High schooler starting a job search, advice and tips?

I thought I should start searching for a job to help out the family and have some spending cash of my own. I started writing up a new resume (I lost my old one in dropbox somehow) and would like criticism and advice on it.

I plan to add my Business teacher as a reference as soon as I get her contact information, but what does Giant Bomb think? What should I remove? What should I add? What should I change? Any help would be lovely.

Also, while searching for jobs, how should I approach this? My teacher said that going into stores, asking for a hiring manager and directly speaking with them is the best approach, but I'm open to all ideas.

Now that I think about it, I should probably take out Linux, seeing as I just started getting into it. Not sure why I added it in the first place. And I just noticed that extra period after computer. Editing now!

EDIT: Fixed most mistakes, added onto education and general fixes.

First off - spell check.

Edit:

Secondly - you should talk to your business teacher about how to write a resume instead of the internet.

Your experience lists a certain high school...

Putting the school's GPA on it. That technology list in interests might be overboard. But it looks good for a retail job.

Will do, honestly I literally just typed this out so I probably should have been more thorough with my own checking. For your second part, yes, I will do that, but it's also nice having others read it and give advice too.

No idea why I didn't think of that. Ill edit in my GPA and some classes I have taken. Thanks!

You definitely need another reference that isn't a family member or friend.

Going into stores and asking never worked for me. Most managers probably don't want to be bothered if they're extremely busy. If you do need to do this, though, do it on Monday as soon as you can.

Handing in paper applications is better than filling out those fucking online applications. Ugh.

To be honest, the best thing you can do is find a contact that can put you in touch with a manager. Councillors, teachers, friends, anybody that might serve as a link to a manager or something like that can increase your chances a hundredfold. Otherwise, you might be handing in tons of applications, sometimes many times to the same place over a course of several months. My first job was at a Subway, where I'd handed in an application several times over the past year or two in addition to handing in applications/filling out online applications to practically everywhere else I could get to for that amount of time or longer.

Looks pretty good (wow CV's in America looks way different then those in the EU) send Email's or letters i prefer letters since they don't toss those away immediately to company's you like to work fore. a other tip is don't give up there's a lot off competition its through willpower and a bit off luck that you will find a job you like, some times you just need a bit off patience and luck.

happy hunting !

My advice? Looking for a job, if you're serious about this, is a fucking hard job. That's not meant to discourage you, it's a warning. And don't take shit personally... you won't get a bunch of jobs for a bunch of reasons, but you can't start thinking it's because of who you are. It's business. I know people who have lost heart looking for work, it's soul crushing stuff. Stay strong.

Good luck dude!!

I got the first job I applied to. It was at Which Wich and it had me fill out a paper instead of write my own thing which was nice

Thanks, I'll try to think of another reference I could add and I will definitely speak to people about any available jobs they know of.

I'll try not to give up! Hopefully I won't be discourage after the first week.

Thanks, I'll try to stay strong, hopefully I'll have better luck than others.

I got a museum job as a high schooler and highly recommend it. Looks great on resumes, good atmosphere (not high stress, place of learning and all that) and there was a lot of downtime... which I spent doing homework and reading a whole lot of books (most I've ever read and that was awesome).

Network. Tell everyone you know that you're looking for a job.

Well there's an idea. It doesn't seem as if many people are racing to work at a museum plus it might be interesting spending a lot of time at one.

Well my first job I got from an uncle so ask a family member that has a business to see if he can hire you .... to entice him tell him you would be doing it part time. I wish I could help more but all of my jobs have fallen into my lap so I dunno about job hunting (even less so how it is done in the US). Bu for the looks of it you do have quite the resume for being a cashier and the sort. They dont need a rocket scientist for such jobs :3

It couldn't have gone better for me.

