Welcome back to Gracie Meets…! A lot of teenagers have never really needed to apply for a job before, and with that in thought, one would mostly always need to apply for the job before they can get it. That is why, before we talk about the multitude of unique jobs on this planet, I chose to do an episode about how to apply for a job! This episode includes: what the interview process looks like, tips for applying for a job, and what to bring to the interview! I hope you enjoy the episode and tune in next Saturday for another episode! Make sure to subscribe and share with your friends if you enjoyed the show!
Show Music: 2019 07 25 cello pizz 01 by Morusque used under Creative Commons License CC BY. No alterations were made to the original composition.
TRANSCRIPT
Intro Music – 0:00
Gracie – 0:14
Hello, and welcome back to Gracie Meets. Like a lot of people, I don’t have tons of experience in the interviewing process. So I invited Mr. Chris Solomon to help answer some common questions and explain the job application process.
Chris – 0:26
Hi, everybody.
Gracie – 0:27
So Mr. Chris, when did you start working and what kind of jobs have you done in the past?
Chris – 0:31
Well, I got my first official job when I was about 16 years old. My first job was a dishwasher at a local steakhouse. Funny story. I got my first paycheck and I went and opened a bank account and had to pay some money into a deposit on the bank account. Then I went to the store and bought a wallet. And by the time I was finished paying for these, I was broke. I had no money to put my brand new wallet. After that, I worked a summer job at my high school and then I moved on to an electric power plant where I weed eated fence lines and railroad tracks. Then I was a gas station attendant and then I worked at a stockyard where I tended cattle. Then I joined the Air Force and retired from there. And then finally I moved into my current job working for the railroad.
Gracie – 1:15
I see you have a lot of experience. Do you have any advice on how to search for a job for those who are trying to find employment for the first time?
Chris – 1:23
Well, the first thing you have to do is figure out your range. Now what I mean by that is if you’re walking your range is rather limited. If you’re riding a bike, maybe it’s a little bit farther. And if you have a car, somebody who’s willing to drop you off and pick you up, that opens up quite a bit more as far as options for work for you. But your best bet, especially for your first job is to stay close to home. There’s no sense to committing to a 30-minute drive back and forth each day, unless it’s simply an amazing opportunity.
Gracie – 1:56
Yeah, that’s great advice. What things might the interviewer ask to see or things woman need during the interview.
Chris – 2:03
So you have to realize you’re going to be filling out applications at every place you go. More and more companies are moving to online or electronic applications, but even still, if the computers down, you want to make sure you have at least these following items. So we’re going to talk about a driver’s license or an ID card, social security card, birth certificate type stuff. Now these items show an employer that you’re a legal hire for them, so they don’t get in trouble. The next is a black ink pen. You don’t want to be the one that gets there to fill out an application and the computers down and you know you they hand you an ink pen and it’s dead and you’re struggling to find something to fill out an application with and so you just want to be prepared because being prepared is an excellent trait to show a manager and I stress that it needs to be black because black is professional. Yes, you can fill out an application with a green gel pen, but It’s going to get noticed for all the wrong reasons, unfortunately. Next, you need to make sure you take a list of references. Now these are two to three people that can vouch for you, the manager can call these people, and they’re going to tell you tell the manager what kind of person you are. But please, please, please talk to these people before you put them on the list and use them as a reference because there’s nothing more awkward than receiving a call to be a reference and you know nothing about it. And last you want to take a notepad and, or a piece of paper, or just anything to write on. You’re going to be filling out some documents. So you want to make sure that you write down what you’re filling out because some of these, especially if they hire you on the spot, are IRS documents that are financially obligating for you and your family. So you want to make sure that you have these forms written down so you can know your rights and know the laws. But that’s about the absolute must haves if applying in person.
Gracie – 4:01
Could the pen be blue? Like, would you…
Chris – 4:04
Oh yeah, it could be blue, but your safest bet is to be black.
Gracie – 4:09
Are there any other tips you’d give a teenager who is preparing for a job interview?
Chris – 4:13
Oh, Gracie, there’s a ton of tips. And I mean, you can search Google, and you’re gonna find a ton of webpages, a million web pages on tips about applying for jobs, but the best ones that I can offer you the probably the first is to dress well. You represent yourself as soon as you walk in the door, even if you’re just filling out an application. The old saying is dress for the job that you want, not the job you got. Right now you guys don’t have jobs. So you, but you want to get one right? So you dress a little bit more professional. So the next tip I can give you is to practice. I know it sounds weird practicing filling out a paper, but you’re going to be filling out the same information every place you go. You don’t want to be stuck on a question and not be able to turn in a completed application. Plus, confidence is super attractive to managers. The next thing is if you’re hesitant about talking to adults, simply talk to adults. Ask your parent or guardian to maybe introduce you to some adults who they trust that you can converse with. Most schools have debate clubs and theater classes and speech classes that will give you exposure to public speaking, which helps. And then there are also clubs that are private, like Toastmasters International, where you can practice public speaking to get more confidence. All right, and the last tip that I’ll give you in this one is insanely important right now, is if you have social media, clean it up and make it private. If your profile is public, it’s viewable to your prospective managers. So I’m going to give you an example. His name’s Josh Hader. He’s a pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers. So in 2018, some old tweets came up from when he was 17 years old. He was 24 at this time and he was pitching in his first All-Star Game for major league baseball. He got demolished because his mind simply wasn’t in the right, he wasn’t in the right headspace to be pitching in a major league game. He was worried about the effect of these tweets on his career. So what may seem acceptable to you and your friends may be totally inappropriate to others. So just clean it up, clean up your social media and understand that your reputation precedes you.
Gracie – 6:24
That’s a great example. And those are great tips. I definitely feel like I know more about the interview process, and I think you’ve given some great insight for the listeners. Thanks for being on the show today.
Chris – 6:36
Hey, thanks for having me. Let me know if you ever need some more guidance or information and let’s do it again real soon.
Gracie – 6:42
Definitely. Look, guys, we all know that going to apply for a job or interviewing for a job can make any teen feel awkward. I mean, it’s something none of us have really done before. I think we all need to remember, especially in an instance like this, we’re going to feel abnormal, but then again, show me a normal teenager. Thanks for listening.
Outro Music – 6:57
Gracie – 7:06
Thanks for tuning in. If you like Gracie meets subscribe so you can listen every time a new episode is dropped. Tune in next Saturday for captivating interview with a martial arts instructor.