JOBS FOR 18 YEAR OLDS

Many job hunters are under the impression that if they personally drop off a resume they may have a slightly better chance of getting a job. The thinking is that the employer will see that you are interested enough to take the time to come in and give them your resume as opposed to just pushing a button on your computer to send it by email. The “personal touch” is what some people are going for and that is becoming more and more a thing of the past.

First and foremost, you should ALWAYS follow the EXACT instructions on a job posting if you are going to apply. If you don’t follow what they tell you to do, you may automatically be passed over. Think about it: if the job ad tells you to apply online and you apply in some other way, that tells the company that you don’t follow instructions. That is enough right there to get you disqualified.

Times are difficult now and there are usually many applicants for each job. Most employers won’t bother dealing with people who don’t follow instructions or people who think they know better. In today’s world, you need to show that you are qualified, ready to work, and know how to take orders. The application process is the first order.

What should you do then when you aren’t applying to a specific job listing? If you are looking for jobs for 18 year olds in  a small retail shop or restaurant, it might be okay to stop in yourself and inquire about work. You might get lucky and talk to the owner or a manager and be able to personally hand them your resume. They don’t have layers of people around them and stopping by yourself is often a good choice.

However, the bigger the company is, the more wary you should be about just “stopping by”. Whenever you give a resume to someone at the front desk or to a receptionist at a company, you have no idea whether your piece of paper will make it to the right person. If they have a way of applying to jobs online, you should assume that method is the preferred method. Companies are now getting very used to recruiting online and will have their systems set up so all emails and resumes go to the right person.