I got an internship at The Peabody Essex Museum and it's a pretty big art museum but not too big. But they had a good internship program with a lot of departments, though most of the ones in things like marketing were all college kids. But yeah it was a good experience for me and I ended up getting hired on afterwards as an employee. I worked weekends during the school year and then all during the summer. And it was a job where I couldn't work past 5, which is nice especially when you're in high school so you have your nights free.

Maybe there is a museum around you with that kind of set up, maybe it'll just be a job to start in, but give it a shot if you can.

Reconsider the whole resume thing if it's just an hourly wage retail job you're looking for. You'd be better off introducing yourself to the manager in person and filling out their provided application. First of all, their application is going to have all the information they need (and want), so it's redundant to turn in a resume also. Plus if you're not good at constructing a resume it might end up being a negative anyway. A lot of these places get in tons of applications, and sometimes a resume is just more to look at, and comes off a little haughty. I've had managers roll their eyes at people who go way overboard for this stuff. Of course this was at smaller, local shops with younger management and staff. Maybe more professional people appreciate that? Regardless, the in-person introduction thing is probably a good idea.

Oh, and don't be one of those people who calls back four times to check on the status of your application.

Try to find someone you know who can give you a job or hook you up. I am 26 and have had jobs at 4 different companies. I have never had a serious interview, or had anyone ever look at my resume. I have gotten every job either through neighbors, friends, family, or advancement from previous jobs. Obviously have a nice resume and dress nicely, etc, but knowing someone is 90% of the battle. At least in my experience.

Don't do online applications. They're a waste of time. Print out like 20+ resumes and visit every store, restaurant, etc. that you would feel comfortable working at and apply in person. If you don't get any offers immediately, don't give up. Return in a week to the locations that are hiring, or even those that aren't, if you especially want to get hired there. Be persistent, but don't be annoying. It helps if you ask to speak to the hiring manager specifically when you go around handing out your resume. It took me like 3 weeks to get a part time job this way last semester.

As a high schooler, you're much better off asking around than you are typing a resume (although, it's great to learn that now, as it's a skill that will obviously come in handy later). As other people have said, it is very likely that you don't get most of the jobs/interviews you are looking for. Don't get discouraged. I freely admit that, as I get ready to apply for summer internships next week, I have a ton of self-doubt, which comes from my previous experiences applying for jobs. Expect that no one will even call you, and don't take it personally when they don't. That thing about talking to managers didn't help in my experience, but hey, it never hurts to try. At this level, and arguably everywhere, it's not what you know; it's who you know. Network, network, network. And don't give up! Good luck duder!

Just curious, where do you plan on working? As in, not specifically, but what kind of job? Or do you not yet know? My first job was at the Seattle (Shoreline?) Sears, and I didn't even have a resume; they hired me because he said I looked confident, even though I wasn't. It also probably helped because I had a friend as well as my brother that worked there. If this is your first job, you shouldn't worry too much about getting hired, though don't mistake that for don't even try (though I assume you'd try).

Just apply, and during and after the interview, dress for the job, act confident, and try your best to learn what needs to be learned about the job so you can keep it. I don't know how nervous you are, but if you are, that's OK. You may be nervous the first few days or even weeks after getting it, but in a short amount of time, you'll be back to normal (though a different kind of normal obviously, since you actually have a job). Make sure that before you actually get the job, you know what you're in for.

I don't want to say you don't need the resume, but um... You may not need it.

Two "m"s in "communication". It's your first real job: don't expect much. In fact expect some soul-crushing, mind numbing jaunt doing menial labor. Be positive! Good luck!

Also, spruce that bitch up! My second (or third?) resume was a flyer I made out to look like an ad for a laundromat or something. Cheesy graphics, ridiculous quotations, obviously false claims. It might not get me a good job, but it certainly made it stand out in the pile for those shit jobs where everyone's resume says the same stupid shit anyway.

I don't think you need to be so formal in what effectively is your introduction paragraph. 'Objectives' and such kind've makes you sound like a robot. Just tell them who you are, what your situation is and when you can work. I.E. Highschool student looking for Part Time work with a passion for computers (this last bit is if anything computer related comes up but you don't want to explicitly say this as you'll probably end up working weekends at retail).

