<p>PS. Petting the bunnies pays (negative) $69.99 … meaning that you want to pet a bunny, I hope you are thinking about taking one home! The employees do handle the animals when cleaning, or when clipping nails. But if you think that working in the pet store is all about petting bunnies … sorry!</p>
<p>Playing with the animals for pay? You can go down the row of bird cages, take each one out individually for 3 minutes per and do step-ups and good-birds, put it back and on to the next. No fair only doing the easy ones! And yes, you have to do the parrot with the big scary beak too!</p>
<p>cnp-
Ya got any puppies?? Where are you located?? I was seriously (yes seriously) thinking about taking my dad to a petstore this weekend when I visit him to go play with puppies. He likes dogs. No bunnies. No cats. We had a bunny once. Used to walk it (well, we walked, he hopped) up and down the street. Had a big ol’ pen that he got to spend some time in outside, but while the walls of the pen were high, it was uncovered. And the neighborhood had dogs. Big dogs. We were greeted one day, as we returned home from school, with tissues. I remember it like it was yesterday…</p>
<p>Teens getting jobs. My son spent the first two weeks home looking for a job. His job search consisted of asking for applications. Filling them out and returning them. He never asked to speak with a manager or did any follow up calls. He probably applied for 25 jobs. He was offered 3 jobs. In all 3 cases he got lucky and when turning in the applications talked with the manager or owner. I see a connection but he doesn’t. I have seen so many teens out in bunches filling out applications. Each place gets so many that unless your teen is proactive they are not going to get a job. Unless they have a family connection.
I have one child who has worked since 16. Earlier if you count volunteer work. She is a great worker. Always on time. Never forgets a shift. My son on the other hand is not the best worker. In his first job in high school he often forgot to write down his schedule. He thought the manager would call him with the schedule. He has some summer committments that he did not tell her about till the last minute. She was not happy with him. This summer he is good about writing down the schedule. He dresses according to dress code but I would say about 50 to 75 percent of the time he is a few minutes late. He is the same way about his summer school classes. He has ADD but has not learned to give himself the appropriate amount of time to get ready. He is also lazy. We have a deal that he gets a tank of gas a week in order to get to and fro school. Any other driving is on him. His only requirement of getting the tank of gas is he attend class (which he is doing) and to wash the inside and out of the car once a week. It is amazing how many days pass without him getting gas since he has not washed the car. Even today. He has needed gas since the weekend. He has a break this afternoon between classes. He is supposed to be cleaning the car. I found him outside sitting on the bucket on his laptop. I would not hire him. On the other hand my 13 yr old is a great worker. I would hire her. 3 kids same family.</p>
<p>First off, – tell your kids this is not like trick-or-treating!</p>
<p>My advice to kids who want to get a job is to create a “resume” … something that lets me know who you are and what you want to do. It’s also a good cheat sheet for filling out the application. Ask for the app, and ask when the manager or owner will be in. Be sure to return the application when the manager is available. </p>
<p>Dress up a little … and if you know the establishment dress code, dress like that. And please please please, don’t go with a friend. Definitely don’t apply together. Don’t talk about how great it would be to work with the friend. I never hire kids in a group.</p>
<p>Also if you are going to call up and ask questions, my first question is tell me a little about yourself and what you are looking for. It’s a standard question. Have three sentences prepared. (I’m 16, I live in —town, I will be a — at XYHS. I’m interested in any openings you might have for summer help. I have experience/interest/abilities [specify] that could be useful for [your specific industry].</p>
<p>cnp
I had a bunny and went to a bunny class put on by a local bunny rescue class…they taught me to “trance” the bunny so I could clip his nails…it’s a great party!</p>
<p>What if a friend shows up unexpectedly, like it happened in my case? (We were both given appointments on the same day.)</p>
<p>“I didn’t know we were both applying to the same place!”</p>
<p>(We were both hired, along with two other people that also knew each other. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the managers split up friends into different shifts though.)</p>
<p>My next door neighbor applied for a job with his friend. The friend got hired, but neighbor didn’t. He still doesn’t know why his friend was hired & he was not.</p>
<p>cnp55, this may sound foolish but I actually didn’t know a lot of those things (in post 65). Thank you so much, this will really help me get a job on campus! :)</p>
The $$ value is the same with either choice, but one gives your son full control and the other eliminates control. If you eliminate the summer earnings component, your son still has the option of taking a paying job over the summer, but he also has the flexibility to consider an unpaid internship. If you waive the work-study there is no going back – your son won’t be able to ask for or get on-campus jobs, at least not those reserved for work-study students. </p>
