How does a teen find a 1st job without experience?

[Anonymous]

My 17yo DC is not having any luck. She doesn't have any real work experience so I know that is the first problem, but what can she do to better her chances at finding a job? She has submitted applications to almost every restaurant, retail, grocery store, etc that states they are hiring, but yet she doesn't even get a bite. She is very discouraged, and I'm confused as to why businesses say they are hiring, but her application is not considered. These are all entry level jobs that she is trying to get (host, cashier, etc). Any ideas of what she can do?

[Anonymous]

Do you know anyone who has a store/ restaurant / business who could give her a day or a week of work experience ?

IF she can build that up - say 2 or 3 places who can give references and so she is not totally without any experience, she will have a better chance on the real, paying jobs.

[Anonymous]

I got a job as a CVS cashier because my parents knew the store manager.

Even for retail, minimum wage, entry jobs, that's how it works, unfortunately. So, whom do you know that could help?

[Anonymous]

Is she going into the store looking professional? nails painted, hair, clothes?

Barnes and Nobel used to be a place that hired off of online applications.

[Anonymous]

Start with volunteer experience. My DC listed some of his SSL work on his resume (one of which was a food service related one). DC also had done an in-school internship for a year.

Find something where she has an edge or expertise. For example some kids on the track team worked in running stores. Kids on the soccer team were soccer camp counselors.

Look for places that have seasonality and need people for peak periods - like plant nurseries. American Plant welcomes high school kids.

Some retail places have age 18 minimums. I know J Crew does. I've never seen a kid working at CVS either - mostly older people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is she going into the store looking professional? nails painted, hair, clothes?

Barnes and Nobel used to be a place that hired off of online applications.

She usually goes into the businesses after school, so she has on her uniform, but she is put together quite nicely. Hair and makeup is almost perfect, she speaks well (for a 17yo), meaning no slang. Most of the time, they simply tell her to apply online and that is the end of the conversation.

[Anonymous]

Agree with volunteering and with having your child apply at places where you know someone. These two things worked very well for my 17 year old. He has a great volunteer work resume - more than 1,000 hours from which he received great references. One of the place where he volunteered hired him. We also heard a lot of "apply on line".

Is she ready for the questions that are asked? Does she follow up after putting in applications? We found going back and doing in person follow up helped. One resulted in the restaurant creating a part time dishwasher job for my son.

Also, one reason we found that my son was having difficulty was that most jobs are full time and even the part time ones don't have hours that work for high school kids.

It's about time to start looking for summer camp and baby sitting jobs if she doesn't have anything lined up for that time period.

[Anonymous]

They don't. All the illegals have the jobs instead. Look at the malls, department stores, fast-food, lawn service etc... All used to be teen jobs.

[Anonymous]

it's hard to compete with people who are available all day if she's only available after school and on weekends. Maybe start with babysitting, petsitting, lawnmowing, etc. and look for something over the summer--farmstands, summer camps, lifeguarding--that sort of thing. In DC, the dept. of parks and rec will actually pay for your lifeguard training because they have such a hard time finding qualified staff.

[Anonymous]

She needs to know someone if she doesn't have experience. She should ask at her school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They don't. All the illegals have the jobs instead. Look at the malls, department stores, fast-food, lawn service etc... All used to be teen jobs.

That isn't fair, or accurate. People used to have these jobs as teenagers/young adults, and now they are lifetime jobs - "illegals" or not. They were gateway jobs - you got work experience and then you went to college/trade school/whatever, and then you moved on. People do not do that anymore. They stay in these jobs FOREVER. There is a woman that has been working at the drive through at the McDonald's in my neighborhood since I moved here in 2003. That is why your daughter can't get an entry level job - people stay in them for 12 years.

Agree with PPs - does she know ANYONE that could hire her, or do any of her friends have jobs? Even in the stone ages when I worked at McDs, my cousin was the store manager, and they hired people's friends all of the time.

[Anonymous]

Have her apply at a froyo shop or other dessert shop. I always see teens working there after school and on weekends. This is almost the time of year that they would be increasing staff as they anticipate spring and warmer weather.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she going into the store looking professional? nails painted, hair, clothes?

Barnes and Nobel used to be a place that hired off of online applications.

She usually goes into the businesses after school, so she has on her uniform, but she is put together quite nicely. Hair and makeup is almost perfect, she speaks well (for a 17yo), meaning no slang. Most of the time, they simply tell her to apply online and that is the end of the conversation.

The uniform probably makes her look young. Most school uniforms are hideous. I'd suggest she change into clothes appropriate for the job.

[Anonymous]

If she doesn't know someone, she can lie. Is this a great lesson for a kid? Nope, definitely not, but it's how I got my first entry-level restaurant job. My very first job I got because I knew someone, and I just embellished that job into something similar on the application. I interview well so I got the job.

[Anonymous]

Is she specifically looking for retail jobs? I am looking for someone to help me with my business and would definitely consider a responsible teenager.