Author Topic: First Time Job for a Teenager?  (Read 2094 times)

LibrarianFuzz

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First Time Job for a Teenager?
« on: June 01, 2020, 02:58:35 PM »
My niece, a 17-year old who is between her junior and senior years of high school, is looking for a summer job.

She's not had any luck, even applying to the grocery store (which I thought for sure was hiring right now.) She has no prior work experience.

She's advertised her services as a babysitter, but has had very few bites (probably because everyone is already at home watching their kids right now.)

If things were "normal" I would have suggested one of the following summertime options:
Summer lifeguard or concessions/snack stand at one of the local public pools
A camp or daytime counselor at one of the local Park and Rec programs
Selling tickets or running a booth at the annual county or state fair

At this point, I'm out of suggestions. She doesn't have a car or I'd suggest DoorDash (although you might have to be 18 for that.)

Any ideas?

marty998

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2020, 03:14:24 PM »
Does she play sport? Can she referee younger teams? That earned me enough money as a high school kid.

Is she academically minded? She can also tutor if that’s the case.

Dee18

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2020, 03:39:56 PM »
When my daughter was that age she applied to the locally owned ice cream shop...by submitting a resume with a cover letter in person.  When she was leaving for college the manager told her he normally only hired the kids of friends of his, but he was so impressed that she submitted a resume he just had to hire her. 

Kwill

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #3 on: June 01, 2020, 03:41:28 PM »
Is she qualified as a lifeguard? The YWCA in my parents' town always has a hard time getting enough people to fill all the shifts for the pool. They especially have a hard time getting people to cover the early morning right when the pool opens. They end up having retirees lifeguard, and I wonder if that will be harder this year with the coronavirus being more dangerous for older people. They are opening an outdoor pool next week, and my senior citizen father will be serving as a lifeguard again. I really wish there were more young people who were willing and able to lifeguard so that I could convince him to just stay home.

Freedomin5

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2020, 03:46:19 PM »
Are any organizations in the area taking volunteers right now? She would not be paid but at least she would get work experience.

ROF Expat

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2020, 03:56:45 PM »
How about one of the cleaning services like Molly Maid or Merry Maids?  When I was in high school, one of my part-time jobs was for a cleaning contractor that cleaned movie theatres at night.  The work was hard, but the pay was pretty good for a high school student and I learned some important life lessons by doing unpleasant manual labor.  If she can't work for one of the services, she could probably do it on her own in the neighborhood by undercutting the prices of the pros, especially if she offers rates low enough to attract people who would't normally hire a housekeeper or service.  I think maid services charge around $75 per hour to have two people cleaning, and I suspect she'd find a lot of interest if she was ready to work hard cleaning houses in the neighborhood for $10 or $15. 

+1 on volunteering if she really can't find a job (and worth considering even if she can).  I'd suggest finding a place to volunteer (preferably with something in which she has real interest) and then dedicating a lot of hours and taking it very seriously.  If she volunteers for something like the local animal shelter, museum, zoo, or meals on wheels, it could turn into paid work or make a contact that could lead to paid work.  And even if it doesn't, she will learn good work  habits, get some work experience, and it will look good on a resume or college application. 

ixtap

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #6 on: June 01, 2020, 04:33:39 PM »
What with high unemployment a teenager with no experience can't find a job? You don't say!

As others have said, volunteering is an excellent way to get experience, and possibly a lead to a paid job when the economy picks up.

MayDay

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #7 on: June 01, 2020, 05:03:55 PM »
Around here ice cream and pizza delivery places are full of teenagers.

I also see tons of kids mowing lawns.

I know tons of people looking for aggressively socially distancing sitters. If her parents are WFH and not going out, she should advertise that no one in her family is going out except for grocery store wearing a mask and she will go only to the nanny family's house.

Kwill

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2020, 05:11:48 PM »
You didn't mention your country, but if your niece is in the US and has interest in life-guarding or babysitting, she could take a course with the Red Cross. They do a lot of training courses, including some in childcare and babysitting. Maybe having the training to handle emergencies and give basic first aid would help to make her more marketable. They also do lifeguard training.

mm1970

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #9 on: June 01, 2020, 05:46:52 PM »
What with high unemployment a teenager with no experience can't find a job? You don't say!

As others have said, volunteering is an excellent way to get experience, and possibly a lead to a paid job when the economy picks up.
Basically this.  But, a few ideas/ comments.

1. Grocery store.  I know ours are hiring,  and I know a friend's 17 yo son just started working at one.  But he quit 4 months in, because COVID turned all the customers crazy.  I worked at a grocery store in a small town, let me tell you it was HARD to get that job.  You had to know someone.  I got the job because my mom worked at the bank with the grocery store manager's wife. 

Does she know anyone?  Do you know anyone?

2.  Probably not a lot of summer camps going on.  I'd recommend advertising babysitting on local FB groups.

3.  COVID related jobs.  Does she have a car?  Can she run errands and do shopping for the elderly?  There are several people here in town who are doing that, at $25 a trip.

