How is a 17 year old expected to find a job?

[MAKmom]

DS won't be 18 until July. He has a car he needs to put gas in, pay insurance (the highest in the nation) and maintenance. We went to the mall yesterday so he could put in some applications for Christmas work. You need to be 18 to work at the Disney Store, Macy's... He put an application in on line for the movie theater. How do they expect these kids to get a job?

Wawa will hire him

 

[kendall]

Yeah, it is very hard for teens to find a job!

Most stores are our mall require applicants to be 18.

Supermarkets hire baggers and cart-getters under 18.

DD 17 finally landed a job as a hostess for a locally-owned Italian family restaurant.

 

[aprilgail2]

Supermarkets hire baggers and cart-getters under 18.

We don't have baggers here but we have the cart getters--they usually are not kids, they are adults with mental disabilities.

 

[Uuaww]

Well he is not alone, the national rate of teens who are looking for jobs who are unemployed is over 25%.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Is he invovled in a sport or other activity? Many teens I know who are working work where they also have an activity:

working as life guards or teaching swimming to younger kdis where they have also been on swim teams

instructing preschool dance classes (or karate classes) where they have taken dance (or karate) for years

etc.

I also think many kids can get work mowing lawns, shoveling snow, pet sitting, etc if they are reasonable about what they charge and go out looking for the work. We used tp pay our neighbor's son to mow our lawn in New Hapmshire. We had a teen who mowed for us in Michigan too. DD had more offers of babysitting jobs than she had time to take during our lat year in New Hampshire as well.

 

[Cinderella94]

Is he invovled ina sport or otehr activity? Many teens I know who are working work where there also have an activity:

working as life guards or teaching swimming to younger kdis where they have also been on swim teams

That's exactly what I do! I'm 15, and I've been asst. coaching for 2 years now, for $. Before that, I would volunteer 'unofficially.'

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Check local businesses. Mine have always found jobs at stores and businesses that don't have to deal with branch policies.

 

[PatsMom]

The first job is the toughest too because you really don't have any references. Parents can network with their friends and possibly find something. My daughter's first job was actually found through one of her friend's mother's. The mother referred my daughter to Food and Beverage at a local ski resort and she was hired to bus tables in a bar. She did a good job so was invited back for the summer activities at the resort. And will be bussing tables in the same bar this winter.

And if she didn't want to work at the ski area at least she would have a great reference. She is 18 now so it would be easier too. They are liking that she will be able to serve alcohol this winter!