9 answers
1
Question
9 answers
Updated
Seema’s Answer
You can start at any age. Working at an early age teaches so many important skills that will carry you through your career. The important thing is to figure out what you enjoy doing and what you will be best skilled at. Talking to people that you trust and that know you well will help with that. You may have to try a few things before you find the right fit, but every job will teach you something that will be helpful to you in your work life.
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Henley’s Answer
Whenever you are ready is my best advice. Any job you take on will give you life lessons to grow from. Whether it's babysitting, a lifeguard or working in an office environment, you will learn many valuable skills. Employers are looking for people who are motivated and have gained life experiences that will help shape their future careers. Internships are a good place to start learning an office environment but making a paycheck is just as important to learn basic responsibilities and how to manage your money as well.
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Christy’s Answer
Hello! Having a part time job in high school (if your grades are good) is a good start to put away money for savings or for future trainings or college.
Think about what you enjoy, my first job was at a handbag and jewelry store. It was fun to go in and see the products, learn customer service and
how to interact in the sales environment. It's always best to do something you enjoy but it's not always easy to find. It's good to try a few things and don't be hard on yourself because you are learning with each new opportunity.
Also, make a plan! What are your short-term goals, what are your long-term goals? Write your short-term goals on your bathroom mirror so that you can motivate yourself daily. (make sure it's a washable marker) :-) You will have lots of goals, take them on one at a time. Have big dreams for yourself and be your own biggest fan.
If you are interested in human resources in particular make sure where you work that you voice your goals and sometimes even if you are not doing what you love at first, if you do a great job they may give you opportunities to move up and do the things you want to do.
If you can, take a few courses in human resources and see if you like it. Human Resources has many different types of roles. Here are a few to consider- Recruiting, Staffing, Employee relations, Operations, HR Information systems, career development, training, wellbeing, or administration.
Good luck to you and reach out again if you have any questions! Stay positive, smile, have big dreams and you can do it! :-)
Think about what you enjoy, my first job was at a handbag and jewelry store. It was fun to go in and see the products, learn customer service and
how to interact in the sales environment. It's always best to do something you enjoy but it's not always easy to find. It's good to try a few things and don't be hard on yourself because you are learning with each new opportunity.
Also, make a plan! What are your short-term goals, what are your long-term goals? Write your short-term goals on your bathroom mirror so that you can motivate yourself daily. (make sure it's a washable marker) :-) You will have lots of goals, take them on one at a time. Have big dreams for yourself and be your own biggest fan.
If you are interested in human resources in particular make sure where you work that you voice your goals and sometimes even if you are not doing what you love at first, if you do a great job they may give you opportunities to move up and do the things you want to do.
If you can, take a few courses in human resources and see if you like it. Human Resources has many different types of roles. Here are a few to consider- Recruiting, Staffing, Employee relations, Operations, HR Information systems, career development, training, wellbeing, or administration.
Good luck to you and reach out again if you have any questions! Stay positive, smile, have big dreams and you can do it! :-)
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Amy’s Answer
I think you should start building your experience. Think about what type of job you would like to have in 5 years then choose something that will start building some experience (even if it only means working part time). For example, if you want to work in an office position 5 years from now, maybe look for something that involves part time office work (Filing, working in Microsoft Office, etc). It is not always about the degrees you have but your experience.
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Akansha’s Answer
You can start working whenever you feel you are ready. Personally, I worked when I was younger by dog walking and then through high school as a tutor since I wanted to learn early about how to handle my finances. In college, I took on a student job that did not have anything to do with what I was studying but taught me valuable life skills about how to work and how to handle my finances which helped me a lot today.
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Shelly’s Answer
There are many options out there when it comes to looking for your first job out of high school. You need to think about your interests and what goals you have. Starting at a smaller company will give you the opportunity to learn one on one and build relationships. Make sure your hours work with your schedule and don't stress you are young and have a lot of time to decide what you want to do in a career.
