I remember when I was 13 and applying for my first job. My mother always told me...
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Imagine if I had the effort to make every article here as wordy as those recipe websites lmao.
First, get some paperwork together. You’ll need a resume and a cover letter. No matter if you’re applying in person or online you’ll need both of those things.
Then, you can start looking for things you might want to do.
Your best bet is to try to apply for something in food service or retail - they’re always hiring and awesome spots to start. Flexible, lots of people, and a refined structure for how to learn things. But don’t be afraid to go for what lights your fire - even if you’re under qualified.
I know it doesn’t seem like much fun to go for a big retailer like Woolworths or Kmart, or a fast food place, but they are amazing first jobs. They have really specific training, so everyone knows the exact same things. They often promote from within, and they’re recognised in every state and country.
That doesn’t mean you should ignore that little family owned take away down the street, or the office your dad walks past to get to the gym, but it means you might have a less structured experience, so it might take a little longer to get your bearings.
Online, you can find job ads on websites like Seek or Indeed. Or on local chat groups like Facebook.
For big companies, they’re almost always hiring. You can go straight to their direct websites to apply for things like:
McDonalds, KFC, Woolworths, Coles, and Kmart.
You might want to make accounts with these places. Having a specific “professional” email is a good idea, so that it doesn’t weigh down the same inbox as your Temu orders and social media updates. Plus, from an employer's point of view thesexykitty67@gmail.com is getting a lot fewer interviews than yourfullegalname@gmail.com. Just saying.
Then it’s easy - you just start uploading documents, copying and pasting sections of your resume into things, and answering basic questions.
Alternatively, you can always print out your resume and cover letter and walk into family owned businesses around your house. Most big companies prefer you not to do this, but the little lady in the book shop would think it's pretty sweet.
If you’re on the right track - someone should call you in the next week or two to arrange an interview. Keep an eye on when applications close, so you’ll know if you didn’t make the cut.
Most places will just ignore you if you’re not in their top 10 applications. Don’t let that bother you - there’s thousands of people looking for work, you won’t always be in the right place at the right time.
If you apply to 50+ jobs and no one responds after a month, you probably have something wrong in your resume or cover letter that is scaring them off. Go back to the drawing board and try again. We don’t get everything right the first time.
But, let’s say you get that call. Make sure your voicemail message isn't you swearing or something dumb. Don’t ghost them. Call back if you miss it.
Write down your interview time and date, and the person's name if you remember it.
Then you get to prepare for your interview.
Remember, they will interview multiple people. Someone with more experience or better answers might be chosen instead of you. While that sucks, use it as an opportunity to change how you’ll do it next time, and just keep trying.
And once you get that acceptance, congratulations on getting your first job!