WORKING PAPERS. Everything you need to find and conquer your first job as school organizations such as Key Club and student council.
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2 Table of contents: INTRODUCTION 3 CHAPTER ONE: Finding a job 4 Age issues 5What™s the right job for you? 6Volunteering for experience 7CHAPTER TWO: The hiring process 8 Résumé, profile and application tips 9Acing the interview 10 How much will I make? 12 CHAPTER THREE: On-the-job expectations 13 Breaking down the paycheck 14 Tax break 15 Questions to ask once you™re hired 16 Etiquette & Customer Service 101 17 Tips for balancing work and school 19 What™s next? 21
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3 Introduction Finding a ! rst job shouldn™t be a job. You’re young. You’ve never worked before. But you wan t money, and you need money. You’ve got clothes to buy, a cell phon e to pay for and you really don’t want to arrive at prom in mom an d dad’s rusty mini-van. We’re here to help. And ± lucky for you ± our exper t tips and advice are free. As the number one source for hourly employment, Sna gAJob.com knows a thing or two about helping teens across the country land their ! rst part-time job. ” is year alone, we’re aimin g to help more than 400,000 job seekers land great hourly jobs. Plus, by working closely with national companies such as McDonald’s #, P arty City # and Kohl’s #, we’ve learned what employers are lookin g for when hiring ! rst-time workers. And we’ll share those insi der tips with you. In this guide, we’ll try to answer all the questions you have about working before you even ask them. It’s like we’re ps ychics ± without the 1-900 number or crystal ball. ” is information will be broken down into three sections: 1) Finding a job; 2) ! e hiring process; and 3) On-the-job expectations. So just think, by reading this guide, you’re actually doing some homework that can pay you cash sooner than you could have imag- ined. Your folks must be pretty stoked, too. ” ey can now put your allowance toward the ªhot tub fund.º Good luck in your job search$
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5 Age issues Just like driving and watching movies, working also c omes with a few age restrictions. No one wants you to be overworked at age 9 like Oliver Twist, and if you don’t know who he is, ask your English teacher. 5Trust us, a day will come years from now wh en you wish there were laws stating you could only work a few hour s a day.6 Here are some general federal guidelines for the type and amount of work you can do, broken down by age: · 18 years and up: You can work any job for any amount of time. Lucky you$ · 16 ± 17 years old: You can work any non-hazardous job for any amount of time. · 14 ± 15 years old: You can work outside school hours in non- hazardous jobs 5restaurant and retail gigs are ! ne6. But your hours are a bit more limited, especially on school days , when you can work a maximum of three hours a day. ” is in creases to a maximum of eight hours a day on Saturday and S unday. ” e maximum you can work in a week while school is in session is 18 hours, and this increases to 40 hours during the summer. You should also know that while the U.S. government do esn’t require you to have any special paperwork or documents saying it’s OK for you to work, your state may. Some states require the se documents 5also known as ªworking papersº ± the same name as th is handy reference guide6 for teens under 18. Ask your school guidance o7 ce or career center if they have the forms to ! ll out ± and to provide you with assistance. You can also check with your state’s labor department by typing in the following Web address into your Int ernet browser: http:;;youthrules.dol.gov;states.htm WANT TO KNOW MORE? ” e U.S. Department of Labor has a number of helpful r esources for teens on its website covering following topics:
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6 · Agricultural employment · What are ªhazardousº jobs? · Additional age restrictions and state labor laws Simply type the following Web address into your Inte rnet browser and you should be able to ! nd answers to all of your ques tions: www.dol.gov;dol;audience;aud-kidsyouth.htm What™s the right job for you? Landing your ! rst job can be tricky. How do you gain experience if an employer won’t hire you due to lack of experience? Should you settle for a low-paying job just to get a foot in the door? How high should you set your expectations for a ! rst-time job? A ! rst job can be just that ± a way to make some mon ey. It can also be more than that. For example, if you already know wha t type of career you’d like to start pursuing, it can be an experienc e-building stepping stone. If you know you want to go into business, wo rking behind a register will give you practical business building skills. 5 And if you work in a restaurant, you might even get to wear a funny looking hat.6 But a ! rst job can also expose you to experiences yo u never thought you’d enjoy. You may think you’ll hate < ipping burger s for a few hours a day, then ! nd yourself applying to culinary schoo ls. Another added bonus is that you might meet some of your best frien ds at work ± and get your ! rst experience with networking. Sometimes a job might not be exactly what you're looking for, but it puts you in contact with people or organizations that might help you in the fu ture. Who knows who you might meet who will either help you out with a job down the road or bene! t from your help. As you search for jobs, you'll probably ! nd a few age restrictions eliminating you from some employers' consideration. J obs demanding previous experience and those requiring you to drive , operate danger- ous machinery or work late hours may be reserved for those 18 years and above. But there are still plenty of employers out there hiring people younger than 18 years old.
