How can I find a job?

Many job openings are filled through word of mouth rather than adds. Ask friends of yours if there are any openings where they work. Ask your parents if they can check with their friends and associates about positions for you. Also hit the pavement, just because a business doesn’t have a help wanted sign up doesn’t mean you can’t ask. If you leave an application there it will be on top of the stack if they have a sudden unexpected opening. I wouldn’t go in every day but if you go back to the same place every few weeks to ask about the status of your application this will keep your name fresh in their memory and show them you are serious about wanting a job. If you get an interview for a job remember the name of the interviewer and receptionist. After the interview send a thank you note to the interviewer thanking them for taking the time to see you and send another to the receptionist thanking them for being so helpful. This will keep your name fresh in their memory. This may seem hokey but it will help you stand out from the pile of applicants they see.

When I was managing a bicycle shop there was this kid who wanted to work there so bad. I just couldn’t hire him; no money for another employee. He came by every evening after school to help me wheel bikes in. I told him that I couldn’t pay him but he just liked hanging out at the bike shop and helping wherever he could. When I did have the funds to bring in another employee he got the job.

In a lot of places there is one place where nobody wants to work. In my home town it was the pickle factory. Work there was hard, the pay was low, and you could never wash all the pickle smell off youself as long as you worked there. You might have to take a job like that for a while. It is easier to find a job when you have a job so lousy jobs usually don’t have to be for long.

A lot of people I know are just too picky. When I was a teen and college student I didn’t mind working as a cook or dish washer. A lot of kids nowdays turn their noses up at such jobs considering them beneath them. You have to start somewhere.