Job Tips

• Use job finding sites such as:
  • Indeed
  • ZipRecruiter
• Go to places you normally go/shop and ask if they are hiring
• Take Recommendations from friends
• Get your name out there, don't be afraid to market yourself 
• Don't give up on the first rejection, it is very normal to apply to 10-20 places and only get 3 responses

Use your interests as a guide

• Where do you like to eat?
  • You could work at local restaurants you like
  • Work at a restaurant you enjoy
• Where do you like to shop?
  • Go work at your favorite retail place and get a discount on clothing
• What are you interested in?
  • Follow your hobbies and work at places that sell things you're interested in
    • Skateboarding
    • Art/Photography
    • Sports
    • Or any other hobby you might enjoy
• What do you have experience in?
  • Have you worked at a restaurant before? 
    • This could be one step above someone else who has no experience
  • Have you worked retail?
  • Volunteering?

LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network on the internet. It can be used to find jobs, employees, internships and many more. Many employers will use this to see the accomplishments of a person without a formal resume. 
This site is becoming more important than a physical resume!

How do I make an account:

1. Create an Account using your personal email
   • Follow the prompt and input the information asked such as email, full name, number, date of birth, etc.
2. Add a professional photo of yourself as the profile picture
   • This picture should not include other people, animals, etc. 
   • It could be something like a school picture
3. Add any credentials you might have
   • Google, Microsoft, Entrepreneurship and Small Business
4. Add any experience you may have
   • Work
   • Volunteering
   • Any Related Experience
5. Add an opening statement
   • Click on the "Opening Statements" tab to find out more about this
6. Add any education you have including high school
7. Add skills you may have related to work
8. Add any organizations you are a part of
   • This can help expand the number of places interested in you

What is a resume?

A resume is a formal document that a job applicant creates to list their qualifications for a job position. 

What does a resume include?

1. Your name and contact information
   • Provide your phone number and email
   • Eventually you will add your address as the jobs become more permanent
2. Your objective
   • This is usually 1 sentence long and is centered on describing the value you can add to the team and the needs you can fill. The items below are the evidence to that statement so there is no need to explain/make it an essay
3. Work and Related Experience
4. Credentials
5. 2-3 References
   • These can be former bosses, coaches, leaders, teachers, etc. but NO family
   • Provide their contact information(phone, email)
   • State their relationship to you and the organization they were with
6. Skills you may have
7. Any Awards/Honors you received
8. Activities/Hobbies
   • Only add if it can benefit your character/experience
   • If you add make sure to include your position on that team
     • Ex. Captain
9. Education
   • Add as it increases but just high school is okay for now
10. Languages you may speak on top of English

What is it?

The opening statement is a 2-3 sentence and is typically the first page of your resume. 

IS it important?

There will be lots of people applying to the job so you need to think of this as the hook, you need to grab their attention and make yourself stand out so they notice you.

What does it include?

• 2-3 Achievements/Skills
• The scope of your experience
• Any metrics to quantify your achievements

When can I work?

Minors cannot work before 7am or after 9pm when school is in session(Sunday-Thursday). When school is not in session you can work until 11:30pm(Friday-Saturday).

Is there a restriction on my hours?

Yes! A minor cannot have more than 48 hours of combined school and work in a given week. A normal school week there are 35 hours of school, so that leaves 13 hours for work. A week where the minor does not have school, they can work up to 48 hours. 

Minors cannot work more than 10 hours a day and cannot work more than 6 days in a week.

Minors cannot work for more than 5 hours without a documented 30-minute uninterrupted break.

Do i need a work permit?

Yes, all minors in school and work need to fill out a work permit and have it signed by both the employer and the school. This is a law. 16 and 17-year-olds have a different permit than minors under 16, so make sure you tell your school which one you need.
These can be found in the counseling office of your middle or high school. 

The school provides the work permit, but they can also take it away. If a student has low attendance at school and has low grades, they can revoke your privilege to work. Additionally, they can take it away if they are notified that the employer has violated state or federal laws or rules.

What are my limitations?

-When working there must be a person 18 or older  working alongside you to supervise you
-Minors cannot be employed in hazardous occupations such as delivery driver, operating fryers, operating power driven machinery, etc.

All this information can be found on michigan.gov

• Tell me about yourself.

  • The employers want to hear about you and your accomplishments/skills that relate to the skills needed to fulfill the position you are interviewing for

• How did you hear about this position?

  • They want to hear not only where you heard about them but also why you were interested in applying after hearing about them

• Why do you want to work here?

  • They want to know what you want to learn/do by working there and understanding you motivation to do so.

• Why did you apply for this position?

  • Explain the things you were looking for in your job search and tell them something you noticed about their job that you liked

• What is your greatest weakness?

  • You want to avoid naming more than 1-2 and tell them how they have improved and what you have done to work on them
  • Or you could go the other route and choose weaknesses that are also strengths such as working too hard, being a perfectionist, etc.

• What are your strengths?

  • Talk about one strength but mainly focus on how you're working to keep improving and what you have already improved on
  • They're looking for you to sum up the phrase "there's always room for improvement"

• What do you know about this company/organization?

  • They want to see that you have done your research about the company so have 2-3 specific/basic facts prepared ahead of time

• Where do you see yourself in five years?

  • They're looking for an attainable short term goal and how you're going to achieve it.
    • "I plan on ____ and I intend to get there by____"

• Why should we hire you?/What are you going to bring to the team?/Why do you deserve this position?

  • They're asking for to tell them how you meet the criteria(that is usually on the advertisement) for the role they are looking to fill. 
  • If you don't fill all the criteria, tell them how you will/plan to

• What do you think is a fair salary?

  • Always give a range to show your flexibility and start higher than what you want so you'll be more likely to get it. 

• What are your expectations for me in this role?
• Who will I work with most closely? What are departments or units will I interact with?
• What are the current goals that the company is focused on, and how does this team work to support hitting those goals?
• What are the typical office functions here that I should be aware of?
• How are promotions typically handled?
• Is there a process in place to increase compensation as experience/position increases?
• What's the performance review process like here? How often would I be formally reviewed?
• What metrics or goals will my performance be evaluated against?

• No insurance
• No boundaries(scheduling when you say you can't work repeatedly, etc)
• Doing drugs/drinking in the workplace
• No breaks
• Employees stealing money out of the back/register
• Unsanitary workplace
• Inappropriate behavior to you or other employees
• Feeling uncomfortable working with your coworkers

• Be professional, no explicit language/drugs/drinking/too much skin showing
• Dress for the job you want, not the job you have while following the dress code
• Have good time management
• Do what is asked of you and more
  • Go above and beyond(better chance of promotion)
• Be efficient
• Be kind to coworkers and customers
• Be on time, if not early
• Inform your boss as soon as you know you can't be in to work due to sickness, injury, family emergency, etc.
• Eye contact
• Listen to others, no interrupting
• Be respectful

• A two weeks notice is typically what is respectful unless the job has other rules
• No blaming, respectfully tell them the situation and why you're leaving
• Don't start drama, if there is an issue it should stay between the people involved and the manager/boss
• Stay polite and respectful, even if they were rude to you
• If necessary, contact an adult to help you
• Resign face-to-face if possible
• Don't get lazy after you quit, you still might need the recommendation for future jobs
• In a professional workplace, write a resignation letter after you talk in-person
  • Dear [Supervisor's name], Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from my role as [Title]. My last day with [Company] will be [End date]. To ease the transition after my departure, I am happy to assist you with any training tasks during my final weeks on the job.