<p>Work-study does not obligate your son to take any specific job. Your son can opt for reduced hours if he wants, or he might find short-term work study opportunities that don’t tie him down. There are a lot of work-study jobs that are very easy. I used to joke with my son that he had the same job that our dog did – since he’s a night-owl, he opted to take a late shift at the student center. His job was to call campus security if he saw signs of trouble – just like it was our dog’s job to bark. Obviously he had plenty of time for reading, and he soon discovered that he wasn’t even required to be physically present at his job constantly – no problem taking a break if he needed to run a short errand. </p>
<p>At the same time, work-study jobs can be great openings. My son took a second work-study job that provided him the introductory-level experience that led to similar work in the real world – and my daughter has a job with a department at her school that results in many of the profs knowing her well, especially as she opted to keep the job for more than one school year. She has been asked to help some of the profs with research along the way, simply because she is in a kind of “gofer” position in close proximity to them. While it hasn’t been an issue or a need for her, I’m sure that gives her some ready-made job references from people with Ph.D’s after their names – again, potentially useful for future employment.</p>
<p>So basically, the choice is an easy call: apply the scholarship against the summer earnings requirement … and then let your son make the choice between whether he wants to work during the school year or summer, or both. (My guess is that your dilemma arises from a misunderstanding of how work-study operates – your son will not have a specific job on campus unless he applies for one)</p>
<p>I havent read this whole thread but will repeat something I’ve said before.My best friend manages retail stores that hire many young workers. One of her main criteria’s (besides dressing properly,filling in the application coherently and legibly) is that she favors those applicants that CALL BACK and follow up on their applications. To her it at least shows some initiative.After all, with a 16/17 yr old, what else do you have to judge them on?
On the subject of work study…My first job in college was a work study job in the Registrar’s Office…so long ago things were done by hand (lol) and the punchcard was a new invention (kids,look it up ) It led to a new interest in student services and my former career in higher education.</p>
<p>Thank you for your advice; it all makes perfect sense, and in fact is what I talked to S about yesterday evening. I think the tone of his grunts reflected acquiescence. </p>
<p>My dilemma was caused not so much by work study ignorance - my D had work study for two years - as by my D’s rather vociferous objection to her brother’s having to work. She seemed convinced that: 1) he was going to be startled by the amount of study time he faced in college; and 2) once he became involved in his chosen EC(s) the additional time commitment of work study would be burdensome. </p>
<p>I do think he will have some time management issues but (now, having received his final FA award yesterday) the 6 hours/wk. commitment is hardly significant and may open up some other opportunities, as you have noted. </p>
<p>Your advice about future summer choices is also very compelling although I am under the impression that he could choose each year how to apply the scholarship money.</p>
<p>Anyway, thank you and the others who have offered advice - we’re taking it!</p>
<p>One other tip I always gave my kids and it seemed to work. Go online and find a generic job application. Fill it out completely and concisely at home. Make several copies, then put your original signature on each.<br>
When you go to a place to inquire about a job if they hand you back an application, say “I have filled one out here, may I staple them together and give back to you now?” </p>
<p>This avoids that whole go in and fill out an application, let it sit around with the others, hope the employer calls you back thing. </p>
<p>Shows great initative and sometimes you are actually handing it back to the decision maker. </p>
<p>And in that vein, go in by yourself, no parent or friend. AND go in well dressed. Jeans are generally okay but no rips, paints, etc. No tee shirt, no flip flops, no greasy hair, etc. </p>
<p>I used to hire for a fairly large hotel so I will also add do NOT go in to apply for a job high on pot. (Yes, this happened multiple times). Those of us now in the decision making seat know what it smells like… we grew up in the 60s and 70s!</p>
<p>OK…how about this? On a job application I received (for a 20 hour a week job…that was 3-4 full time days per week ALL SUMMER). The student sent an application and was available to work 10 days all summer long (and listed out which dates and the hours available). I wanted to scream “why did you apply for this job? You clearly are NOT available to do it.” </p>
<p>Oddly, I know the parents and they felt that their child did the “right thing” by listing the availability dates. I felt that the child was wasting my time…as the kid really wasn’t available to do the job when it was needed.</p>
<p>To the person with a teen working as a lifeguard… that is indeed how the job is! I love it, but I’m thinking that I’ll be spoiled for when I get a “real” job that requires me working for the entire shift. I work either 30 or 45 minutes out of an hour and a quarter depending on how crowded the pool is. Sometimes my breaks are even longer if we get extra guards working due to lots of kids. I get to read, swim, etc.</p>
