Practical, researched guides for getting started: where to look for a first job, how to build a résumé when you haven’t had a job yet, what to expect in an interview, the skills a first job builds, summer and seasonal work like lifeguarding and parks and recreation, and how to stay safe while you apply.
Summer & Seasonal Jobs
Cashier, stock, gift wrap and online orders: what seasonal retail jobs involve, when to apply, what managers look for in first-timers, what holiday schedules are really like and how to turn a temporary job into the next one.
Resumes & Applications
When to follow up after you apply, whether to email, call or stop by, what to say (with examples you can copy) and how to handle silence or a no without taking it personally.
Finding Your First Job
No experience? That’s normal. A step-by-step plan for figuring out what you can offer, which jobs to aim for, where to look, what to have ready and how to follow up.
Resumes & Applications
You have more to put on a resume than you think. How to turn school, activities, volunteering and informal work into a clear, honest one-page resume, with examples you can adapt.
Interviews
What happens in a first job interview, the questions you’re likely to hear, how to answer when you don’t have work experience, and what to do before and after.
Job Safety & Scams
Job offer texts, task scams, jobs that move money, fake checks and fees for training: how to recognize common job scams, check out an employer and where to report something that feels off.
Workplace Skills
Reliability, communication, customer service, judgment and more: what a first job actually teaches, what it looks like on a real shift, and how to describe it on your next application.
Summer & Seasonal Jobs
What it takes to become a lifeguard: swimming skills, certification, age rules and what to ask before you pay for a course. Plus the teamwork, judgment and leadership that make it a great first job.
Summer & Seasonal Jobs
Camp counselor, rec aide, lifeguard, scorekeeper: the jobs city parks departments fill every year, why they suit first-time workers, how age rules vary and how they can lead to a career.
Summer & Seasonal Jobs
Camps, pools, parks, restaurants and stores all hire for summer. What kinds of jobs to look for, how early to start, which certifications help and what younger workers should know about summer hours.
