How to Get a Job at 16

All your life you've been hearing that you can work when you turn 16. When your 16th birthday arrives, however, there aren’t any employers knocking on your door to offer you a job. Take heart, as there are a few things you can do to find a job at 16.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• List of job skills

Looking for a Job

1. Check with friends and family to see if they have openings in a family business or find a small, family owned business in your area. There are “mom and pop” businesses in retail, manufacturing and food service that often hire young people with little or no work experience.
2. Look for jobs that hire young employees. Fast food restaurants, grocery stores, discount stores and other stores with high employee turnover often hire teenage employees.
3. Make a list of your computer skills and bring it with you to fill out job applications. As a 16-year-old, your experience in school and on your home computer may qualify you for data entry, light bookkeeping or word processing jobs.
4. List any experiences in volunteer work, babysitting jobs or camp counseling jobs on job applications. Employers want to see you are motivated and can handle responsibility.
5. Look at job listings on city and county websites. Libraries, city offices and county attorney offices often look for teenage employees.
6. Apply to every job you think you may qualify for. Without prior work experience and only being 16, you need to apply for several positions to increase your chances of getting a job.

Interviewing for a Job

7. Accept the interview time suggested when a possible employer calls. If you are unavailable, show your interest by suggesting an alternate time or asking what other interview times are available.
8. Arrive 10 minutes early for interviews and call ahead if you are going to be late or need to reschedule your interview.
9. Dress nicely for your interview in order to make a good first impression. You should always dress up for an interview, even if the job doesn’t require you to dress up.
10. Smile and be friendly with everyone you meet when you arrive for the interview. Some employers check with the person who greets you to see how you acted when you arrived.
11. Answer all of the questions asked to the best of your knowledge. If you don’t know how to do something, say so, but express your interest in learning new tasks.
12. Send a thank you note to the interviewer after the meeting. Check back with them after a couple of days by phone to see if the job has been filled. This shows maturity and impresses employers.

Tips & Warnings

• Almost any skill can transfer into a job. If you enjoy cooking, try a restaurant. If you are great with people, a senior citizen’s home or center will love you. You could also become a lifeguard if you're a great swimmer.
• Enjoy the opportunity to learn new skills. In a few years when you're making $5 an hour more than you are now, you’ll understand why.

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