Applying for first Job.

[Partof1]

Well, today I picked up a bunch of applicatoion forms, and need to write a resume. I am stumped here. I don't really know what to put on one, as I've been unemployed so far. I've been an honours student since 4th grade, I've been called funny, I painted a big metal shed, and I'm pretty sure those last 2 aren't helpful in grocery stores or future shop.

Does anyone have any advice? For the resume and general application information, such as skills that may be helpful, that I haven't though of.

Thanks in advance.

[Soterion]

List any volunteer work you may have done. Also, any vocational or other classes that might be applicable. It's important to specify why these classes are applicable; be sure to list any skills you developed in these classes (typing, mathematics skills, etc.)

[olelia]

Try to maintain nice formatting. Keep things simple and short. Don't go over two pages or you risk the person getting bored. Most people will see a 5 page resume and toss it....won't even look at the name.

[Partof1]

Okay, short and sweet shouldn't be a problem.

However, vocational and voluteer work may be problems.

Anything else that employers may like?

[Xzeno]

When looking for a job, just remember: Be yourself. Tell employers about your your D&D days. Tell them about your favorite pokemon. Tell them about that one part in Metal Gear Solid 4 where you actually cried. Maybe mention job related skills in passing.

Of course, you might actually get hired following these steps, but you always run that risk :smallbiggrin:

[Jack Squat]

These are basically unskilled jobs, right? (Cashier, stocker, etc.) I wouldn't bother with a resume, to be honest. No one really cares about your qualifications when you're a minimum wage grunt. It's not bad to make up a resume and turn it in, as in it won't hurt your chances, but it probably won't even get looked at - Especially if you have no previous work experience. At least that's true of places around here.

However, if you want to make one up, include achievements. Your Honor student thing is good, but more importantly, have you been an officer of any clubs? Soterion's suggestion of listing volunteer work is good as well. Don't list your GPA, it'll look pretentious. Get personal (non-family) references, people who can vouch for your character and work ethic. If you don't have anything to add besides the Honor student thing, don't bother making one up.

[purple gelatinous cube o' Doom]

What kinds of jobs are you applying for. Chances are that for most of them, even if they say they require a resume, if you inform them you have no previous work experience it likely won't be a big deal. That being said, I'd just put some volunteer experience down, and extra-curricular activities (sports, clubs, groups you participate in etc). With your experience, if you have anything over a page that's going to be far too long.

[Partof1]

Yeah, it would likely just be stocking shelves, being a cashier, or telling where something is.

I figured the resume would be pointless, but I need something. Thanks for the help.

[onthetown]

Instead of a resume, most people applying for their first jobs write a cover letter. There are different formats around the internet, but it's basically just a short, clean letter about who you are (your name, how old you are, some of your interests) and why you want the job.

[Tirian]

If you're looking to work in a retail or fast food environment, you'll almost certainly be filling out an application instead of submitting a resume. There will be places there for adult references (teachers or neighbors or whatever) that can assure the manager that you're reliable and intelligent. Probably a place for your personal interests, but you know, try to steer clear of stuff like "hanging out" and "playing video games" if you have more "legitimate" interests like photography or cooking.

I think a cover letter is overkill, but I happen to like overkill. Keep it to two short paragraphs, mostly highlighting why you chose them to submit an application and something brief about your enthusiasm. (I once applied for a local sub shop, with a cover letter saying something along the line of "I am a regular customer at many of your outlets, and it is clear to me that this is the most professional team among them. I think you'll find that my enthusiasm and dedication is a good fit for the culture of excellence at your store." That's pretty thick, but I believed it and it impressed them enough to give me a better-than-entry-level position and salary right off the bat.) If you do write a cover letter, take the time to find the name of the hiring manager of the store and include that in the business address. It shows that you did your homework.

[BRC]

Do what I did, sacrifice a goat at your local altar to Emploh'ya.

[Partof1]

Another tip my dad gave me was to include the phrase "willing to learn". What are some thoughts on this?

And yeah, most places have application forms, but Future shop has an online form and request for resume.

[Brother Oni]

'Willing to learn' would be a good phrase to put into a cover letter or skills section.

'Flexible and able to learn quickly' would be a better one as most employers don't want to spend too long getting new employees up to speed.

