My daughter is almost 16...wants a job and can't get hired

[greenbriar]

no one wants to hire someone not 16.

She wants to go to New York with the school next year and wants to save money...


she has been to all of the fast food chains around here...everyone says come see them when she turns 16

[Deja Q]

1. I'm 34 and more or less in the same boat. And I actually was when I was 16.

Best wishes to her. :hug:

[flamin lib]

10. That's funny, I'm 59 and in the same boat . . .nt

[Horse with no Name]

2. Do you have any Sonics where you are?

The Sonics around here will hire 15-yr olds, although they can't work around the grill.
Good luck to her.

[greenbriar]

yea, they told her 16

???

[Horse with no Name]

6. My daughter started there when she was 15

and I know they hire other kids her age.
Hmmm...their carhops make excellent tips.

[Clark2008]

3. Um - isn't it the law?

I know you can get some hardship documents that allow you to work before you're 16, but, short of that, it's the law that you have to be 16 (at least in my state).

[greenbriar]

5. she can work until 7 weekdays

and until 10 weekends


can't work more than 40

but she only wants 20-25 hours

[rinsd]

12. Its likely she simply doesn't fit the schedule

During the week, she is only available to work a 4 hour shift timed oddly at 3 to 7 (I assume she has school)?

That leaves a single 8 hour shift per day on the weekend. And it would likely have to be a morning shift?

I would avoid the chains, fast food or not. Tell her to check the classifieds and look into any waitressing job available(but not chains). They are more likely to take a chance on an inexperienced youngster.

[Gormy Cuss]

15. I would guess that it's because scheduling is complicated because of her age.

The work hour rules are easier in nearly every state once she's 16. I wanted to work the summer that I was 15 but no one would hire me either. My classmates who were 16 had much better luck.

[seaglass]

25. In MA you can work at 14, lots of restrictions on hours and

type of work though. My daughter has worked since she was 14, she's 17 now.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. Don't know about the state...

but there are different labor laws for 15 year olds than 16 year olds in some.

Could be the reason.

[recoveringrepublican]

7. Where do you live?

I know when I worked at a fast food place in MN the only people under 16 we would hire were through a school work program. There were so many rules about what they could and couldn't do and how many hours they could work. I would just wait it out until she is 16.

[proud patriot]

8. Daycare centers can use help cleaning up in the afternoons

has she tried any daycare centers ? Might even get some babysitting
jobs out of too. :hi:

The money is usually a little better than min. and the work is
much more fun .

[TexasLawyer]

9. babysitting can be very lucrative

My teenagers have come home with well over the minimum wage for their efforts.

[babylonsister]

26. I second that. And weeding. And house cleaning. nt

[zanne]

11. How about a religious institution, like a hospital?

Many moons ago, I worked in a Catholic hospital at 14.

[tammywammy]

13. There's so many rules for 15 year olds

That it's just easier for the employers to just not hire them.

[HockeyMom]

14. My daughter worked at McD's at 15

She worked part time (all jobs p/t except management). However, they did not want her working just for the summer. She had to agree to also work during the school year; after school and on weekends for at least 20 hours per week. This was 7 years ago.

[InkAddict]

16. It's good that she'd like to work to meet her goal, but

tell her to keep up with her schoolwork. She's got a lot of time to make some $$ over the summer. My daughter made a lot teaming up with a friend to mow lawns in the neighborhood to meet band expenses one year. Your daughter may also be able to pet sit, kid sit, weed gardens, plant landscape chores for an older person, hand wash/wax cars, personal errands, etc...Hand deliver and/or post flyers to neighbors, at the laundrymat to offer the service and then teach her about safety concerns that come with the territory. She'll have the rest of her life to work; don't rush the process at the expense of grades. Perhaps her class will participate in some fundraisers?

[InkAddict]

17. It's good that she'd like to work to meet her goal, but

tell her to keep up with her schoolwork. She's got a lot of time to make some $$ over the summer. My daughter made a lot teaming up with a friend to mow lawns in the neighborhood to meet band expenses one year. Your daughter may also be able to pet sit, kid sit, weed gardens, plant landscape chores for an older person, hand wash/wax cars, personal errands, etc...Hand deliver and/or post flyers to neighbors, at the laundrymat to offer the service and then teach her about safety concerns that come with the territory. She'll have the rest of her life to work; don't rush the process at the expense of grades. Perhaps her class will participate in some fundraisers?

[1monster]

18. Some grocery stores will hire kids as young as fourteen to be

courtesy clerks (baggers)...

My son wants to get a job to earn money (age 14). I won't let him except for summers until he is 16 and even then only if his school grades are excellent.

Today's kids will be working from the time they start until they drop in the traces, so to speak. Retirement was for the WWII and some of the baby boomer generations.

