How to Get a Job as a Teenager
Getting a job as a teenager has many amazing benefits, like gaining work experience, developing new skills, and of course, making money. But for young teenagers between the ages of 14 and 15, it is a very difficult and overwhelming process.
To start, most places don’t hire young teenagers, so you’ll have to spend a lot of time searching. Even once you’ve found a place that hires teens your age, that by no means guarantees you’ll get the job. You’ll still have to apply, prepare for an interview, and in many states, obtain a work permit.
Although the process can feel overwhelming, following this guide will help you get a job as a teenager!
Research state/country laws
As a minor, your ability to work will be restricted by the state or province you live in. Child labor laws limit how long you can work per week, at what time, and specific regulations on the type of jobs you can and can’t perform.
To find the laws for your state/province look up, “child labor laws in [insert location].” You should be able to find a government website or PDF explaining the child labor laws in your location.
In many places, minors are required to obtain a work permit. This usually consists of filling out some forms with your parents and employer. Look into the specific rules for your location.
To save you some time, if you’re under the age of 14, there are very few places where it’s legal for you to work, let alone companies who will employ you. So you should wait until you’re at least 14 before getting a job.
Research jobs
Begin researching jobs near you that hire employees age 14 and up. There aren’t very many places that hire 14 and 15-year-olds, but almost every entry-level job hires teenagers 16+.
Most companies don’t state their minimum age requirement on their website so instead, find a contact number or email. Send them an email or give them a call inquiring about their policy on hiring minors.
How I went about finding places that hire young employees my age was I went on google maps and searched around for restaurants, stores, etc., and took note of their phone numbers and addresses. Then I called them to ask if they were hiring and what the age requirement is. Here’s a short script you can use: “Hi, my name is [insert name], and I’m calling to ask if you are currently hiring and what the minimum age for employees is.”
The first few calls you make may be a little bit awkward, but after a little while, you’ll begin to feel more comfortable.
For 14 and 15-year-olds, you’ll likely have to make many calls before finding a place that hires employees your age. Job opportunities for young teenagers depend a lot on location because, depending on where you live, chain companies have different policies about hiring.
Also, note that franchises like McDonald’s or 7-Eleven have different policies depending on the franchise location, so just because one doesn’t hire employees your age doesn’t mean that others won’t.
Create a spreadsheet
To help you stay organized and keep track of phone numbers, websites, notes, etc., I strongly recommend creating a spreadsheet.
As you go through the process of finding places that here employees your age, keep track of the phone number, address, website, and company. That way, you can apply to places that fit your criteria once you’re done searching and keep track of what places are hiring, as well as their minimum age, so that you don’t call places you’ve already asked. Having this will also be extremely helpful in the future if you want to look for another job.
When I created a spreadsheet to keep track of the companies I’d called, these were the categories I had: company name, website, phone number, address, and notes.
Additionally, you should add another section of checkboxes where you keep track of if you’ve called about hiring if they are hiring, if they hire employees your age, and if you applied.
How to create a resume with no experience
Creating a resume may sound unnecessary for teenagers with no work experience. But because a lot of teenagers don’t have resumes, this will help and set you apart, demonstrating that you care about getting the job and have skills that would be valuable to the company.
What to put on your resume
When I started to make a resume for myself, I had a hard time filling it up because I had no work experience. So what should you put on a resume if you have no work experience?
Well, the goal of a resume for teenagers with no experience is to prove that you have important skills for success in a work environment.
Start by listing basic information like your name, email, phone number, school, and GPA (if it’s relatively high).
Next, think about if you have any informal work experience that demonstrates favorable traits. For me, I put down experience selling items on eBay, emphasizing the fact that it gave me customer service experience. But this could be anything from babysitting to tutoring or whatever else demonstrates your valuable skills.
You can format this by writing a quick description of your responsibilities and a number or fact demonstrating your accomplishments (e.g., “over $3000 in sales” or “50+ 5 star reviews”) to make your success clear.
Next, list any relevant extracurriculars to prove you’d be a good employee. Again, describe how each activity relates to the job you’re applying for. You can also describe impressive achievements or awards you’ve received.
Just keep in mind the goal of demonstrating what you bring to the table and give them reasons to want to hire you.
Prepare for interviews
Preparing for interviews is an essential strategy to significantly increasing the chances of you getting. As a teenager, being confident in an interview and being prepared to answer common questions will help set yourself apart as an applicant.
To start preparing for interviews, think about answers to common questions like:
- Why do you want to work here?
- Why would you be an asset to this company?
- What is your greatest strength?
Having answers prepared will help you feel much more confident going into the interview so that you’re ready to impress the interviewer and get the job!
Get ready
When the day of your interview comes, don’t just hop out of bed and go to your interview. To make a good first impression of being responsible and organized, it’s important that you get ready. You should make sure to shower, wear nice clothes, and do anything else to make you look your best for your interview.
You should also make sure to leave for the interview at least 15 minutes early so that you don’t have to worry about heavy traffic or other potential setbacks. This is a simple step that will ensure you don’t arrive at the interview late, setting a bad first impression.
Phone Interviews
Some companies opt to have phone interviews, where you’re on the phone with your interviewer, instead of face-to-face in-person interviews. This has because especially common due to COVID-19.
For phone interviews, there are some slight changes you should make to your interview preparations.
For starters, you don’t have to worry about looking good or anything like that, but of course, it is still crucial that you are on time and ready to pick up the phone.
The great thing about phone interviews is that you can write down answers to questions ahead of so you feel more prepared to answer them. This will also allow you to respond much faster to questions, even if you didn’t prepare for them specifically. Just having notes to reference will make answering questions on the fly much more manageable.
You don’t need to write a script, and in fact, you shouldn’t. Instead, write out bullet point answers to common questions, as well as general information like your strengths, weaknesses, etc. This will help you provide a good answer while still sounding natural and conversational.
Alternatives to getting a job
Although having a job is great, there are other alternative ways to make money as a teenager. For more flexible and fun income sources, consider the following ideas:
- Starting a business
- Selling on eBay
- Creating Fiverr listings
- Babysitting
- Tutoring
For more ideas about how to make money as a teenager, read this article!
Use money responsibly
Once you start making money, it may be tempting to spend it all, but that isn’t a very wise decision. Instead, set a portion of your money aside in a savings account to save up for big expenses like a car, college, and other big purchases you know you’ll have to make in the future.
Aim to save at least 10% of your income, but saving more than that is a great idea and will leave you more prepared for the future.
Investing
If you want to go a step further, investing is a great way to build wealth, and you can start even if you’re a teenager. All you have to do is open a custodial account.
“The term custodial account generally refers to a savings account at a financial institution, mutual fund company, or brokerage firm that an adult controls for a minor (a person under the age of 18 or 21 years, depending on the laws of the state of residence). Approval from the custodian is mandatory for the account to conduct transactions, such as buying or selling securities” – Troy Segal, Investopedia.
This essentially means that although it won’t be as easy as if you were an adult, with the help of your parents, you can invest in the stock market. Click here to read my article about how to invest as a teenager to learn more!