And not many retail places have a 'hiring manager', my standard practice was to say 'We're not looking for anyone at the moment but I can take your CV and let you know if anything comes up.' Which more times than not is usually a no and we never got back to them. To be honest no one wants to deal with more paperwork than they already have and your CV will probably be looked at and if theres nothing for you at that time then you'll probably be lost in the shuffle. You can try blanketing the high street with your CV and hope for something to happen but I'd say just be on the look out for actual positions opening in your area and go for those.

So, I see no ones mentioned it yet, but.... an unfortunate(?) reality is that it's easier to find a job if you know someone, or if you know someone who knows someone. So...

Do you have friends working somewhere who could potentially vouch for you?

Are you connected to/involved with any larger community that includes adults who may know of openings (Church is an excellent one, if you or your family happens to attend)?

Do your parents know people that work at places which hire high schoolers?

And so on, and so forth, you get the gist. If none of that is present, thats fine, but if it is you should absolutely try to make it work for you.

This is correct. For several years I worked at a chain as a manager. We would get people that walked in, took a job application, came back and dropped them off later. Those in turn piled up in the office inbox. More often than not we hired people that were recommended (friends basically) of current employees. An employee would come up to me and say "listen my friends so-and-so is looking for a job" then I'd ask them if they can vouch for them that they're decent people and won't get suspended in a week and I'd set it up so they'd come in for an interview sometime that week. Unless they were tremendously incompetent or sounded like trouble we simply hired them because it was minimum wage work with physical labor. You don't need a genius to work a cash register, and you need even less to get someone who can sweep and clean well. We did this because it was a lot easier to talk to people that were recommended than to sift through the dozens of applications and call these people up. We still did all the reference checks because that was required by corporate ever since this one crazy guy went on break and shot a bunch of people who were bothering him. Later it came out his references all said "this guy is crazy" but no one contacted them.

If you don't appear lazy, indifferent towards getting the job, completely incompetent - then you will probably get a minimum wage job.

Just never, never tell anyone your username is "Sexy Toadster"

When you are looking for a retail job, you usually fill out a job application rather than a resume, some places won't have an application form, but you should be including the same information on your resume.

Hours/days you are available would be the biggest one.

How many hours you are looking to get on a weekly basis, part time or full time.

I'd make that job experience include Sales experience and mention that you advised customers/helped them make purchases.

The person that is going to hire you wants someone that isn't going to cause any problems, increase sales, and be there when they need you, that's really all that is important to most managers, don't make them guess about you, make it clear that you are the guy they want.

I haven't look for a retail or similar job in a while but generally if any of your friends have jobs ask them if their employers might be hiring. So those kinds of jobs that's really your best shot. Otherwise the spreadshot approach is best, talk to as many managers as possible, get your resume in their hands, and fill out as many applications in person as you can.

For the resume I wouldn't worry so much about the tech skills and interests unless you will be trying to get jobs where that is relevant. You will probably want to apply somewhere that those are relevant because that will be more interesting to you but it sounds like most the places you will be applying wont care that are teaching yourself to code C++ or even know what that means.

Good Luck :)

Seconded. While not a huge dealbreaker, bad e-mail addresses are greatly mocked when reviewing job applicants and very often you'll hear people say "I got sexybabee19 coming in for an interview at 3pm"

As a manager who hires my own staff let me give you some tips.

1. Do not call whatever prospective employer you want to work for everyday to ask for a interview. You appear desperate.

2. If you do get to the interview show up 10 -15 minutes early. Do not show up late. I personally cancel any interview if the applicant is 5 minutes late.

3. For a entry level job, don't bother with a resume. We as employers will know you just got out of high school & that this is your first job.

4. Dress professionally, but don't overkill it.

5. Don't worry about being nervous in your first interview. We expect it.

Any other questions just ask. Good luck to you.

