First Job

[vermilion]

I'm trying to earn up money for a car and college. I'm turning 16 soon which is the eligible employment age in VA so I'll turn in my applications after my birthday.

 

But the thing is, I have NO experience and these places that say they hire

16+ always have tons of slots for previous employment. I have NOTHING to put here. I also have only teachers as references because I never have been an athlete so I don't have some coach who's known me forever type references. Just teachers who've known me a year or two.

 

How am I ever going to get hired?!?

 

Also, does anyone know how old you have to be a waitress- since you might have to serve alcohol I thought it'd be 21, also, they say on applications "Are you atleast 21/18/16 etc."

but some of my friends work at these places and are only 16.

 

Any advice is appreciated, Thanks!

[Alezia]

Don't worry, we all have to start somewhere.

If you did any volunteer work, or paper boy stuff, coop terms etc.. you can put that on there as experience Babysitting might look better than nothing?

You can start at fast food places etc.. where the requirements to get in are pretty low, you don't need any diploma etc..

[Jennster]

Obviously don't set your sights too hire on the big time jobs. You're gonna have to settle for being a grocery bagger or a fast food worker or a cashier. My first job was at Petsmart when I was 16 and I was a natural at the register - I had no prior experience. Most people will take anyone willing to work for the low pay so I'm sure you'll find something soon.

[laboheme]

You shouldn't have much trouble getting hired at a large store. I started working as a cashier when I was 16, and I also had no experience whatsoever. After six months, I felt I needed a more interesting job, and by then I had something to put down on the application.

 

A word of advice though: you probably won't want to keep you first job for a long time, especially if it's fast food service or something along those lines. However, don't quit too soon...being employed for one month doesn't look too good, unless your reasons for quitting are better than "got bored, needed a better job." In my experience, employers will be hesitant to hire a job-hopper, because training you may not be worth the effort if you're planning to leave soon anyway! So...if it's your first job, start out slow. As tempting as it is to work a lot of hours, don't. (Plus, there are limits on how much students can work). You might burn out quickly and want to quit before getting a good recommendation. It might be better to work just a few hours a week but make a long-term commitment to the job, until you've established a solid reputation as a good worker...and then move on to bigger and better things

[vermilion]

Thanks for your replies!

 

So how long is enough to stay at a crappy job and still get a good recommendation?

 

2 months?

 

I could just get some experience at Mcdonalds or something so I can get a better job. Yuck...I hate Mcdonalds but I can walk there so I'm not getting rides or borrowing my mom's car.

[now_better]

first off, grats on taking steps to becoming an indepedent adult. there are people twice your age that could take lessons from you.

 

second, McD down the street sounds like a great opportunity for your first job. a lot of multi-tasking, very humbling work, customer service, cheap food (if you still have the stomach for it afterwards), and i'm sure your friends will come visit you. i recommend staying at least 3 months (like a summer job). good luck!

[kellbell]

Hey there!

 

My first job was working at the consession stand for a large movie theater. It was a blast! Free movies and making new friends. Depending on the laws of Virginia, you may not be able to work past 10PM. I know that was the case in Connecticut. It did not matter if I was in school or if it was the weekend.

 

About the waitressing job, most states require that you be at least 18 years old because of the serving of alcohol. But you can hostess which I did as well.

 

Oh, and I just thought of something else, try volunteering at places as well. For example, if you love animals, volunteer at the local animal shelter. It is a way to get experience and get recommendations. High schools have programs for students whom want to volunteer or do something like an internship. Talk to your school counselor. Some high schools even require volunteer work.

 

Good luck with the job search.

[confused25]

My first job when I was a junior at high school was being the hostess at a restaurant. I think you should be able to get a regular sales/minimum wage job fine. I don't think they would really require you to have any prior experiences. Some larger department stores will give you training on how to conduct sales transactions as well.