HINTS ON HOW TO GET THAT FIRST JOB

In the long haul, the very best way to get a job is to get an education.  It’s free, available to everyone, and no one can EVER take that away from you.  

Generally, the more education you have….. the further you will go in life.  There are exceptions but people who ‘strike it rich’ are few and far between so while you may dream of that, you should work like it won’t happen.  You can be what you want to be in this country, but most of us have to work for it!

For the short term, get that first job.  There is tremendous pride and self-esteem in EARNING something by your own efforts.  It makes you stand taller and want to do better.  Success breeds success.  Below are a few suggestions…

1 – LEARN TO SPEAK ENGLISH!!!  By that I mean, learn to make a proper sentence with the correct verb tense, and a subject and a predicate.  Apparently public schools are NOT teaching students to speak proper English, but for goodness sake – in this age of technology, anyone wanting to better themselves can listen to almost any person in the news media and concentrate not on the propaganda, but HOW it’s delivered.  It’s called sentences….. in English.  LEARN IT – IT IS THE FIRST IMPRESSION A PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYER GETS FROM YOU.

2 – LEARN HOW TO DRESS!!!!  You do not have to dress in designer clothes or a suit when applying for a job.  But you DO need to be clean and neat.  FFS – GUYS - PULL UP YOUR PANTS, PUT ON A BELT, AND TUCK IN YOUR SHIRT TAIL IN.  GIRLS – DO NOT WEAR SPANDEX (OR ANY OTHER FABRIC THAT FITS LIKE SPANDEX – unless of course you’re applying for a job as a street whore.) That includes jeans!  You can get an outfit at Walmart for less money than a manicure. Clothes should be clean and not look like you slept in them.  Fasten your shoes - and NO FLIP-FLOPS!

3 – CLEAN YOURSELF UP!!!  Wash your hair and your face, brush your teeth, and minimize the face paint, and go easy on the jewelry and long, decorated fingernails! (see job category in #2 above)

4 – LEARN SOME MANNERS!!!  ‘Please’ and ‘thank you’ are easy words to learn.  Be polite.  Listen to the interviewer and answer the questions honestly and briefly.  Ask questions if you have any, and if you WANT the job, tell that person that YOU DO.  And explain WHY you would be a good employee (prompt, hard worker, dependable, quick learner, etc.)  Again – let the interviewer know you want the job, and thank them for the interview.

Entry level jobs are becoming increasingly scarce in this country because of mechanization on the one end, and the mandatory rise in entry level wages on the other. Getting that first job is a huge step to the type of future you will have.  Remember that the first job is the beginning – it is not meant to be a career choice.

Two important things to remember are:

Never think a job is ‘beneath’ you, and…

It is easier to GET a BETTER job if you HAVE a job (i.e. a good work ethic and work history).

GOOD LUCK!