Getting my first job was a bitch. It didn't help that I was a little late to it (summer after my freshman year of college, I think?) Ultimately I got hired at a Denny's, where I was eating and asked after a job. The manager interviewed me on the spot. I only had a resume turn into an hourly job once, the other times, I got it just by speaking to someone in charge directly. I think you'd have an even better chance getting hired if you have a friend who's already got a job, though, and can put in a good word for you.

Also, I agree with others that a resume shouldn't be important for what you're doing.

You shouldn't need a resume for a job like that. Those kinds of places have you fill out applications instead. Worry about your resume after you've worked at several places and are thinking about a career.

Don't expect to get any job off the street. Ask people you know if they know about any job openings. Your parents might know somebody that can vouch for you, and that really helps you get work. A friend of mine recently got a job at a Panda Express, and even for a menial miserable position like that, he only got it because he knew a friend who worked there in the past.

My boss straight up said he judges people based on their email address when looking at applicants. If a person isn't professional enough to make an email that is at least somewhat reasonably named, then he has concerns about their attention to detail. If you want to keep sextoadster1996@hotmail.com then simply make another email for work purposes. Any edge helps. Having a dedicated work/school email is useful anyway.

No really, it's hilarious what emails people will apply with. My boss has told me a few of the more crazy names. Some are downright creepy.

My younger brother's first job was working at Lowe's Foods grocery store. I think he started out bagging groceries. He worked his way up to more glamorous jobs like Deli and cashier and eventually manager. He was always working his way up through the company getting minor raises along the way. When he went to college he was able to transfer to another store close to where he was going to school.

Point is: Get a job in a place where you can work your way up. Retail stores are great, places like Target, BestBuy, even Gamestop. Anyone with any kind of common since can work their way up to a more respectable position in no time. Finding a company that has locations all over will keep you employed for years to come as you move from high school to college and keep you from having to start all over and the bottom of the corporate ladder. After your education is over and you are looking for real opportunities having worked for the same company for a long time, working your way up to better paying positions will look really good on a resume.

1) Take a look online for other types of resume to produce for different situations. A retail resume is different than an office cubical resume, you must apply with the right resume for the job in question. Also a retail job with food needs a different emphasis than one where you sell tee-shirts. When applying keep in mind what they are likely to have you doing and adjust what you say according to that.

2) Put everything you have under Interests that IS a skill under skills. Leave the FBLA at the bottom under Activities.

3) You MUST put more down under experience. Did you do any other jobs? Did you mow lawns one summer? Did you deliver papers? Did you help a teacher with copying papers during one semester? ANYTHING.

4) Separate out that you were a MANAGER at the school store, that is its own bullet point. Say how many people you managed on teh bullet point. Moreover, you do not have basic knowledge of a cash registers, you have that skill never say basic or proficient...a chimp is proficient...you are above proficient. Did the store do better under your management? Put down something substantive that was positive from your being manager - "Store increased sales ___%" or "Negotiated wage increase for workers" or "Restructured work shifts to improve efficiency". The school store job sounds flimsy as you have presented it, you need to show that it was a REAL job and that you took it seriously.

4) Ask some teachers who like you to write a short one paragraph recommendation, and ask if you can you them as a reference. Having a written recommendation helps when applying for first jobs, it is also good practice to ask for recommendations from teachers when you might need letters for college.

5) Never put things you are PLANNING to do on a resume, you are either currently do it or have done it.

You should absolutely separate that out but don't put that you were manager or managed the store unless you really did manage other employees or can reasonably answer a question about what you managed.

@izzygraze said:

This is probably the most important thing to do, honestly. For most entry level jobs, resumes aren't that important, unless you have or had a job already.

The best thing you can do for your resume is have plenty of references that aren't family, and to list them. A manager is more likely to pass on you than get in touch and try to get references, especially since you don't have any work experience outside of school. If the Student Store had some kind of Faculty sponsors, contect them and ask if you can use them.

