Teenagers: How to Be Successful When Applying for Your First Job

As a teenager or young adult, one of the biggest challenges that you might be facing right now is trying to land your first job. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a family member or older friend who owns a business and is in a position to hire you, then getting your first job is probably going to involve sending off as many applications as you can and dealing with rejection at least a few times before you finally get hired. But, don’t give up! Everybody has to start somewhere, so we’ve put together some top tips to help you achieve success and finally get the job.

Tip #1. Get Some Experience

For first-time job hunters, the biggest problem that they face is not having any previous experience. Today, most employers will require their candidates to have some experience, but the issue here is that to get experience, you need a job! But, do you?

There are several ways to get some great work experience and develop transferable skills that will stand out on your resume and make you a better employee. Consider taking up some voluntary work in a thrift store, starting your own small business venture, or asking small business owners in your area if they’ll let you help out every once in a while.

Tip #2. Focus on Your Skills

Writing a resume for the first time can be a very daunting process, especially when you’ve never had a job before. As a result, many first-time job hunters will send out resumes that are quite bare and uninteresting. However, this doesn’t have to be the case with yours! Even if you have no previous job experience to list on there, there will be several other things that you can talk about on your resume to make it stand out to employers, even if it’s just an interesting hobby. The best way to impress with your resume is to focus on your skills. Think about the skills that you have developed in high school and everyday life that could easily be transferred into the world of work.

Tip #3. Choose the Right Employers

Lastly, it’s important to narrow down your job vacancy search to employers that are more likely to take on young people searching for their first job. For example, Subway is a popular worldwide sandwich chain, which often provides young people with employment for the first time; you can find out more about applying to their vacancies directly at jobapplicationcenter.com. Industries such as hospitality and retail are where many young people get their first taste of working life, so looking for vacancies here could improve your chances.

Tip #4. Don’t Give Up!

Lastly, don’t be disheartened if you don’t hear back from an employer, or even if you are invited to an interview and don’t get the job. It’s all a very normal part of job hunting and will give you great experience for later in your life.

Instead, think about what you can learn to do better next time, and you’ll eventually get a job.