<p>I think that I have a pretty good work ethic (teen speaking. this topic came up under “today’s posts” before I realized it was "parent cafe), but so does mostly everyone on my job. I suppose I’m lucky. I called in sick today for the first time all summer, but I feel really guilty about it. I’m supposed to leave for vacation tomorrow, so I’m sure they think I’m leaving early, but I am actually ill. </p>
<p>I am currently really angry at one of my managers for taking advantage of my work ethic. He’s commented before that he thinks I’m a great worker, and so because I don’t do a shoddy job cleaning the bathrooms, I get stuck doing them. I’ve been there 15 minutes past the end of my shift for the past two days. Argh!</p>
<p>cpn…my DS applied for jobs. Not only did he have a resume, he had letters of recommendation (and contact information) from his previous employer doing the same kind of work. He went from establishment to establishment…spoke to managers when they were available, was dressed in nice clothes, followed up by phone, etc. He was astounded at how many folks never got back to him, how many places couldn’t seem to even tell him when the manager would be there, etc. He DID finally (after looking for a month) find a job which he hopes to continue when classes start in the fall (reduced schedule…and they KNOW that). But for this job, he had to take an online psychological test, interview with one manager. Then got called back and interviewed with a second manager. Then one day of orientation, two days of training, another test about menu and procedures, three days of shadowing and then he could work on his own. </p>
<p>DS is very happy to have this job. He is enjoying the place, coworkers and working in general. But he did say…he had four years of experience doing similar work (different establishment) and never thought it would take this much to get another similar job.</p>
<p>When I was a teen I had crappy jobs for the most part.
Babysitting which didn’t pay well, working in a nursing home kitchen, which was so busy I never even got to take a bathroom break, & working at a kennel, which ended up to be a general grunt job of babysitting the owners kids, & running errands for her. Which wouldn’t have been bad, if I had liked her, but she didn’t respect that I was picking up her kids and serving them dinner etc- If you don’t respect the person who is caring for your own kids- what does that say about your values?</p>
<p>I went through a period of time when I did similar things for young divorced mothers, until I realized that it wasn’t my responsibility to help them out, when they couldn’t pay me, or get home on time.( once or twice would have been one thing- but they took advantage)</p>
<p>I had my nursing home job, during the school year- which was a bad idea. I didn’t have a car, I walked about 3 miles to school one way, walked 1 mile farther to work and made friends with one of my coworkers so I could get a ride home as it was usually 10 or so pm. ( I didn’t graduate from high school, in retrospect- I shouldn’t have been surprised I was too tired in the morning to do well). But I got the job, by having a one page resume that I asked several businesses to hold on to, and they called me when they had an opening. Many businesses go through employees and it is only a matter of time before they are hiring again.</p>
<p>Both my kids began volunteering when they were young teens and that gave them both skills and references to use, when they started looking for summer work. Something to think about.</p>
<p>muzicgirl … that’s exactly why I wrote the post! I hope it helps!</p>
<p>And re post #74 … hear hear!
I have one friend that tells her applicants to take their very own money and go to — lab and get a negative drug screen. When they bring in the paperwork, she’ll refund their testing costs and they’re hired. (They’ve passed all her prescreening prior to the drug test.) She says that she only gets about 30% coming back.</p>
<p>The drug test- My D said when they were hiring at her job they also were amazed at how many made it through all the hoops and later disappeared when sent for the drug test.
Many of the chains require drug testing. What I find amazing is that most of the teens and young adults know this and you would think they would plan accordingly. According to my son it takes about 2 weeks to have a clean urine. If they use hair or saliva I think it might be longer.
Cnp55- what I realize is that what we take for granted as common sense is not. Yesterday I stopped in at Starbucks. A young man was asking for an application. Granted he did ask when he might speak to a manager and when he might hear back. But the glaring mistake was his friend standing next to him in a Corona beer t-shirt. Friend was not applying for a job.
My spouse was telling my son that the calling back to show interest also works when you want something. We rent out apartments and if there are multiple applicants often the person who is persistant and proactive gets the apartment. Like Thumper points out already having paperwork with you. In the rental case, a filled out application, recommendations from previous landlords, proof of employment.</p>
(We were both given appointments on the same day.)</p>
Obviously he had plenty of time for reading, and he soon discovered that he wasn’t even required to be physically present at his job constantly – no problem taking a break if he needed to run a short errand. </p>