By Clove Morgan
My first boss was a six-pound chihuahua named Princess. When I was sixteen, looking for my first job in a small town, I didn’t know where I should apply for jobs, let alone how to. My neighbor at the time was nice enough to let me dog-sit. She was constantly in and out of town with her family, and they needed someone to pop in to let the dogs out to pee, play, and, of course, eat their decadent doggy treats. I figured it was an easy gig, not one that required me to dedicate six hours of my life that I was already putting into my homework. Then again, looking after five dogs wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.
I made some good money, enough to satiate my sixteen-year-old crippling shopping addiction. Honestly, it was the best option for me. When the pandemic hit my area, schools were closed, and stores followed suit. I maintained that allowance once every few weeks or months when needed. Plus, I was neck-deep in school work, and to protect my mental health during such a difficult time, I do believe that having a laid-back “job” was one of the things that kept me afloat.
By the time the world started opening its doors again, I was headed off to college and in desperate need of a job to fund my staggering steps into adulthood. My first real job was the summer after my freshman year of college. I know it's a little late for most people, but the approach to applications is the same regardless of age when you’re first breaking into a job.
What I first learned was how to create a resume. It’s a daunting task if you have never done it before, but I already had the practice from applying to colleges and other programs in the past. Some of us aren’t yet ready to draft a resume from scratch, so my first recommendation is to build off a template and go from there. Either through a quick Google search or using platforms like Google Docs and Microsoft Word, you can select a layout to get yourself started.
There are quite a few things you can include in your resume, but you should start off with a swift introduction. Most templates have a section for your name, address, and phone number/email. All of that lets whoever is looking over your application know how to contact you and what to call you–as someone with a preferred name myself, don’t be afraid of adding it to your resume. It’s meant to be about you!
You’ll want to add your experience. If you have had prior jobs of any kind, feel free to include them! Especially if it is part-time in retail or food service, you can mention the offhanded experiences you may have had. You can add babysitting or, being a part of a recreational program or member of a club. If your application requires references, don’t be afraid to tack on some family friends, teachers, or leaders–with their permission. Almost everyone includes a section for their school accomplishments, too. I’ve included my current year, academic clubs and honors classes, and even my GPA. This can often serve as evidence that you are dedicated and someone who is able to make a positive contribution to the workplace.
By this point, if you don’t have much work-world experience, your resume may be looking a little barren. One of the ways I not only managed to fill space but also made my application stand out was by adding an objective or miniature bio to tell a potential boss more about myself. You can tell them your personal strengths such as organization, people-person, time efficiency, etc. These little 2-3 sentence descriptions of yourself will give them the information you would most like them to know going into the interview.
Whether you are filling out an online or paper form, you will likely be asked the same questions. Why do you want to work here? What do you hope to gain from this experience? How do you plan to contribute to the workplace? All of these can vary depending on the person. However, if you blank on what to say, the best way to determine your response is by asking yourself what you would most like to hear if you were hiring. Would you like someone who is bubbly and outgoing or serious and diligent? Every job is different, and it is all about what you can foresee yourself bringing to the table with your fellow employees.
If you manage to get to the next stage of interviews, congratulations! Remember to always go in with confidence in yourself and try not to stress. Often, the interviewer is equally as nervous as the interviewee. Keep it professional, respectful, and kind. If you didn’t hear back–which happens a lot more often than you think–don’t worry. There are plenty of other places for you to try, and the right one always comes around. Now go on and get applying; you are all the luck you need.
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