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9 Résumé, pro! le and application tips Many ! rst-time job hunters don't have r>sum>s prepared ± because they don’t have a lot to write down on them besides their name, address and phone number. Your working life is still a blank slate ready to be ! lled with jobs, skills, education and objective s. Because of this, it’s usually su7 cient to simply ! ll out a company’s online or paper application when applying for a job. Ma ny websites such as SnagAJob.com will ask you to ! ll out a pro! l e with basic contact info and other details so that you can apply to multiple jobs quickly and easily. So whether you’re writing your ! rst r>sum>, completi ng an online pro! le or ! lling out an application, here are a few tips for making a positive impact with employers: · Be PG: ” is may go without saying¼ However, SnagAJob.com still comes across the occasional job seeker whose email address lacks the necessary tact and prof essional- ism. Email accounts are free and easy to obtain, so c reate one that is dedicated to your job search. \emember: You ca n be unique and creative without making Snoop Dogg blush. · Spelling kounts: Don’t trust your gut or your computer’s spell checker to determine if you mistakenly used ªtheirº ins tead of ªthere.º \ead it over. \ead it again. 5You might ev en want to dust o= that old dictionary if you can ! nd it6. Al so, show the documents to someone with a good eye for detail. A] e r all, you don’t want potential employers reading about your volun- teer work in a ªsoap kitchen.º ” at’s just weird. · Update, update, update: Every so o] en, take time to make sure your contact info is accurate, add new employm ent and skills, and include any applicable outside interests and hobbies. 5You probably want to omit your passion for ªGuitar H eroº or your old school break dancing skills.6
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10 · Be honest: If you include a bunch of skills and experience you don’t really have, it’s going to end in embarrassment. Either you’ll get busted in the interview or when the employ er sees ! rst hand that you really don’t know how to juggle b owling pins ± or whatever the skill you ! bbed about was. Acing the Interview You’ve sent in your application, ironed a shirt and w aited. And then one day, the phone rings. It’s one of the employers you applied to ± and they want to talk to you. Take a deep breath and relax. You’ll do terri! c, at l east if you follow the guidelines we’ve laid out below. ON THE PHONE Before getting a face-to-face interview, it’s likely you’ll be initially judged by your phone etiquette. When an employer calls you, stay professional and courteous ± and try not to answer the phone with a ªWhat up?º when the incoming phone number calling isn ‘t familiar. DAY OF THE INTERVIEW We hope this goes without saying, but don’t be a ªn o-showº to an in- terview. If you are unable to make an interview or i f you are no longer interested in the position 5or already landed another jo b6, make sure you give advance notice to the interviewer so that he ;she has time to change plans. Here is a checklist of things to remember on the day of your interview: · Dress to impress .but don’t try too hard. 5Leave the crazy high heels and bow ties at home.6 · Use common sense: Do not smoke, apply strong perfume; cologne, or start chewing gum before the interview.. .or during the interview. And turn your phone o= ± or better yet, leave it in the car or waiting area.
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11 · Arrive 1^ minutes early to the interview location. · Mentally rehearse possible interview questions while you wait for the interview to begin or practice answering ques- tions with someone who has gone through the job interv iew process before. THE INTERVIEW ” ere are numerous things to remember during your i nterview, and nerves can get the best of all of us. However, re main calm and con! dent, and follow these tips to make the best impr ession in your interview: · Give a ” rm handshake: Give the interviewer a ! rm, professional handshake. Save the ! st bump for your f riends. · Maintain eye contact: Look at the interviewer when talking or listening. ” is shows that you are interested in the conver- sation and have respect for the other person. 5But do n’t give creepy eye contact. You know what we mean.6 · Take your time answering questions: If you are unsure of how to answer a question, take a minute to think about it and formulate the best response. It is better to wai t before answering and then answer intelligently rather than immediately jumping at the question with a poor answe r. · ! ank the interviewer: Don’t forget to thank the interviewer5s6 for their time. Also, regardless of wh ether you thought the interview went well or not, be sure to send a handwritten thank you note to the interviewer expr ess- ing your gratitude for the opportunity as quickly as you can. Within a day is preferable. If it has been over a week since the interview and you have not received word fr om the company, call the person with whom you interviewed. \emember to speak only with that person, since he;she is the one who knows the particulars of your situation. On the phone, keep the same professional attitude that you ha d in the interview.
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