Let her work in the summer if she wants, but don't let her do it during the school year unless it is absolutely necessary.

I see too many kids who are too tired to pay attention in school because of their after school jobs.

[Catchawave]

19. Babysitting?

And taking lifeguard classes :)

When my daughter was almost 16 and determined not to work in fast food, she realized that being a lifeguard paid almost double minimum wage...doesn't matter what area you live in, there's always positions open and they're always hiring :) Also it looked great on her college application, because it's considered one of the few "professional" jobs for teens.

Being able to swim a few laps and passing CPR/first aide classes helps too.

Also, try "family" style restaurant chains, she may be able to bus tables if they don't serve alcohol before 18?

Babysitting should pay at least $5/hour now, not a bad gig for a young teen. Good luck to both of you :hi:

[NNN0LHI]

20. I started busing tables in a restaurant part time when I was 13

I lied about my age.

Don

[Scout1071]

21. I started working at 14,

she'll find something. Check the newspaper, try the mall, etc.

If she still can't find something, then it's time to reach out to friends, family, neighbors and start asking for work in the form of babysitting, raking, mowing, whatever! I found a million ways to make a buck when I was a kid.

[Cleita]

22. I don't know where you live but it might be the law in your state,

under child labor laws, not to hire any kid under sixteen. Maybe she ought to go the baby sitting route until she's old enough.

[deadmessengers]

23. Liability

I bet no one wants to hire her because their liability/worker's comp insurance carriers say not to, if they want to stay insured. I remember working in a supermarket about 20 years ago, and hearing that 14 & 15 year old workers were something like twice as likely to get into an accident on the job.

[LSparkle]

24. That sounds familiar -- I got a job stuffing newspapers when I was 15

and when they found out I wasn't 16, they had to let me go. I only worked a couple of days -- it was such a disappointment.

[Darkseid69]

27. My daughter started at Jersey Mike's at 15,.

She and her best friend applied and were hired the same day. The best friend was let go about two weeks later because she didn't have enough of a bubbly attitude, but my daughter is still there. They just don't let her have any carbonated drinks while she's there. She's scary when she's hyper.

[treestar]

28. Is it legal for her to work?

Maybe the employers just assume it is not legal.

Maybe she should tell them she's from Mexico and she's illegally here. :hide:

[SayWhatYo]

29. I had similar problems...

When I was 15ish I wanted to get a job... They seemed reluctant to hire anyone under 16 due to various regulations. Although, even when I was 16 I still had some problems because I didn't have any real work experience. I did manage to get a job for about six months though, but that was only 'cause I knew somone who worked there... Then once I was out of high school and in college I was looking for work again, but no one considered me because six months didn't seem to be enough work experience. Eventually I managed to get a job as techers assistant, well, because I knew some people.... I wont even get into gettting my first IT jobs :P

Ehnn, I guess it's true... It's all about who you know, or scare into hiring you.

[JuniperLea]

30. It took my daughter a solid year to find a job

By the time she got one, the age deal was no deal anymore.

And I know she was diligent because I helped her. It's so hard! Everyone wants someone with work experience of some kind, but few are willing to give a kid their first shot at employment.

Persistence and a good CV. You can create a fine CV from a students school and neighborhood history.

Then you need to hit the Internet, school bulletin boards, and the street. (After all was said and done, my daughter got her job by walking into a bookstore and applying out of the blue. She never saw an ad.)

She finally landed a good gig at Borders, perfect fit for her bookwormish ways. She's been there a year now.

It is a full time job looking for a job. If a person, and I don't care how old you are, isn't spending 6 to 8 hours a day actively searching, they aren't really looking for a job. I'm serious. It's hard. You have to be tougher!

[nealmhughes]

31. Try cleaning peoples' houses on weekends and when school is out.

These days with both parents working, many would welcome a 15 or 16 year old to help out with the laundry, lawn mowing, dusting, mopping, etc.

The fact that she is in school in daytime hours is a bit of a stymie, but she probably gets out at 3, which means she coud do a house in the week starting at 3:30 and have 2 hours before anyone probably came home!

[SoCalDem]

32. The paperwork and laws for "under 16" workers is pretty extreme.

Employers probably prefer to hire people OVER 16 (even those regs are pretty prohibitive).

Employers want workers who are able to be flexible, stay late, come in early, work at a moment's notice.. students often cannot do that..

With so many people wanting work, they probably feel they can get adult workers easily enough..

Maybe she can find a different way to earn money,.. do kids cut grass anymore, babysit, walk dogs, do "garage cleanups"..??

We did not let our sons work while they were in school, but I know a lot of my friends' kids did...and they got hassled to the max and most hated their jobs..