a friend and I idiotically said no.

 

[JMT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by electic What can I do to get a job as a teenager? How should I dress to look for a job? What are some really good jobs I can apply for? What are the jobs that no teen should ever apply for? What can I do to sway the managers to hire me? What should I put on my application if they ask for personal strengths or other stuff like that? Should I just B.S it? I, and many other teenagers around the US, really need some tips on how to catch our first, well second for me, job.

1. When you complete an application, write legibly. You would be surprised how many young people fill out an application without a thought to the fact that someone has to read it.
2. Fast food, retail, manual labor. To a degree, those are the types of jobs that a first time job seeker usually finds.
3. Dress appropriate for the job. My 18 year old son just landed a job at Ross' Department store. He wore some nice Dockers, a button down shirt, and a tie. Quite a change from his usual t-shirt and jeans.
4. What ARE your personal strengths? Can you work with little supervision? Are you a self starter? Do you have good people skills? Don't BS an employer, it will only bite you in the butt later.
5. When interviewing, talk like an adult. Avoid the words, "like", and "all", and "hecka", and "you know."
   
   "I was, like, all, you know, hecka good at my last job."
   
6. Practice interviewing with someone who interviews for a living (if possible). My son and I went through a few mock interviews when he was looking. He said it help make him a little more comfortable.

Good luck.