The Line Starts Here: Finding a Job While in High School

Looking for your first job – whether it is part-time or full-time – can seem like an overwhelming task. Finding a job is hard enough to begin with, but when you have not had any experience in a workplace setting, have never been through an interview, and do not know how to start writing a resume, the task can seem impossible. But searching for a job is a process,  and like any process, there is a series of steps you can follow to help you through.

Getting Started

Students who find a job while they are in school have a head start when they are ready to work full-time. Finding and keeping a job helps develop both personal and career skills. Also, a stable job history adds value to your future career choices once you graduate.

Job hunting can be exciting, fun, and a little scary! The job market is the ideal place to tell others about your abilities, talents, and dreams. But you have to learn how to present yourself.

People find jobs in a wide variety of ways. Some employers recruit graduates from a particular high school. Others recruit from colleges and universities. Still others place employment ads online and in local newspapers. Jobs are also found through the following:

  • Networking and personal contacts
  • Community and school placement agencies
  • Employment agencies
  • Online job advertisement services
  • Job fairs
  • Youth work studies and internships

So where do you start? Well, one way to find a job is to search job advertisements (ads) in online job search engines and job banks by keyword, industry, and location. Most online job sites allow job seekers to post their resumes online for free. Some sites require job seekers to complete an online resume or questionnaire as well. Many large organizations now have their own job banks online at their websites, listed under careers.

Some of you know exactly what you’d like to do. Some have no idea whatsoever. Regardless, you have to have a place to START the job hunt. This is that place.

Use the following list of steps to get you started:

  1. Brainstorm. Decide what characteristics you want in a job, including the hours and days desired, as well as job responsibilities.
    1. What kinds of THINGS do you want to do while at work? This is the most important question and the one you should put the most time into considering. If you already know what career you want to pursue in your adult life, make sure to list all the characteristics, responsibilities, and activities associated with that career.
    2. How important is it to you that your work has a lot of variety? While some entry level positions might include tasks which change every day, others are very repetitive. A bagger at Publix spends entire shifts putting groceries into bags. A Cashier spends an entire shift ringing up customers, taking cash, running credit cards, and providing customer service. And so on. Consider your need for variety and list the types of jobs you imagine have that level of variation.
    3. The lower the entry-level position, the more supervision you will experience and the less amount of autonomy (personal choice). How much supervision can you tolerate? Are you okay with having to ask someone for permission to go to the bathroom (for example). Depending on the nature of the job you get, you may have about the same level of autonomy you have as a high school student in class. Consider your need for autonomy and list the types of jobs you imagine have that level of personal choice.
    4. The lower the entry-level position, the less significant the job. Are you okay with working a position where what you do every shift is only marginally important? If importance is very weighty for you, have you considered working in the nonprofit sector or volunteering as a means of gaining work experience?
    5. How much training are you willing to accept in order to become job-ready? Two days? Two weeks? Two months? Some jobs have lengthy periods of training and onboarding, during which you will not receive regular hours and sometimes, reduced pay. This is a short-term sacrifice, but some students are unwilling to train for part time work and only want a job where they will start a regular schedule immediately.
    6. If you are fairly certain on your long-term career path, what kinds of jobs would build you experience in that field? Do an online search for entry-level positions, paid or unpaid internships related to your ultimate goal, then list them all.
    7. When do you WANT to work and when can you make yourself AVAILABLE to work. These are two different things and you need to be clear with yourself on that difference. If you don’t WANT to wake up early on Saturday for a work shift, that doesn’t mean you aren’t AVAILABLE. It’s a preference. ON the other hand, if your parents won’t ALLOW you to work on Saturday morning because that is when you go to Mass with your Great Grandmother… that’s a different animal entirely. Note when you WANT to work and when you actually CAN work. Be realistic.
  2. Refine your list. Figure out where you can compromise. Are you willing to work on the weekend? How late is too late to catch a ride? Think about what trade-offs can be made to accept a job. Note each potential compromise you might make.
  3. Eliminate impossibilities. While there are a wide variety of jobs high school students CAN do, there are a number of jobs teenagers CAN’T, either because the business owner won’t hire them (usually because of the scheduling restrictions placed on employing minors) or because the job itself is not LEGALLY available to those under 18. Jobs in retail, restaurants or child care are common choices for high schoolers – however, it is a smart idea to check any job listing you are interested in to see if there is an age restriction on those who can apply. Make a two column chart, then take every job or job responsibility you noted in under either Possible or Impossible
  4. Start with a wide search. When initiating your job search, start with wide criteria. Be flexible with your preferences for scheduling, pay and responsibilities to increase your chances of finding a role that fits your needs. During your search, it may be helpful to keep in mind that entry-level roles are a good stepping stone for gaining experience and learning about various industries, and you can always shift paths if the job doesn’t suit you. It is humbling, but teenagers with little-to-no real work experience are going to be starting at the bottom. Deal with it. Make a note of the 4-5 jobs you want to pursue.
  5. Seek employment locally and through personal connections. Finding work opportunities through relationships is called networking, and your network is larger than you may realize. Reach out to professionals who have visited our classroom, to chefs who have done cooking demonstrations, to managers of places we have gone on field trips. And don’t forget to speak with your instructor! Business owners and human resource professionals frequently contact CTE teachers, looking for talent. Make a note of the people you can attempt to contact for a potential job. 
  6. Seek employment through online searches: Indeed and LinkedIn are both enormous companies with powerful ways of searching for available jobs- but there are many others as well. Identify the search methods you will use. If you already know of a company that appeals to you, check their webpage: there is usually a section called “careers” which will guide you towards current job openings. Do a search for each of the types of jobs you have identified and make a note of what you found.
  7. Consider accepting a temporary position: If you aren’t successful in finding steady employment at first, consider taking on a seasonal job. In a city like Orlando, seasonal jobs are everywhere! You may be able to work during the holidays or over the summer to gain enough experience to move onto another role afterward. Make a note of the seasonal or short-term positions you could potentially accept.
  8. Choose the job openings you want to pursue. This is where you take all the information you have gathered so far and apply it to what you found in your job search. Narrow your target positions to two or three specific jobs.

Use the following worksheet in tandem with the instructions above to narrow your choices down to the jobs that will help build your career.

Getting-Started-with-the-Job-Hunt-Worksheet

What happens next?

Once you have narrowed your list down to four or five jobs you want to apply for, it’s time to get to work putting together your application. Here’s what you’ll be doing, step-by-step:

Getting ready to apply

  1. Gather and organize the information needed for applying.
    • Compile your work history (if you have one), including complete contact information for each of your previous employers.
    • Make sure you have all the personal contact information is at hand. Talk with people about being references
    • Study the job description of the position you are interested in and review your own past training and skills to see how what you have done and learned matches what the company is asking of you
  2. Create the documents you need for applying:
    • a resume,
    • a reference list,
    • a customizable cover letter,
    • and (potentially) a portfolio.
  3. Create a list of email addresses and contact information for those companies.
  4. Research each business you have chosen. Knowing as much as possible about the business will help you be better prepared for the interview and shows your eagerness to work for the business.
  5. Contact the businesses you have chosen in whatever method they have indicated. If applying in person, be sure to dress professionally and be prepared with all application documents.
  6. When a potential employer makes contact, decide on an interview time. Do not be late! Ask questions during the interview to make sure that the job meets all of your needs.
  7. After sending a resume or applying, contact the business to thank them for the interview and again once every other week to ask about open positions and the status of your application (if they have not initiated a follow-up contact).
  8. Keep searching.