Need a job? Go find one
Money. The piece of paper that makes the world go round. Your friend tells you about the new AirPods he bought. You wonder how in the world he affords it along with paying for car insurance and gas as a high schooler. Then you remember. He has a job.
A lot of us don’t know where to start, just getting a job in general, nonetheless fitting work into our busy schedules. But it brings in money, and you want money. It turns out, the best way to get a job is to advertise yourself and make connections.
Senior River Mattole learned advertising yourself is the first step.
“I basically asked my buddy, ‘If you guys ever need any extra help, let me know.’ And I just kept being persistent and asking them until they finally invited me.” Mattole got the job and proceeded to work with them, landscaping and completing other outside chores throughout the summer, when he made the second step of finding work, making connections.
“For the boss guy, I’ll be watching his dog while he goes out of town for a few weeks.” Mattole gained this connection through being friendly and talking with the owner of the property. To make connections and find work, Mattole suggests “talking to people and being friendly.”
Another student, senior Sonny Soderfelt, got his first summer job through the school he went to growing up.
“Summer of eighth grade I was helping my mom in her classroom and she went into the office. The principal happened to be there, so I went in and asked if they needed extra help.” Sonny then completed an interview, resulting in a summer job. He worked there for two summers until starting a new job at Murphy’s. At Murphy’s, he does a variety of things, from working as cashier to stocking shelves.
Senior Waylon O’Connor spoke to an old friend and found she was moving and needed a hand. He took the opportunity and found himself working around her place throughout the summer. O’Connor recommends that you should “just talk to everybody you can. Even if it doesn’t seem like you should, just talk to them, especially if they’re a business owner, if you’re at a restaurant or something, interact with them, talk to them. They’ll probably offer you a job there.”
So there you have it. Talk to people, apply at places, and be friendly. A lot of companies and people hire teens. Some employers employ you just to support you. While working, work hard and keep putting yourself out there to everyone you meet.
