Registered: Feb 2000
Location: vancouver, bc, canada
Posts: 22

job applications

hey fellow visor community
im a high school student living in vancouver, bc, canada.. and i was wondering if you could give me some job ideas.. im trying 2 get employed.. but i just can't figure out where.. im under 16.. and very talented.. i am working on getting my A+ and networking certification right now.. i use my visor ALOT and i am well, a computer geek.. hehe.. well.. i was wondering if any of you could give me some ideas on to what i should apply for.. i already tried micky d's and a buncha other stores.. but they want someone over 16.. i remember a while ago i met someone that was like my age and was employed by handspring to do PR or advertising or something.. hmm.. i did convice half of my grade to get visors.. maybe i could do soemthing like that?... just post any ideas or comments here.. or you can email me at [email protected]
any reply will be greatly apreciated and thanked!
...
derek

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Heidelberg, Germany
Posts: 85

You want a job, huh? Step one: learn to write. No one is going to take you seriously if you write in HA><0R speak. Try using correct punctuation marks and capital letters at the beginning of a new sentence. Also, it is correctly written "A LOT", not "ALOT". It is two words. I'm not attacking you personally, but you have to be able to write so people can understand you. Unless you plan on making a living by inquiring if someone wants fries with their meal, learn to write. It doesn't matter if you have a CCNA, MSCE or any other combination of letters after your name, a company is not going to hire you if you can't communicate correctly. Stay in school, take a couple more English classes and then throw yourself into the job market. I think you will find the prospects much better.

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RadarGreg

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
Posts: 790

Prepare for harsh responses

Look at this thread. A very similar post was made by a college student and people were tough on him.

It is true though that how you present youself is key to getting a job. Have at least 1 "interview outfit" of trousers, a long-sleeved shirt with a colllar, a tie, and nice leather shoes and matching belt. (At your age and level of inexperience, nobody will hold it against you for not wearing a suit). It doesn't have to be expensive, just tidy. Wear it and go to places in town where you'd like to work. Ask to see the manager about employment opportunities or ask for an application. Take the application home and write on a separate piece of paper exactly what you want to say, then ask a parent or older friend to check it for you. Copy the corrected text to the application.

Another good approach is to do volunteer work at a church, charity, or similar organization. Yes, you won't get money right away, (which I'm guessing is your immediate goal at age 15), but after a while of volunteering, you'll be able to tell potential employers what you did and how you made a difference.

Any time you are talking to somone who could hire you or help you get a job, act grown-up, serious (but not stiff or dead) and calm. Keep in mind, people want to know what you can do for them. But you have to be realistic. Instead of thinking of things you can do, offer to do things you've already shown that you can do because you have already done them successfully.

Hope this helps. Email me if you want.

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Jeff

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

Re: job applications

It is good to see a young man like yourself wanting to work at age 15. A lot of guys I know at your age would rather hang out at the mall or depend on mommy or daddy to buy stuff for them. There are a lot of teenagers doing work for small internet businesses. What you need to do is take an inventory of you skills and use them to your advantage. Have you ever checked out sites such as Elance.com or advise type sites? You wont get a steady flow of cash from them, but there is the potential to make some money on the side and gain some very valuable experience for the future.

quote:

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Originally posted by Pengin
hey fellow visor community
im a high school student living in vancouver, bc, canada.. and i was wondering if you could give me some job ideas.. im trying 2 get employed.. but i just can't figure out where.. im under 16.. and very talented.. i am working on getting my A+ and networking certification right now.. i use my visor ALOT and i am well, a computer geek.. hehe.. well.. i was wondering if any of you could give me some ideas on to what i should apply for.. i already tried micky d's and a buncha other stores.. but they want someone over 16.. i remember a while ago i met someone that was like my age and was employed by handspring to do PR or advertising or something.. hmm.. i did convice half of my grade to get visors.. maybe i could do soemthing like that?... just post any ideas or comments here.. or you can email me at [email protected]
any reply will be greatly apreciated and thanked!
...
derek

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 447

Pengin:

I'm fourteen and a half, and this past spring I worked as a soccer referee for the local soccer association. It's the only job I could get at my age, and it was fairly easy. Wake up at 7 on a Saturday, referee three games, and come home at 2. It paid $10 per game, which is nearly twice minimum wage around here; however, you do have to attend two 8 hour classes to be licensed.

Anyway, I don't know if you have anything like that in your area, but there are jobs of that nature available to people under 16.

In addition to quote-unquote real work, you could write for some of the various technology websites (such as Suite101.com and ZATZ.com, although I don't think the former pays writers anymore). If your post is an example of your writing skills, however, you would want to bone up on your English skills.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: vancouver, bc, canada
Posts: 22

hmm cool

hmm.. thanks for da words of advice..
i'll try to keep it in mind while i tread on through my job search.
and as to my writing skills, i find that while using the computer as a median for thoughts, the idea is transferred but the words are not the same. doesn't anyone else find that while typing essayes for school or writing letters that you revert back to your "instant message" writing style. almost a special technological coquiolism (<--- i think i spelled that wrong). but yeah, ill try to keep profesionalism at a high and work on your advice. currently, i am trying to get a volunteer position at a local computer store. it will provide free training and will add to experience. ill look into applying for an internet site for the experience. thanks for all your comments and i am sure that it will benefit me. greatly apreciated

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derek

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Out of my skull, back in five minutes
Posts: 1435

Re: hmm cool

quote:

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Originally posted by Pengin
and as to my writing skills, i find that while using the computer as a median for thoughts, the idea is transferred but the words are not the same. doesn't anyone else find that while typing essayes for school or writing letters that you revert back to your "instant message" writing style. almost a special technological coquiolism (<--- i think i spelled that wrong).