I'll echo what other people have said - keep it neat and short (less than 2 sides of A4). Have headers for each section and leave plenty of white space so they can make notes on your CV.

Start with your name, contact details (telephone, mail address, email address) and date of birth. Ideally have a semi-professional looking email - [email protected] would be suitable, [email protected] not so good.

List schooling/qualifications in chronological order, making note of particular subjects that you think your employer would be interested in (if you're not sure, English and maths skills are a good place to start).

Since you don't have any work experience yet, I'd go into the skills next: describe what clubs you've been part of, any extra-curricular actitivities (volunteer work, etc). Make sure you mention anything that shows you've had some responsibility and/or leadership skill.

Finally I have a very short Interests section where you tell your employer a bit about yourself. Some interviewers ignore this section (they probably will if you're applying for a minimum wage job), but I've had quite long chats in some interviews in this section (one I had, the interviewer started asking questions about martial arts and what styles would be suitable for her).

I usually add a "References available on request" at the end, but I've seen some people have photocopied references from previous employers on their CVs.

Try not to go for anything gimmicky, like stapling a tea bag to your CV (so they can have a cup of tea while they read your CV), unless you're aiming for an advertising/marketing job where they might actually like that.

[Mathis]

I'm going to discourage you from talking about D&D and gaming when in the interview. For this kind of job it's just not relevant and there is nothing worse than wasting your future employers time. What you do want to include, in addition to what others have mentioned, is how often you can work. Mentioning that you can/can't do heavy lifting is going to be very relevant. Math and computer skills can get very useful and may be what makes you stand out compared to other applicants.

[Pocketa]

Look professional. There is nothing I hate more than interns that even look like they don't take the job seriously. The program I work for works with disadvantaged youth. I'm in charge of outreach. Thus, my interns need to display a level of modesty to the public. It's very important that the interns show the face of the program in a realistic light. We're not a bunch of club kids, and they aren't allowed to do work-related activities looking like one. That means hygenic, no hoods, no hats, exceptions only made for religious purposes, and they have to have professional looking clothes.
Don't lie about your qualifications. It's annoying when kids say they can handle the job and have prior experience. All I have to do is go to my supervisor who proves them wrong by pulling up a transcript. It's just stupid to lie to a potential employer.
Don't be annoying. Sell yourself to my program. I don't care about Dungeons and Dragons or long walks on the beach, I need to know what you can offer my program and what you bring to the table. Unless rolling dice has some sort of application, I don't need to hear about it. I'm not your friend, I'm your potential boss.
Make sure it's the right job for you. Are you doing it because you love it or because you want a job? I'm really good at weeding out the applicants that aren't serious from the ones that are. I'm not interested in babysitting, or providing awards, or babying someone in any way. If someone is genuinely interested in the program, then they can intern with us. If they're doing it for an application, it's really apparent, and I won't work with them again.


This seems really harsh, I know. I'm 16 years old, and I'm currently in the process of hiring interns. They're unpaid, but the process is competitive nonetheless. Our program is a student court program, and while I'm not actually hiring people, my job involves community outreach. I have specialist interns that technically work under me. I'll be at summer school, in the office, during the summer school day. My interns are expected to make appointments with me to work with me, or at least tell me when they want to stop by (i.e. for 2 hours on Friday, sometime from 9 to 1). My job is to make presentations, pamphlets, fliers, etc. My interns have to make copies, distribute fliers, train n00bs, go over my work for errors, work the viral marketing campaign, etc. In order for me to sign them off, I need tangible proof of what they've done. Thus, I really need people that are:


reliable
focused and on task
good at following/giving orders (depending on the situation)
lovable to the public (they're the main face of our program)

[Partof1]

Thanks a ton, this is all really helpful, everyone. My dad is going to show me a resume he was given, so I can see the layout.

Also, for some application forms, it asks for the grade of school completed. I technically haven't completed grade 10 yet, but will have by the time I start working. I imagine I should put down grade 9, but I'm not sure.

[rakkoon]

Can you write

Grade 9 (Grade 10 by June 21st) or something?

[Partof1]

Probably not, as there are just numbers to circle. I'd rather not write footnotes to an application :P

[Tirian]

I think either would be fine, as long as you're in no danger of being held back. Or you could circle both numbers, which would be a clear intent of what your status at this phase in the school year.