Working as a Teenager?

[DannyFenton123]

Did anybody here work as a teenager? Being of legal age to work part time I've been entertaining the thought, but having never done something like this before I'm not exactly sure what to expect, and that feeling of unknown is the worst. I'm lucky that there are a few pretty good part-time job places within walking distance (one of which is hiring right now) that had a good experience with my sister working there. I think it'll make me a little more independent, as I wouldn't be completely relying on my dad all the time.

 

Did any of you guys work as a teenager? What was your experience?

[Tal Shi'ar]

My first job I got when I was 17. I have no idea how I got it, since they rang me and told me to come in the next morning for an interview. That wasn't the best place I've worked for, and it payed pretty crap, but at least it was a start.

Also, since your sister worked at that place, ask her what she did when she applied there, so you at least know what to expect when you walk in. Other than that, just dive in, it's a bit hard to pass on experience verbally.

[DannyFenton123]

Thanks! I'm planning to ask my sister stuff later tonight. Mostly I'm worried about if I ever have to come in for an interview; from the tips I've seen online, this seems to be the place where I'm pretty likely to bomb it. I stutter, I slouch, I fiddle with stuff and I have a hard time maintaining eye contact

[breaddd]

I'm going to have a job soon (I'm 15). I applied for a summer job at my uncle's restaurant (he sort of asked me if I wanted a job...I didn't really apply).

[aihpen]

I had the most random jobs as a teenager... I delivered newspapers, probably the most boring job I had and the most work for the money. Then I earned money a bunch of times by doing some calligraphy, which was fun. I sat in an art exhibition, where I only had to open the room, sit there for 3 hours reading a book or something and counting how many visitors there were (there were barely ever more than 2 every day, so I had a lot of time to myself) and then locking the room again. And then I had a few jobs as a juggling teacher, which were for sure the best paid ones. Then there was also maths tutoring that I did, not my favorite considering I don't like maths (even though I was really good at it for some reason), but the girl I tutored was nice and actually interested in learning that stuff, so it was fine. I didn't had any interviews for any of these. I usually got those jobs because someone asked me and I agreed to do them. The only one I actually found myself was my first juggling teaching job. I called a place where you can offer courses, then met up with some guy who worked for that place to talk about the details of the course I wanted to offer and that was it basically... But usually the jobs just came to me  

[Athena]

If you haven't applied yet: do. It gives you valuable experience. If you're afraid of the interview, prepare yourself just like you'd do for a school presentation. Practice your handshake and answers to questions like 'why do you want to work here?' on family if you have to. A great resource for tips about interviews, salaries, internships and so on is AskAManager.

 

I started working by shelving books at the library when I was fifteen and it helped me a lot by giving me the courage that I could handle more and more responsibility and got to know the goings on of a normal workplace. How to conduct yourself in a work environment is one of the most valuable skills you pick up on your first job. It helped me land better-paying jobs down the line. 

 

Also, if you're in an at-will state and get fired for some reason, your livelihood doesn't depend on it. Gather those experiences like XP orbs and soon enough you'll level up.

[owl]

18 hours ago, Athena said:

I started working by shelving books at the library when I was fifteen and it helped me a lot by giving me the courage that I could handle more and more responsibility and got to know the goings on of a normal workplace. How to conduct yourself in a work environment is one of the most valuable skills you pick up on your first job. It helped me land better-paying jobs down the line. 

I did my work experience at a library a few years ago, definitely a great way to learn about the work environment (surprisingly casual), being treated like an adult (somewhat) by coworkers and responsibility and all that.

[Louis On Air]

I'm doing work experience with my cousin's company in July but I'm turning 16 in August so maybe something will come in the new year

[peridotty]

i'm 17 and i work in fast food and let me tell you: it can be the most exhausting work youve done so far, and be sure youre ready to do something like this. its true that getting a part time job while youre young is good experience & theres probably laws against making you work *too* hard, but theres definitely a difference between 20 hr weeks in the summertime when youre a homebody who does nothing interesting and 20hr weeks during the school year when youre taking three AP classes.

 

dont get me wrong it forces me to pry myself out of my house and look presentable and hygenic and im making some decent dollars, but if you can avoid selling your labor to a corporate overlord for a little while, do it

 

(but like if youre going to work at something more lowkey like a library or a barn or something that isn't customer service related totally do it if youve got the time)

[Blue Phoenix Ace]

When I turned 16, my Dad said, "you're gonna get a job this summer". Sure, why not? I worked at Kroger as a bagger then cashier. When high school came back, I quit and next summer I worked at Taco Bell. The pay was pretty bad, but it was a lot better than my allowance. And I learned a lot about customer service, and to be respectful of people with these kinds of jobs. They don't require a lot of skills, but they do require stamina and responsibility, which are good qualities to enhance. Plus, I thought my jobs were fun.

 

As for interviewing, you don't have anything to worry about as a youngster. Most places aren't looking for super high quality employees your age. They want cheap labor. As long as you don't come across as an arrogant prick, you should be fine.