Really though, you should focus less on a resume and more on filling out as many applications as you can.

Don't put this on your resume for a retail position, it screams troublemaker in the wrong context and it will be taken that way.

As an employer who hires about 5 students every summer for work these would be the tips that i would give:

I could give a shit about your resume, you have no experience in anything. It tells me nothing, everyone I have seen usually has typos and that paints a negative picture immediately in my mind.

Someone said network and I agree. My best experiences have come from people telling me "so and so was looking for work". And that usually came from a student who had worked for me previously. Great foot in the door and I usually take someones word that I have worked with before a little more seriously.

If you do decide to drop off a resume, don't have your parents do it or someone else do it. -_- Those go in the trash.

Anytime you can personally talk to someone and avoid "applications" that is the way to go. But I'm not a big corporate chain. Good luck to you.

fixed lol i couldn't resist....on topic...

references are key in my experiences. i remember distinctly looking for work and that, besides not having a reliable mode of transportation, would always screw me over. get some.

So, for this sort of job, the thing that employers care most about is your hourly availability, if you are able to work the shifts they need to fill. The rest is determined by the interview. Honestly, I would be very impressed if a student came into my office and said, "Hi. I have no relevant work experience but I have a basic understanding of hygiene and punctuality. I can work x number of hours per week and intend to stick to that estimate for the foreseeable future. I am not batshit fucking crazy. I can start tomorrow. I am not planning any lengthy vacations in the next few months."

A lot to reply to here...

@aetheldod@towersixteen I don't have a lot of family members or friends that can point me to a job sadly, they're either jobless, or work at a place I can't really work at.

@starfoxa

That's the plan! Hopefully it works a lot better than I imagine it.

@ntm

I would like to work at some sort of retail shop. So anything like Sears, BestBuy, Radioshack, Michaels, Fred Meyers, just anything like that I would love.

@kidavenger

Hopefully by mentioning I will be available any time after 4 on weekdays and any time on weekends and Holidays will entice them.

Don't worry guys, I know better than that. :P I used one that just includes my full name.

@marcsman

Thanks for the advice. I don't have any specific questions as of now, but I'll be sure to ask if I do.

I didn't want to say I had above proficient knowledge of using a cash register when in fact, the cash register I used was a little outdated. While it does sound better, I don't want to be put on the spot and just let them assumed I wouldn't need any training or refreshers. The student store where I worked was selling food and other items. So I should probably through that in there. As for asking teachers to write a recommendation, how should I go about including that?

@herbiebug I'm willing to work anytime they may need me after 4 on weekdays and anytime on weekend and Holidays. So I'm thinking that would make me favorable.

To be honest the only thing I would take from your resume is that you have previous experience in a retail-like position (cash register, etc. etc.) and are a self-motivated hard worker who is willing to learn (the computer skills indicate this). Which is great, don't get me wrong. Things to keep in mind, the specifics of what programming languages you can write won't matter to them (not to belittle the accomplishment of learning). Bring it up if you want to show how you're willing to learn and are self-motivated, but beyond that you won't be applying it to your retail job at all so they'll just skim over it.

You likely won't need a resume for just a part time retail position. Especially as a high schooler. Most places will have you fill out their own application which generally involves hours available, education history, references, criminal history, etc. etc. The bare bones stuff. Especially if its some kind of big chain. They'll have a speedy process all hammered out and polished that they'll stick to for the most part. I got my first job in high school by my girlfriend (at the time) telling me to come into the store because a worker just quit. I filled out their little sheet and was working in the next couple days. Its really not hard to get a part time job as a high schooler as long as you can work the hours they want and they have an opening. They don't expect you to have managed a team through a holiday sale crisis or anything like that.

That being said if you're going for a more formal position or some kind of internship, by all means use a resume.