4.  Restaurants, smoothie places camp counselor.

5.  Cleaning services, depending on where you live.

I'm old, but my part time jobs in HS and college were:
grocery store bagger, temp employee at the gas company  (digging ditches, cleaning bathrooms, loading pipe), painting dorms, making pizza, cashier at pizza place.

I'd also recommend volunteering. My niece and nephew both volunteered starting in HS at a camp that taught disabled kids how to ride bicycles.  Did it for years.  Now they work at Applebees when they aren't at college.  Actually, niece just graduated.

sixwings

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #10 on: June 01, 2020, 07:56:53 PM »
My first job at 17 was working front desk at a hotel. My wife's first job was in housekeeping, that's how we met. Usually at this time of year they are loading up but probably not right now. I kept that job all through uni and it was fantastic.


Sibley

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #11 on: June 01, 2020, 08:05:31 PM »
I worked at the library in high school. Then I worked for a summer in a small local grocery store at the deli. It sucked and motivated me to make sure I had a job when I graduated.

This summer, I've seen on Facebook and Nextdoor people looking for help with yardwork.

Chris Pascale

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #12 on: June 01, 2020, 10:14:45 PM »
I had mixed results with my two older kids.

Kid 1: At 15 we walked up and down the downtown near our house and none she went to hired people under 16. This included all stores from the golf shop to the laundromat to the ice cream parlor. And then we were at a Rotary Club meeting so she could be sponsored to be an exchange student, and while chatting over lunch about the job hunt a woman told her, "I could use you at the nursing home for 4 hours every Saturday." It turned into 16. When she came home from her exchange at 17 she worked at a grocery store for 7 months, took a couple months off, then got a summer job through the town as a gardener when she was 18. Recently, the manager of that department called to ask her to come back for this summer.

Kid 2: At 14 we drove to 5 or 6 places and lucked into a restaurant where a waitress from her school said "Are you going to work here? That would be so cool." She came out with a W-4 and hours for the next day. After Christmas she wanted to change jobs so we drove around two different times, and a candy shop hired her to work weekends and sometimes after school.

bradne

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #13 on: June 01, 2020, 11:12:33 PM »
My son just turned 17 last week.  He has had a job at the local chain steakhouse busing tables.   He has probably had the job 8 months.  He makes pretty good money for a teenager and I encourage him to put a good chunk in savings. He applied on line and they brought him in for an interview.  He has good grades, is an Eagle Scout and a pretty good kid (most of the time).   They hired him pretty quick and I must say it is a great job for a teenager.   

When my daughter was 16 she was working at Chipotle on the food line.   She did pretty good but got burned out when they started giving her less hours and weird times.   She also worked at Panda Express.   She never seemed to have a hard time finding a job as a teenager.  Around here there seems to be plenty of places willing to hire teenagers as long as they are willing to do the work.     

NV Teacher

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #14 on: June 02, 2020, 12:29:30 PM »
Check out being a CNA.

thesis

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #15 on: June 02, 2020, 01:20:31 PM »
I was a teen during the recession. It was hard. I never did get a job until I found a work-study position during my sophomore year of college.

If your niece is very outgoing, it may pay to keep pushing for jobs. A lot of those that have been mentioned really value workers who are outgoing. Otherwise, considering the terrible employment numbers right now, she might consider spending this time building up skills. Shameless plug for software development, if she's interested in that sort of thing. There's probably no better time to pick up a skill that can get your foot in the door somewhere. And if neither of those work, I'd second volunteering. Better than bumming around feeling sorry for yourself like I did one summer :)

Getting a hematology cert is fairly inexpensive, which can open the doors to working in a hospital. But those jobs are really up in the air right now, with some being in high demand and others having hours cut back. But heck, even 10 hours a week is experience. Just an idea.

ChickenStash

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #16 on: June 02, 2020, 02:18:44 PM »
Any relatives currently employed in a shop that needs "gofers" of some sort? Normally, these are low-level jobs that are hard to keep adults in but for a young person they can actually be quite educational and good resume builders for later since they look different than the usual fast food or grocery store jobs.




Cassie

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #17 on: June 02, 2020, 02:53:19 PM »
Fast food or car washes.

AnnaGrowsAMustache

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #18 on: June 02, 2020, 03:56:09 PM »
Teach her how to make money herself - perhaps by buying from thrift stores and selling online.

AMandM

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #19 on: June 02, 2020, 08:40:55 PM »
A friend's son just got a job delivering food by bicycle for Caviar. Other stores in my town also do bike deliveries.

What skills does she have? Lawn care, house cleaning, pet walking, shopping, running errands, decluttering, painting, sewing, editing, .... Any of these she could advertise with flyers delivered to houses/businesses. Maybe she could compete with DoorDash or UberEats by offering to pick up & deliver food for a set fee in her neighborhood?

Is there something she can make and sell online?

Does she have, or can she acquire, a skill she can sell online?

Goldielocks

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #20 on: June 02, 2020, 11:25:33 PM »
Depends on how your area is opening up, but look for seasonal summer businesses that hire young women.  e.g., retail at a gardening center, summer fair, drive in, summer swimming pool, food cart, landscaping, golf center, that sort of thing.