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Davielle’s Answer
I recommend talking to your school counselors and your teachers about internships. I was a bank Bookkeeper when I was 15 through graduation at 17. This was through the Future Business Leaders of America program. That gave me skills and experience so I was able to find a professional job that paid well while I worked and went to college fulltime. Then, when I graduated college, I got a great job with great benefits because I had the experience. By aligning yourself with a class/program/teacher that you enjoy, you will more likely be able to develop that interest into a certification, degree, or other technical/trade education that will stay with you as a career. Best of luck on your future!
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Mary Ann’s Answer
Hello Winfred,
As you are asking about what age to start working, I recommend you check with your state to learn about rules related to youth employment. I believe most states in the U.S. require kids to be 16 before they can be employed by a company in a job where taxes are taken out of your paycheck. If you are under the required age, there are likely some things you can do to get permission to get a job earlier. If you have a guidance counselor at your school, check with that person. They will likely know.
If you meet the age requirement for being employed, think about how many hours each week you want to work and what time of day/night you are available to work. And, think about how you will get to and from work. Do you drive? Will you take a bus? Will someone else need to drive you? Do you need to dress a certain way for the job? Do you have those clothes or will you need to buy new clothes for your job? Does the job require you to wear a uniform and will they give you the uniform?
Once you are sure you meet the age requirement, know how many hours you want to work, how you will get to/from work, and you have the clothing you need for the job, go get a job. It's never to early to start getting job experience.
As an example, I started babysitting kids in my neighborhood when I was 13 yrs old. That taught me responsibility, helped me to strengthen my own creativity as I had to keep the kids entertained, and it helped me to build my skills as a leader because when I was babysitting, I was in charge. When I was 17 and a Senior in high school, I had my first job that came with a paycheck and they took taxes out of my paycheck. I was a children's photographer at my local mall. I worked 2 nights during the week and on the weekends. Keep in mind, I was also going to school during the day. When summer came around, I worked more hours as I didn't need to go to class or do homework. Working and going to school at the same time taught me to plan my time to make sure I was able to do everything I needed to do for school and work AND still have time to see my friends.
Talk with your parents to see what they think and come up with a plan that works for you.
As you are asking about what age to start working, I recommend you check with your state to learn about rules related to youth employment. I believe most states in the U.S. require kids to be 16 before they can be employed by a company in a job where taxes are taken out of your paycheck. If you are under the required age, there are likely some things you can do to get permission to get a job earlier. If you have a guidance counselor at your school, check with that person. They will likely know.
If you meet the age requirement for being employed, think about how many hours each week you want to work and what time of day/night you are available to work. And, think about how you will get to and from work. Do you drive? Will you take a bus? Will someone else need to drive you? Do you need to dress a certain way for the job? Do you have those clothes or will you need to buy new clothes for your job? Does the job require you to wear a uniform and will they give you the uniform?
Once you are sure you meet the age requirement, know how many hours you want to work, how you will get to/from work, and you have the clothing you need for the job, go get a job. It's never to early to start getting job experience.
As an example, I started babysitting kids in my neighborhood when I was 13 yrs old. That taught me responsibility, helped me to strengthen my own creativity as I had to keep the kids entertained, and it helped me to build my skills as a leader because when I was babysitting, I was in charge. When I was 17 and a Senior in high school, I had my first job that came with a paycheck and they took taxes out of my paycheck. I was a children's photographer at my local mall. I worked 2 nights during the week and on the weekends. Keep in mind, I was also going to school during the day. When summer came around, I worked more hours as I didn't need to go to class or do homework. Working and going to school at the same time taught me to plan my time to make sure I was able to do everything I needed to do for school and work AND still have time to see my friends.
Talk with your parents to see what they think and come up with a plan that works for you.
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Ayomide’s Answer
I would recommend having a chat with your parents to discuss if this is the correct decision for you. Once you have turned 16, various opportunities will open up for you. I started working when I turned 18 and maintained a fulltime job while finishing my degree. I learned how to manage my time efficiently, and also how to budget correctly.
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