Topic: Asking for a job.

I've been out of school for 3 months due to bullying and will be moving school next September,however I did very good on my Junior Cert exams last year.
I was about to apply for a job fixing buses but the level of math I was in screwed me over but everything else was great.

I am really dying for a job as I cannot get a single cent of money. Don't ask why. lol

How did you go about getting your first job?
Was the whole process easy? or tough?
I feel scared to ask for a job tho as I feel i'll be rejected.

I'm stuck on a SDTV with a PS3,just NO.
And new release's in games are just flying over my head as I ain't got the money.

So yeah,just need confidence.
(Posted from Wii browser as Laptop charger is broke).

So were you kicked out for bullying or forced to leave due to bullying from other kids?

Forced to leave. I have a VERY bad reputation around my street I live in due to me being an absolute moron as a kid and early teens.

Everyone knows who I am around here but instead of leaving me alone,they harass me. And this is no fun and games where I live.

Anyway I was on the verge of running away but I didn't have the guts but everyday I thought of doing it. I was unstable. Admittely I'd say I was mentally ill and had a severe case of depression which still to this day gets to me but rarely. My sister found out from my weekly counsellor and moved me from this school.(Sorry,I tend to ramble on)

Any advice guys??

If you are good at art you could sell them and use a website called deviant art, I'm not very sure how that works yet but I plan on doing this, but other than that IDK, I'm only 14 and haven't applied for a job before

Oh yeah, and best of luck for getting a job, you seem to have a lot of troubles and I hope you can work them out soon.

back to the topic at hand... applying for jobs is always stressful as hell for me. it's easier now with the internet, because half the places you try to apply at (here in the US, at least) will refer you to the online application form and you can do it from the comfort of your own home, but that's kind of a double-edged sword, because you're not getting the chance to actually talk to a person while you're there and maybe make a good first impression that way, and most of the online applications have the same darn personality assessment test, so you'll fill the same thing out like twenty times over in one day... ugh.

the only real advice i can offer is to just keep your chin up. always be as respectful as possible to prospective employers, and do your best to answer questions put to you honestly. when you try to outthink the dudes asking the questions and give them the answers you think they want to hear, chances are you're gonna slip and say something stupid. good luck to you, man.

Agreed that applying for jobs is extremely stressful. Two things I learned are: (a) apply even if you think you can get it, and (b) don't worry about rejection.

For (a), sometimes you see a job that looks great but might not fit your skills exactly. Like the fixing buses thing. Sure, maybe your math isn't up to par... but if you apply and show them that you are very interested and motivated about the work, sometimes it will work out anyway. It certainly doesn't hurt to try as long as you believe you can handle the job.

And for (b)... well, let's be honest. When applying for jobs, it's always more likely that you will get rejected than accepted (unless you have the right connections). Doesn't matter how good you are, there are other good people competing for the same work. Don't let it get you down and keep applying for as many as you can. Above all, stay confident! You will catch a break eventually, and then it's just a matter of earning your keep.

Best of luck!

Don't only apply at places that are 'hiring'.

I know quite a few people that went into random places, said they were interested in attaining some employment, and had a job relatively quick.

The only thing I can recommend is confidence. Even if you don't think you can get the job, go in pretending you're the man they're looking for. I don't mean acting self centered or arrogant, just go in like you deserve to be there. A firm handshake, warm smile and plenty of (but not too much) eye contact will help.

And as has been mentioned, be polite. Yes sir, Yes ma'am, thank you sir (or ma'am) and all that good stuff.

Just remember, if you don't get the first job you're looking for, it's not the end of the world. I think I had interviews at five or six places before I got my first job. Good luck!

Longer term here, but you really want to be building a resume that includes things that are more than "really good at Playstation."

School Education is one thing yes, but community or charity initiatives, additional education (first aid, extracirricular courses), sporting/ artistic achievements and hobbiest work all count. An empty resume is one that quickly gets ignored.

