How to Find a Job for a 15-Year-Old & Older
Online resources make finding a job easier in many cases. Hitting the pavement with your resume and networking are two other time-tested methods for finding a job. Balance your job search with traditional and online search methods. Using both can help you find the job you want more quickly. If you are a minor, be sure to read up on state and federal laws about working under the age of 18.
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Instructions
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Talk to people you know about finding a job. Many jobs are not advertised, so knowing who can give you inside information about a job opening is important.
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Visit your state's workforce commission website. A link to it is usually available on your state's labor department website. Workforce commission sites have information about workforce office locations that can assist you in your job search. They offer job search classes, resume writing and interviewing seminars, as well as computers to help you find a job. The workforce commission website usually also contains a link to a statewide job database you can use to find the type of job you want. Some states also have email agents that will send you emails whenever a job matching your search criteria is posted.
Some states' workforce commissions have resources just for young job seekers. For example, Colorado's Workforce Boulder County website offers programs and helpful tools just for teen and young adult job seekers. Many of these resources provide guidance on how to apply for jobs and information about seasonal jobs for teens.
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Take your resume to various businesses in your town. Ask to speak with a manager, and inquire if the business is hiring. Having a resume demonstrates your professionalism and earnest desire to find a job. Take your identification with you, as well as a list of references and past employers, if you have any. Ask those who you want to use as references if it is okay before you put them down on any job application. Write down the schedule you can work, and take it with you when you apply for positions. If you are looking for a part-time job, it is important that you know when you are available to work. Some job applications require you to specify when you are available.
If you have never had a job, focus on your school experiences and skills you have learned that are transferable to the workplace. For example, if you are a member of your school's student council, you may have experience giving speeches, organizing committees, or providing customer service at a school or community fair. Emphasize volunteer experience and extracurricular activities as well as any classes pertinent to the job for which you are applying. If you are applying for a job in a bakery, mention on your resume that you made an "A" in your home economics course and that you received the award for the best cake baked.
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Check your local newspaper listings for information on job openings in your area. Find newspapers in your area on USNPL.com. Many newspaper's job listings are available online as well as in print. Also check job boards online relevant to the particular industry in which you would like to work and trade journals of the industry.
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Look for part-time jobs in your area on SnagaJob and GrooveJob, two online job boards devoted to hourly, part-time employment. Find a job that works with your school schedule if you are a young job seeker and that matches your interests. Part-time jobs help you learn the ropes of the professional world and help you figure out what kinds of work settings best suit you.
Check out jobs such as babysitting, delivering newspapers, working in a retail store as a cashier, or stocker in a grocery store or restaurant. These jobs are appropriate for minor employees, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Youth Rules! website. Check with your state's department of labor for state-specific rules about what kinds of jobs you can have if you are under 18.
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Tips & Warnings
Note that the U.S. Department of Labor restricts the number of hours employees under 16 years of age can work, as well as the types of work in which they can be engaged. Jobs considered hazardous by the Fair Labor Standards Act are not jobs in which minors can be employed.
Notify any potential employer of your age before you apply. Some may not allow employees under 18, and some may require you to be at least 16. If you have a work permit if you are a minor, take it with you when you apply for positions in person.
