I moved out at 16, after entering the workforce at the minimum age of 15. It is extremely difficult to find employment as a teenager unless you have an outstanding marketable skill. Consider from an employer's point of view - if they hire someone over 18 that person costs the same amount to train, but will be able to work longer hours and have a more open schedule so they can work when the employer needs them. Hiring a minor means that employee is probably still going to school and there are restrictions on what hours you can work. Minors are also more subject to immature worker behavior like quitting with no notice and leaving their employer short handed, because they don't have to pay their rent/mortgage/childcare/etc if they're still living with parents and so if they hate the job they don't have to stay. It's unfortunate to be lumped in with people like that, but it's also reality from an employer's point of view. Those who are very friendly and outgoing get hired for things like bagging groceries, receptionist, cashier. Where does that leave the rest of us?
The first thing you need is to figure out what you can already do, with little or no additional training. Are you a decent typist? Good with computers? Can you do website building? Do you like working with your hands or being outside? Are you good at fixing things? Do you like kids, animals, books? Find a skill or interest and try looking for something to do with it. If there is a career center or a school counselor you have access to go ask them - they may be able to put you in contact with an employer. If you can type, you can look for something doing data entry or transcription. Those jobs are competitive to find, but nice if you can get one. It may only be odd jobs, such as typing up essays for other students (they hand write it, you type it). I do transcription from home, I have almost no contact with my employer and none with customers or coworkers. It's boring, but the pay is decent. I got the job because my husband works at the company who offers it and was able to send me the details when the job became available. I've also stuffed envelopes from home. Many similar positions are NOT advertised - the ones that are advertised (like the "Make $5000 stuffing 1000 envelopes from home!" ones) are scams. If they require you to pay to get the job, it's a scam. Only work for a reputable company that you can actually go to.
If you have the ability to appear happy and friendly, try going to anywhere that may offer jobs to ask. If you're not able to appear friendly and outgoing then send a well-written resume telling them what you can do and what you have experience doing. If that's the case, make sure you put on there that you work well independently - it's sort of code that you'd prefer not to have a half dozen idiots in your face all the time. They like it because it'd be less work for your boss having to tell you what to do all the time. Your resume needs to sell you as an employee - it needs to be able to make them see why it would be a good deal for them to hire you. Large banks and huge businesses usually will have regular full time employees for odd jobs and envelopes, but a small, family run or single location place may not. Try small credit unions, small in town newspapers, real estate agents, any professional business that is not retail that has only one location and doesn't appear to be going out of business is a good bet. Even small retailers (ie, not Target, but the single location Mom & Pop place or the pizza place on the corner might work with you) may need someone to put flyers on windshields or sweep out the back room. Don't let failure stop you. The economy sucks right now and there are many people looking for small jobs to make ends meet. Keep looking and eventually you'll find something. Be honest with your potential employer. If you have few social skills, do not assure them that you'll be a great receptionist or salesperson where you'd be required to smile at people all day long. Even if you got the job like that, you'd be unhappy, your employer would be unhappy, the customers would be unhappy and ultimately it would not end well. Don't tell them "I'm horrible with people" tell them "I work best independently". Instead of "shy and antisocial" tell them you're "a dedicated, task-focused worker". Try to phrase any weakness as an opposite strength.
Get the word out that you're looking. Tell any friends, family or teachers that you're comfortable with that you're looking for work. This is called word of mouth advertising, and it's how I've ended up with most of the jobs I've had. Someone will know someone who is hiring for something. If you go to church or belong to any clubs, mention it there. Or if your friends/family do, ask them to look for you. Many potential employers don't bother putting a sign out or taking out a classified ad - they let their existing employees recommend someone they know.
While you're looking for work, try to build what you have to offer. Go to the library and check out books to learn additional skills related to what you'd like to do. If you can afford it, take a couple classes if you're able at your local community college or through something like extra programs at high school. If you're looking for something in an office environment, teach yourself basic software programs like Word, Excel and Access. Almost all office jobs will require that you know those. There are many people looking for work - learn how to do something that your employer is going to want, and learn how to do it as well as you can. If you know how to do something neat like web development or programming, or if you're artistic, build a portfolio to show potential employers. A couple websites advertising what you can do, a file of completed work and so on. Something you can show them to demonstrate what kind of work you can do. If you can't do so already, I'd strongly recommend you learn to type as well as possible. Almost any job that pays better than minimum wage is going to benefit from being able to type at a reasonable speed - at least 60 words per minute. If you're working an office job then typing can get you hired in the first place, and other skills will help you advance. If you're working at any other business, it may occasionally come in handy and it's a good, solid skill to fall back on. If you're interested in auto repair, then check out books on the workings of engines, mechanics or anything related. Make yourself a valuable asset. You can also make this purposeful learning. Find out who the biggest employers are in your area, and then begin to educate yourself in that field. ANY marketable skill you learn is valuable - even if you do not get hired into a job that directly uses that skill, it may come in handy making you a valuable employee and save your job when layoffs come, or it may get you the next job. ALWAYS be learning and improving what you have to offer, even if you're comfortably employed.
Actually getting a job is the next step. Anything. Even if it's less hours and less money than you want, and something that you don't really want to do, be the best employee that you can be. Don't do the minimum not to get fired - do your best work. Be there on time, early if you can. Get as much work done as you're able. Learn new skills. Show them how much you have to offer. Make that employer glad they hired you as much as you can. Then when it's time to consider someone to be promoted you may get it, or next time you're looking for work that employer will be a good reference - when the next person wants to hire you, your old employer will be glad to tell them that you're a hard worker and worth your salary. That's how you advance from boring little inadequate jobs to something you can live with and support yourself on. NTs with spectacular social skills can rely on making friends and then having those friends give them a hand up to the next job. We Aspies need to climb the corporate ladder more on our own power, so it's absolutely necessary to learn as much as you can, work as hard as you can and do the best work that you can. NTs can be friendly, but they can also be a pretty package with nothing inside - we have to show our employers that we're a better person to hire because we can get the job done even if they think we're not friendly - we're a great employee in a less appealing package. In a perfect world employers would only look at how well you do the work and not care how friendly you are with coworkers. The harsh reality is that friends give opportunities to friends. Make yourself valuable enough that it will overcome the lack of helpful friends.
I hope that helps. Good luck to you!
28 Sep 2010, 3:56 pm