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The light at the end of your tunnel has been disconnected due to non-payment. Please remit funds immediately for restoration of hope.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 447

I would have to take keyboarding this year at high school, but I'll test out of it because I can type 60 WPM (40 is the minimum to test out).

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: vancouver, bc, canada
Posts: 22

keyboarding

in my high school, in my grade 8 yr, they all make us take keyboarding and library skills. it is absolutely the most boring and useless course in my school. 1stly all they make you do is type. they offer no skill building whatsoever and do not teach you proper formatting at all. every class, they gave us a newspaper article and the teacher left the room. very useful indeed. perhaps it is different at other highschools, but i found it very useless at mine. however, i did take keyboarding at sumer school and found it very helpful. i went from 30wpm to 110wpm.
personally, i want to learn proper formatting and technique for letters and resumes.

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derek

Registered: Sep 2001
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 236

Hey...you could help me build computers..or you could try it yourself. I am seventeen and a fellow Vancouverite and after discovering a store (www.atic.ca) I figured out I could build computers for people, add $200 to the cost and still come in cheaper than the big companies...it's a great job, I can build them whenever I want and I get $200 for about 6-7 hours of work. Your spelling is fine but I do agree with you about the problems when transferring thoughts to paper, but a Writing course and English 12 straightened that out quite nicely. Now I can write an essay straight from my head to the keyboard with no errors (well maybe a bit of an exaggeration). One tip though, it is apparent that you don't like capitals, but for us reading, those larger letters at the beginning of new sentences are really helpful so we can stop and digest the previous sentence.

So what school you going to and where abouts do you live in Vancouver?
Alex.

P.S. If you are interested in it but don't have the knowledge to build computers than reply and I can teach you.

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Goodbye my lovely Treo
HELLO TG50

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: vancouver, bc, canada
Posts: 22

Hey Tantousha

I live in the West Side of Vancouver, around Eric Hamber. I am cautious about giving out my address over the internet in an internet message board, perhaps we can further communicate via email. I have heard of ATIC, in fact my computer was bought from there. I go to Saint Georges. I am very interested about that job position. Fexiable hours mean a lot as to I am still in school and homework varies from week to week. Pay is not too important, infact I am more than happy to work for free just for the experience. I am actually going to atic in a few days to help my friend purchase a computer / buy a new video card for my computer.
...
I will inqure about the job oppertunities and we can further communiate. My email is [email protected].
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By the way, many of you may have noticed that my English skills have dramatically improved throughout these postings. I will further work on profesionalizing my writing. I cannot thank you enough for these valuable insights into the job market. I am sure that all of them will not go to waste.
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derek

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Nebraska- the Good life
Posts: 695

Pengin,

Job hunt advice? My 'rules' for teens are:

1. Start with whoever will hire you. Think of it as a part-time or summer job if you don't feel you can stick to it. The first job is the toughest, and it is a lot easier to get a better job from this springboard. Although employers dislike 'job hoppers', they make a lot more allowances for summer and part-time jobs.

2. Get a feel from your experiences, friends, shopping, etc. of what you WANT to do. Nowadays, computer literate young people are a dime a dozen. What OTHER skills can you offer?

3. Look for jobs you can live with that will teach you valuable skills. Real-world experience and on-the-job training is a great way to prepare for a better job later. Example: working at the local equivilant of Best Buy or CompUSA may seem below you or odious, but you will learn a lot about how such places work, customer service, etc. you can use for getting your next and better job.

4. Find the balance between variety and focus. Keeping in the same field gives you sharp experience- in that area only. Consider other jobs in radically differnet fields for part-time or summer work. Restaraunt work, for example, or carpenter's assistant. This variety can show you exciting new opportunities and broaden your horizons!

5. Attitude! Many employers follow the 'hire for attitude, train for skills' bit. That is, if they need someone with network certification and have a choice between a certified applicant with a mediocre attitude, or one with no certificationa nd a great attitude, they will hire the great attitude and get them certified.


By the way- your spelling and language use is only average. You wrote 'oppertunity', 'fexiable', 'median' (you meant 'medium'), etc. We all goof sometimes, but right now you are writing as if for potential employers so you want to try to make it look good.

In a few places, you seem to be trying too hard to impress us with your grammer, lexicon, etc., but it weakens the effect when it comes off stilted or still contains errors.

I don't mean this as a criticism- few of us here can cast the first stone! Just another 'heads up' as you try to land that first job!

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Do what you can, with what you have, where you are at!

Registered: Apr 2002
Location:
Posts: 74

If money isn't THAT much of an object...

Go for an internship at a local non-profit that you have an interest in.

For example, if you have an interest in computer networking, go to any large university or non-profit group. Ask them if they could hire you as an intern in their IT department with a small stipend (or even for free). Tell them what you want to learn and what you're willing to do and if they have the need, they'll place you where they need you. The worst that could happen is they say 'No' or they don't have a need for someone with your skills at the moment.