This year a lot of those places are closed or have low traffic.

I also had success with a fast food center, coffee shop, then retail after  I had some experience.

Kwill

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #21 on: June 03, 2020, 02:05:27 AM »
It might be worth registering with a temp agency like Adecco or whatever there is in her area, assuming 17 is old enough. Even if there are no immediate jobs, she could be on the database for later and maybe get something next summer or on weekends. One of my early jobs in my 20s was through Adecco, and I had to have an interview, a typing test, and a test with Microsoft Office before I could be considered for anything. I think that application process itself was useful to me since I hadn't had a lot of jobs or interviews.

Imma

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #22 on: June 03, 2020, 02:25:04 AM »
Are you in an area with agricultural jobs? Where I live those businesses are dependent on seasonal migrant workers and a lot of them are staying home this year, picking fruit or mushrooms. It's hard work but hard work pays off as you usually get paid for the amount that you pick.

I also have a friend who makes a lot of money now homeschooling kids because the parents are busy working from home.

ScreamingHeadGuy

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #23 on: June 03, 2020, 06:10:11 AM »
Are you in an area with agricultural jobs? Where I live those businesses are dependent on seasonal migrant workers and a lot of them are staying home this year, picking fruit or mushrooms. It's hard work but hard work pays off as you usually get paid for the amount that you pick.

I also have a friend who makes a lot of money now homeschooling kids because the parents are busy working from home.

Ag. work will teach strong work ethic, and convince a person to strive for any kind of job BUT agricultural.  It’s the perfect first job for a teenager. 

Imma

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #24 on: June 03, 2020, 07:34:33 AM »
Are you in an area with agricultural jobs? Where I live those businesses are dependent on seasonal migrant workers and a lot of them are staying home this year, picking fruit or mushrooms. It's hard work but hard work pays off as you usually get paid for the amount that you pick.

I also have a friend who makes a lot of money now homeschooling kids because the parents are busy working from home.

Ag. work will teach strong work ethic, and convince a person to strive for any kind of job BUT agricultural.  It’s the perfect first job for a teenager.

I planted a strawberry patch for the first time this year. Mr Imma was like 'no way I'm going to pick them, it's your strawberry patch!' . It's 20 years ago since the summer he picked strawberries :)

Pigeon

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #25 on: June 03, 2020, 08:49:13 AM »
If my kids were looking for their first jobs now, I'd steer them into babysitting/parent's helper for a single family.  My area is still mostly shut down, and the only business that are hiring anyone are places like Target and grocery stores.  I'd prefer my kid not take a job involving a lot of potential exposure to the virus that they would get in a public facing job.  It's just not worth the risk of having them bring it home from my perspective.  My Nextdoor group has a lot of postings from people working from home and wanting someone to watch the kids so they can focus on work.

Just Joe

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #26 on: June 03, 2020, 11:54:57 AM »
After several months my eldest was hired on at a local grocery store. I'm seeing alot of "help wanted" signs but I suspect with unemployment what it is - employers are able to be choosy.

At that age I was pet sitting (visit a neighbor's house and feed/water someone's dogs and cats. Animals were outside loose back then), washing and vacuuming cars, babysitting, oil changes eventually as an older teen, local recreation department, fast food, briefly server in a retirement home dining room, raking leaves.

firstmatedavy

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #27 on: June 04, 2020, 07:53:54 AM »
When my daughter was that age she applied to the locally owned ice cream shop...by submitting a resume with a cover letter in person.  When she was leaving for college the manager told her he normally only hired the kids of friends of his, but he was so impressed that she submitted a resume he just had to hire her.

For what it's worth, I did this with 10+ places one summer, only got one call back (a job cleaning a pair of shops), and they decided to hire a college student instead because they were going to be in town longer. Previous summers i didn't even get that far.

It's definitely worth trying, but I think nowadays it's important to check for a job posting or website saying how they prefer to receive resumes - some places see in-person applications as inability to follow directions now. And in at least some places there are so many older, slightly more experienced workers seeking the same jobs that the best you can do is work your butt off applying and hope to get lucky.

Come to think of it, the one job I did get was weeding for a neighbor who was trying to sell their house. My sister did dog walking and pet sitting. If willing to work outside or do handyman stuff, asking neighbors what they need might turn up some small jobs. Based on my own experience moving, people trying to sell or move might be more willing to hire out work than usual.
« Last Edit: June 04, 2020, 08:03:27 AM by firstmatedavy »

ducky19

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Re: First Time Job for a Teenager?
« Reply #28 on: June 04, 2020, 08:55:27 AM »
Not sure where you are located, but my 15 year old daughter is detasseling corn for the second season in a row. I was convinced she would try it last year and quit within the first week - she will sleep until afternoon every day if allowed and is definitely not a morning person. Apparently when it comes to money, she can be motivated to be a morning person! Up every morning at 4:30, tired but no complaints. Worked her ass off but made a lot of great friends she wouldn't have met or hung out with otherwise. She's excited to do it again this year and is saving up for a year as an exchange student in Australia.