I've done hiring in the past, and I know personally that I get very turned off by resumes from people which read as "one activity at a time" - I like knowing that people have genuine interests, achievements and commitments outside of their work life, as it means they're more likely to be genuine in commitment to their working life.

another thing i've just been reminded of, here -- if you land an interview at one place, don't just go into that interview and immediately stop applying. i've known so many people who just interview at one place and then sit by the phone for a week doing nothing, thinking they're gonna be handed the job on a platter, and of course it doesn't work that way, so they've just wasted that week, lol. don't be afraid of ticking off any human resources people you've already talked to, either -- I've been a part of the hiring process at one of my prior jobs, and trust me, we have no problems having people say "sorry, but i've already been hired elsewhere" when we do call-backs... we just cross you off our lists and move on to the next applicant. :3

I completely understand your situation. I too, have cases of severe depression.
I'm also trying to find a job, but I still look like a very small child, and I am MUCH older than I look.
Nobody takes me seriously when I'm asking for a job, as I am under 5 feet tall.

The only place I can recommend is Krislund Camp.
It's in central PA, and they are hiring
It's a fantastic place--please give it a look.

http://www.krislund.org/1.html

@Winslow
Well, Sean lives in Ireland so I doubt a camp in the US is much of an option for him.

...oh...okay
I feel stupid.

No reason to. You were just trying to help.

thank you.
http://www.jobs.ie/

Best way to do it? Get all up in their face and demand for a job. And when they don't give it to you?

Yell OBJECTION!, slam the desk, point, and play the song 'Investigation ~ Cornered'.

_{take that}

I've been having a real hard time finding a job lately. Every place I go they keep rejecting me. I'm polite and well dressed yet they still send me home with nothing. It's been over a year since I've worked and I'm getting really frustrated. It makes it even worse when they ask why have I been unemployed for so long. What am I supposed to say? Umm because there's too many more qualified people taking all the good jobs. I also prefer actually talking to someone rather than filling out forms online and waiting around for a phone call. Looking for work sucks but getting the run around is even worse.

Times are tough everywhere so don't get discouraged if you don't land the first job you apply. Also don't feel ashamed or scared if you don't land the first few job's you apply for. I got to stress this also because I was in a similar boat at one time, don't let a piece of paper (records) tell you what you can or cannot do, If an employer say's that your not qualified for the job, challenge his decision. Show them what you can do if they give you a chance to prove your skill, a lot of employers will do that. You sound intelligent, plus it sounds you know what you want to do so I say go for it. Have no regrets for anything you try, you learn from your mistakes / successes and apply them to the next task at hand.

See my story's a little different, I was 15 when I started working (legal age in Canada to work). Worked for a grocery store during school, and a few years after. When I was 20 epilepsy hit me, and hit me hard. I was able to work, but I couldn't get stressed out (which when you work for customer service it's real easy to become stressed). I quit from customer service when I was 22, moved on to working for a friends aunt building and maintaining their website. It was a hobby I did when I was 14 and still do it to a lesser extent though. That lasted half a year when she found out it would be cheaper to do it with a content management company, which use these really ugly templates for websites. So I was jobless for a few months until I landed a job in an Italian restaurant with the rudest bunch of employers I ever meet. They laid me off around Christmas time because they were losing money and they figured they could hire their family members for cheaper. I then moved up north for a year to help out at a computer shop, best job I ever had! I learned a lot about hardware and software troubleshooting, building computers, the whole works! Times were slow so they couldn't keep me on the payroll so I moved back to the city where I as of today am still looking for work.

I walked around a shopping mall taking applications wherever they handed them out. McDonald's was where I ended up working; franchise store and a terrible experience, but getting that paycheque was definitely a good thing.

Once you get over the awkwardness of asking people who might be your peers for job applications the rest is pretty easy, though depending on the climate actually landing the gig can be a challenge. Mostly I think it helps to look and act confident and be well-groomed - really a key to success in life generally!

My first job was 15. (Summer job working foods at a theme park.) I disliked it but overall it was a good experience in order to prepare me for the working world. I've since worked at several locations as groundskeeper, lifeguard, on-air announcer, and live entertainment.

This year I applied to 6+ places before I got a lucky break. The key is perseverance.