Beginner's Job Guide

Never had a job, or only a little experience? Start here.

How to apply for a first job, step by step: where to apply, what employers ask about, when they hire and how to stay safe.

How to apply for a first job

Pick places you can actually get to

  • Before you apply, check how long the trip takes from home or school at the hours you would work.
  • No car? Look along a bus or rail line you already use, and say on the application that you have a reliable way to get there.
  • Big chains hire store by store. Choose the two or three locations closest to you instead of "any location".

Apply online, then follow up in person

  • Most stores and restaurants take applications on their own website. The buttons on this page open those sites.
  • Send five or more applications in the same week.
  • A few days later, stop by at a slow time, mid-afternoon on a weekday, and politely ask for the hiring manager.

Lead with what employers ask about

  • Your hours. Open evenings and weekends get more callbacks.
  • Languages. If you speak Spanish or another language as well as English, put it near the top.
  • Outdoor and warehouse jobs are hot work in summer. Say so if you are comfortable with that.

Know the hiring seasons

  • Stores and package handlers add seasonal workers in the fall, ahead of the holidays.
  • Pools, camps and parks hire in spring for the summer.
  • A seasonal job is real experience. Put it on your resume and ask the manager if you can use them as a reference.

Have your details ready

  • Phone number, an email with your name in it, and the days and hours you can work.
  • Two adults who are not family, such as a teacher, coach or neighbor, who agreed to be references.
  • When you are hired, ask what to bring on your first day. Employers ask new hires for ID to prove they can work.

Stay safe

  • Never pay to get a job, and never give bank details before you are hired.
  • Apply on the employer's own website, not through a link someone sends you in a message.
  • Under 18? Tell a parent or guardian where you are applying and interviewing.
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