Job tips for teens (and
others, too)
tl;dr (too long, didn't read,
shortcut/summary):
- I hope you live and work a long time, maybe 50 years.
- Employers see teen workers as warm, living zombies to fill jobs.
- You can stand out from the zombie crowd if you try.
- Sell them what they need, and prove it.
- Benefit, financially and in the long run.
The good news is that the average
person is living longer. The OTHER good news is that they are
working longer too. You will have an opportunity to work another 50
years or so. Do something you like.
That said, employers are not exactly
lining up outside the doors to most local high schools, begging young
workers to please come work in interesting, fulfilling,
highly-compensated jobs. Actually, the thought of a double row of
middle-aged, people in (business preferred) gray and/or khaki Docker
slacks begging to recruit a gaggle of teens while they
are texting and walking their strange piercings past is very funny.
A
similar thing actually happened here last Christmas. A local
Fulfillment Company (that means warehouse packaging) was desperate
for workers. So desperate that they sent middle-aged people like
yours truly into the high schools. These 'older folks' set up booths
in the hallway to recruit teenagers to work for them over the
Christmas season.
Now,
our local labor force (potentially alive human beings) in the high
schools promptly did what teenagers often do-they ignored the old
people in the gray and/or khaki Dockers. Well, middle-aged people
aren't always the smartest people, but we are
deceitful. And these folks put out full sized Snickers bars.
Snickers gained attention where gray flannel suits and/or Dockers
failed.
One
student of my acquaintance disregarded the Snickers. When offered,
he said “No thanks, I'll buy my OWN candy bar with my first
paycheck. I take pride in my accomplishments.” He went on to say,
“May I please have an application?”, and thanked them when they
gave him one. He had MANNERS. The old folks in gray suits and/or
Dockers noticed.
He
filled out their job application completely, and took his time,
neatly filling in ALL of the stupid boxes. He followed the
directions on the form even when it made no sense to him, and seemed
like a pain. He noticed that the gray suits and/or khaki Dockers
people seemed to care about people who followed directions.
He was
also prepared. He had the names, addresses, email and telephone
numbers of three people he had done work for. When the form asked
for previous work history, he did not just write down 'NONE'.
Instead, he listed the people in his neighborhood for whom he had
raked leaves, cut grass, and completed other menial labor, even
though he had slaved for days at $25. The gray suits and/or Dockers
slacks were well pleased, for they had References to
call, and support their hiring decision.
The
point of all of this? You see it by now. My teenaged worker
realized that he was a commodity. He knew the employer needed
people, and sold himself. HE stood out from the crowd. HE followed
directions, and provided references. He translated his life
experience into something the gray suits and/or Dockers slacks people
could relate to. This was not manipulation. This was MARKETING, and
my client did it VERY WELL.
In
return, he got a job offer. He made a good bit above minimum wage.
He built his NEXT reference for a better job. He knew this would not
be what he would be doing for the next 50 years. But he did his best
at work, followed directions, and focused. He did well for his
career. And earned a few thousand dollars in the process.
Good
luck,
Chris
Links to my work, “Beyond a Career
Crisis”:
Kindle Edition
Paperback Edition
No comments:
Post a Comment