Getting a summer job? *Lockable*

Tav

Well, I'm 17 and I can honestly say that I've never worked a day in my life. The summers coming up, and I want to get money that I can exchange for goods and services when I see fit. I have loads of good intentions to go and get a job and work hard, but then I realized that I have no idea how to go about this. I have no experience with CV writing, with actually looking for employment or how to handle interviews if one arises.

Please H/A, give me your knowledge on how to get jobs and monayz!

Malkor

Show up, ask for an application. Fill out application and hand it in. Repeat as neccessary. At 17 no one is going to expect you to have a resume, just be clean and friendly. Don't take rejection or even not hearing from them personally and send out as many applications as you can until you find something, anything.

Theungry

You don't need a resume for your first job. Your first job is working with a caterer, restaurant, gold course, landscaper or walmart. You get it in person, by asking for it face to face, preferably with some reason for them to be talking to you. Ask your parents and folks their age that you know if they know of anyone with connections to that type of business and get an introduction. If that doesn't turn anything up, start showing up places in person, and ask if they are hiring. Always try to speak to a manager, and not a counter monkey.

chuck steak

Go to every supermarket, fast food place, video rental place, and restaurant to pick up application forms. Fill them out and hand them in. Attach a resume (don't worry that it won't have much of anything on it) and a cover letter (just a few sentences explaining that you're looking for summer employment and that you hope to hear back from them to arrange an interview).

Then in the interview just be relaxed and answere their questions. Make yourself out to be hard working and friendly, but don't over do it to the point that it looks like you're trying too hard.

chuck steak

They're right that you don't really need a resume, but I think it makes it look like you put more effort into applying, which can't hurt. If you've done any volenteer work, or are involved with any clubs or anything in school you can put that type of stuff on there.

Tav

chuck steak wrote: »

They're right that you don't really need a resume, but I think it makes it look like you put more effort into applying, which can't hurt. If you've done any volenteer work, or are involved with any clubs or anything in school you can put that type of stuff on there.

That's what I was considering putting on the CV (Qualified in basic first aid, helped my Mum with volunteer work twice a week for the last three summers and helped several other charities, very good at computers, school grades, etc.) but in reality I had no idea even how to format one. Thanks a bunch for all the help already guys

Quid

I could generally find jobs at real restaurants relatively easy since they tend to have a high turnover. One place I recommend from personal experience if there's one near you is Bone Fish Grill. They're really nice to their employees and don't try to keep them under 40 or anything like that since they already offer insurance to everyone regardless of hours worked.

Also, if anyone asks you in for an interview dress decent. A surprising number of people don't bother to make the effort and it can make the difference between to equally qualified people.

Grid System

Do you (or your parents) know any people that own/operate/manage stores, restaurants, or any place really that you could work at?

Never underestimate the power of being connected, even if the connection seems trivial.

Silvoculous

Do the application right there in the store. Insist on handing it straight to the manager; you don't want anything to do with those counter jockeys. Go back often, just ask if there are any specific dates scheduled where they do interviews, or what positions are currently open, or any other job-related question you can ask.

You have to be able to stand out from all the other people who go in there asking for jobs, and that can be done simply by the manager putting your name with a face, talked to your personally on more than one occasion, or being used to seeing you. Persistence is key.

Tav

Grid System wrote: »

Do you (or your parents) know any people that own/operate/manage stores, restaurants, or any place really that you could work at?

Never underestimate the power of being connected, even if the connection seems trivial.

Nope. Getting hooked up without putting in any real effort was my first instinct, but it hasn't worked out as I had hoped

ihmmy

I call bullshit on not needing a resume. Sure you can survive without one. But a lot of the awesome jobs aren't run by huge chains that will have applications, and most applications that I've run into ask you to attach your resume anyway

my first, um, four jobs or so didn't even have applications. And the first one was a freaking -spectacular- job to have over summer and while in school (worked at a cookie store in a mall, made cookies and coffee and muffins and brownies, got to eat a fair chunk of it, and night shifts were slow enough that I often did my homework after cleaning the whole store)

seriously, ms word has a bunch of resume templates and there are guides online. plus that way you can paper an area you want to work in (ie within walking distance or bike distance) and pray for a callback

Tav

Just want to say thanks to everyone who posted and gave me an idea of what I should be doing. Two of the places that I went into today said that I would be seriously considered for a job if I dropped in a CV/application form, so I'm going to go in first thing in the morning.

-lockable-