In high school there are many new and important opportunities that you’ll be able to indulge in, one of these opportunities is higher chances of being able to secure a job! In this article, I’ll discuss how I landed my first job, along with a few interview questions from my manager on what employers look for.
At the end of last year, I started looking for a job to get a car once I got my license. I had no idea what I was doing as I’d never done this before, but I managed to secure a great job and this is how I did it. For starters I highly suggest doing the food handlers permit, being able to say you already have this will greatly increase your chances of being spotted by employers. I got my permit before I started searching so I’d be able to say that I already had it. In addition to this, if you will need any other permit for the specified field you are searching in I would make sure to have those as well (ex. CPR certification)!
Furthermore, let’s move on to resumes. In a resume, you will always want to list extracurricular activities that apply to the workspace. For example, I make sure to say that I do technical theatre which has taught me many teamwork skills along with the experience of being an “employee.” Having items like this on your resume can greatly help your chances of landing a job.
Now an interview with my manager. I asked, what makes a teenager stand out against adults? He said “When reading a resume and during an interview, I look for things the employee is passionate about that either translates directly into work skills or at least a foundation that I can encourage skill acquisition and growth from” (A. Madigan, Food and Beverage Manager, 12/15/24). From my interview with my manager I learned that the best way to stand out is to put those small things that you participate in as they could help you massively. He told me even a skill like playing soccer will help you stand out, as he can take that and translate it into skills like teamwork, working under pressure, and being able to stand and be mobile for long periods of time.
It is always important to include these small details in your life in your resume! Along with this always include if you speak another language besides English. Many establishments will greatly appreciate a multilingual employee. In addition to this, always dress appropriately for interviews. A piece of advice my boss told me is, “don’t dress for the job your interviewing for, dress for the job you want” (A. Madigan, Food and Beverage Manager, 12/15/24). It is always important to dress professionally for job interviews, this can make or break your chance of landing that job.
In conclusion, finding a job isn’t easy, especially in this market, but following these few simple steps will raise your chances. I hope the advice in this article will help you find that perfect first job.