I'm going to give you a quick summary of what I found to be the most important resume lesson I've had in my technical writing college courses. Forewarning I'm going to sound a bit harsh in this possibly. Keep in mind you're not at a point where you can actually have this kind of substance in a resume or even need this kind of substance for a job you're applying to. (which is why you probably won't need one at all). Take this with a grain of salt, but lock it into your mind for the future when you can apply it.

A resume is about both telling and showing. If you just tell (ex: Able to communicate well with others) you aren't getting anywhere. Anyone who isn't a shut in or downright rude is able to communicate well with others. They'll weed people like that out in the interview and not in the resume. Instead show them that you have it. Prove it. (ex: Coordinated/Lead a team to design a ping pong ball launcher for a school project. Or maybe, Acted as the spokesman between my team and the teacher for our group business project.) That kind of form has substance. As my favorite English professor used to say when critiquing our papers "You can't just tell me, you have to show me. Otherwise why should I believe you?". Examples examples examples. If you're going to say you have such a general skill like communication, don't just say you have it. Say how you've demonstrated it. That's more impressive in the long run. It also gives them something to follow up on with questions. They know what to probe into with the latter. With the former it just makes you think "okay...so?". It's a little difference, but it matters. "Ability to troubleshoot and resolve issues" and "Capable of installing and operating programs" are other examples of this. What do those really mean? I'm sure you know, but if I was the employer I'd be questioning whether you have some outstanding problem solving and computer skills, or if you're some guy who downloaded Minecraft, it bugged, and then you fixed it.

Finally, a minor correction I'd make would be "Has gone to regional conferences" to "Participated in regional conferences.". Minor yes, but try to make things sound as action oriented and direct as possible. As if you're standing up proud and declaring it to everybody.

But again, this doesn't really matter right now. You won't need a resume for most part time retail positions. Everything of worth in your resume they'll figure out through their company made application sheet and interview. It's a good skill to polish though, so good on you for being so invested in it. My high school friends and I weren't when we were at that age.

Edit: Oh by the way, as others have said the best thing you can take from a retail position is networking. It's going to be an easy as shit position so make the best out of it. Get to know your managers and especially fellow peers who have the same interests you do. Build up your potential recommendations for the future. You never know, that guy you meet who is also into programming might be the guy who needs to hire a new software engineer ten years from now, and guess who he knows has those skills.

Fill out as many applications as you can. Ask your friends if their parent's employers are hiring any entry-level people. Most importantly, stick to it. It's a tough economy and you've got a lot of competition from others.

Find your niche (ask yourself what you do most with your time - that's your skill) and build a career around it. If you aren't already doing something related to what you'd like to in the future, then start doing it NOW! Offer your employers something they cannot find anywhere else.

Best of luck duder!

Play Persona 4 and do what the kids in that game do. Which is to be just so sexy fresh.

i hope i never have to work a retail job (at least store level) again.

hope this helps!

First of all, congrats on trying to find a job early in your life. It's one of the best things for you to do. As you've heard me many times before, I have a college degree, and it's almost going to be a year now that I've been unemployed after graduation. I have no experience at all in anything. It's going to be a hard and possibly long process for you so get ready.

Second, your teacher offered a good suggestion. However, you have to approach it a certain way. I went into a store and said that I was interested in a managerial position. The guy looked at me with the most stupidest look and said that the position was already filled. When I went back online to check on the job, it was not filled and was open for another month afterwards. So what's the advice I have for you? Apply online first, THEN go into a place and say that you've already applied and you're wondering if the position is still open, AND if they would like to do an interview with you sometime. You just might get what you want, and not look like a dumb ass like me. Every store will tell you to apply online, so I'm saving you the trouble and the gas by telling you want I did. When the right one opens up for me, that's exactly what I'm going to do. I hope and know it'll work out since I know the mistake I did.

Third, go to a career center to help you with your resume, cover letters, types of references you should use, and how you should apply for jobs online. Trust me, you want that hands onexperience and meet face to face with someone should you have any questions or need any help at all, because no one can help you enough here online.

Good luck to you bud.