jobs

Does anyone have any ideas for a job I've been starting look for a job I've gone to a farm but that didn't work then went to another that had a farm store also and they weren't hiring so I was wondering if you guys had ideas I don't really want a job like walamrt youth I'm 15

When I was 15, I was about 3 years into the lawn mowing business. Wasn't anything hard about it, a simple sign down by the road, and the calls started coming in.

Nick,

First, let me commend you for your maturity to be actively looking for a job at your age. I know lots of young men who have no interest whatever in working for anyone.

I don't know your situation so anything that I say is just a "shot-in-the-dark", but if you can't find someone to hire you, I wonder if it would be possible for you to start your own business.

Service businesses can be started with very little capital. Lawn mowing, newspaper delivery, pet walking, car washing, weed pulling, string trimmer operating, grocery delivering, and any other thing that you see people doing that you could do for them, are possibilities. No one thing will provide a lot of money, but if you hustle and do a few different things, you might be able to stay busy.

And as always, if you can get someone to agree for you to do something, and then you hire a buddy to help you for less than you're going to make, you can leverage your time and make more money.

In any event, good luck. Be strong. Stick with it. You're going to be a success.

Tom in TN

Thanks tom and Steve I would mow but I'm out in the country and its a little hard to get mowing jobs out here as they are far awat y

Sometimes just going into a place and asking will get you a job if the person likes you. It shows ambition. Don't be discouraged if they say no, just move on to the next place. My welding teacher in school told me to go to at least 3 places everyday after school to see if I could sign up for an apprenticeship. I had to turn one down because I already accepted the first offer. I remember my dad hired a university student on the spot. She came in asking if he might be hiring for the summer. He said he didn't really need anyone but could use a receptionist so it was a done deal. She worked out really well. Good luck!

I live on a farm and I have a son about your age. He's also been looking for some summer/part time work and it's pretty tough, especially when the area farmers are not hiring.
If you live on a farm, you might try a few farm supply stores. The ones in my area will hire some summer help and you might have a little advantage by living on a farm.

when i was 13 i got a job as a dishwasher, by the time i was 15 i was a back-up cook. just saying

Some dealerships employ youths for cleaning up, stocking shelves, etc. Might be an age limitation.

Wash boy at the local farm equipment dealer. Or if there is a bee farmer around. They are always looking for help with extracting.

Actually check the laws as I don't think any place is allowed to hire a 15 year old, I know farmers are not for anything and then a lot of the jobs you have to be 18 to be allowed to do. You might be able to get some under the table work but if you get hurt then both the person you are working for and you are in trouble with the law. Not saying the law is correct but that is just the way it is. I know I would not be allowed to hire someone at 15 to but bales of hay on an elevator anymore because that falls under the hazered class, we used to do that 35 years ago but could not do it now.

If you are in row crop country contact your local seed breeder. I grew up eight miles from Stine Seed, de-tasseling corn was a right of passage around here. We also had a large sweet corn grower, he paid by the bucket picked. I washed cars at the local dodge dealer and washed hog buildings for the neighbor.

I respect your ambition, but I'd also advise you swap the phrase "...I don't really want a job like..." to "... I'll do ANYTHING...".

I realize you said that because your looking for some creative ideas here, so I'm not trying to lecture you.

The thing is, looking for a first job, you can't BE picky.

At your age, it's hard finding work - so take ANY job you can get to start, even a Walmart job if you can get in with a work permit.

FORGET liking a first job - Look at it as your opportunity to begin building a reputation for yourself. One of being dependable, honest, smart, and hard working.

When you're working, even at a job you HATE, impress the heck out of everybody around you.

Always be 10 minutes early, look clean, be alert, do every task better than anybody else can, don't ever complain. And do it all with a smile.

If you're dumping trash - pick up the few little bits of paper that dropped. If you're sweeping floors, get in under equipment even if nobody can see there. etc. ALWAYS go that extra step.

That reputation WILL follow you and it WILL open doors for you.

It will allow you to be a little bit pickier about your next job.

Remember too that you already HAVE a full time job - school. Apply a solid work ethic there and it will reap even greater rewards later in life.

Good luck out there.

Its not about the cant, its about the can. Get out and let people see you working, go door to door, offer to donate a half day, pick up cans, weed eat along the road in front of your house, stop by construction sites.

I know an ex con, did a lot of hard time. Nice guy now but had been without a job for a long time. He offered to remodel an apartment for me (next door to him in a building I own), no charge if I furnished the materials. Deal was, if I liked his work, he got the next farm labor and or construction job I had open. If not, no harm, no foul. Best carpenter and painter I've ever had. But he was willing to bust his ... for 200 hours to show me what he was worth.

I get kids, drunks, and ex cons in here every week looking for work. Most of them cant make it a day, have no clue how to do anything after they said what an expert they are, or are inattentive and cant follow directions. Most times now, when I hire people, its from seeing them working somewhere, and offering them in part time, then let it turn into something else.

ask around and see if any of the neighbors need any odd jobs done around the farm like painting,or cleaning out gutters painting a set of buildings could keep you buisy for a while

When I was 11 years old I started cutting grass with a push mower. I had one lot to cut, then when I was 12, 2 lots, by the time I was 14 all the older folks on my street were asking me to cut their grass. Some even had me use their mower to do the work. A motivated 15 year old with some muscle tone can do a lot of work, if you have a shovel you could dig/plant/irrigate. It would be neat to have you around my place for a day, pick up limbs and sticks in the woods, weed, cut grass, do landscaping. I have a 13 year old boy that only wants to work---when he feels like it. (video games are way more fun)
But.....I dragged his azz out of his room and had him rake leaves today along with stack wood.

Also go to the co-op, salebarn, ethanol plant, fertilizer plant, they probably can't hire you (actually, I bet the co-op could, if you're willing to get dusty and crank hopper traps during harvest), but if someone is looking for someone, usually at least one of those places hears about it. If they've got a bulletin board put your name and phone number up with what you know how to do, what you are familiar with but maybe don't know that well. Say it like that, "familiar with XYZ and willing to learn more"

Even if you end up at Walmart, those who work there and do like Mr Sutton says, are the ones who get promoted. Those with the typical walmart attitude don't go anywhere, anywhere they go.

Thanks everyone for the kind words and good advice I will keep looking and keep everyone updated

In my area, (and my time long ago, might be different now)most people 14-16 had to have working papers.
Most get their first job on the fresh fruit farms, picking.
(stand fresh fruit has to be hand picked, machines are too rough)
Also, picking up fruit trees trimmed branches is an easy job to get.
Most help on the farm don't want that job. ( it most definitely isn't fun over an entire orchard)

like said, work very hard whatever you get.
I started on a fruit farm when I was young and many, many years later when the economy tanked and I was in a very tough spot,
the farmer remembered me and gave me a job painting barns and upkeep stuff( he didn't really need me) until I could snag another 'real' job

My son worked at lawn mower shops the last two summer's just sweeping floors now 18 early high school grad. he is now working in a truck repair shop ....still sweeps floors making more money waiting to start trade school to be a heavy equip mechanic ...be persistent in the field you want to be in ..

At one of my early jobs in construction an African-American fellow ask me "What's a nice clean white boy like you doing here?". I told him it's a job and I'm glad to have it.