How to Find Your First Job: A Practical Place to Start

Looking for your first job can feel like a puzzle: employers ask for experience, and you need a job to get experience. The good news is that many jobs are designed for beginners. Employers who hire first-time workers expect to train you. What they want to see is that you’ll show up, be honest and be willing to learn.

This guide walks through a practical plan, from figuring out what you can offer to following up after you apply.

Start with what you can offer

Before you search, spend ten minutes writing down three things. You’ll use them on applications, in your resume and in interviews.

• When you can work. School hours, sports, family responsibilities and how you’ll get to work all shape which jobs make sense. Be specific: “weekdays after 3:30 p.m., Saturdays, not Sundays.”
• What you’ve already done. School projects, teams, clubs, volunteering, babysitting, pet sitting, yard work for neighbors, helping with a family business, church or community activities. All of it counts as experience, even if nobody paid you.
• What you’re good at. Being on time, staying calm when things get busy, talking with people, working with kids, using a computer or tablet, speaking a second language, being careful with details.

Know the rules for your age

If you’re under 18, federal and state child labor laws limit which jobs and tasks you can do and, for younger teens, when and how long you can work. The rules depend on your age, the job and your state. If you’re 18 or older, these child labor rules generally don’t apply to you, and the rest of this plan works the same way.

Under the federal rules, 14- and 15-year-olds can work outside school hours in many retail, food service and office jobs, but no more than 3 hours on a school day, 18 hours in a school week, 8 hours on a day without school and 40 hours in a week without school. Work has to be between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., except from June 1 through Labor Day, when it can run until 9 p.m.

Sixteen- and 17-year-olds have no federal limit on hours, but nobody under 18 may work in jobs the Department of Labor has declared hazardous.

States can set stricter rules, and when federal and state rules both apply, the stricter one is the one that counts. Some states also require a work permit (sometimes called an employment or age certificate) for workers under 18. Federal law doesn’t require one, and states differ on whether they do.

Pick two or three kinds of jobs to aim for

Applying everywhere at once can make your applications generic. Choosing a few kinds of jobs helps you focus your resume and your answers. Common first jobs include:

• Food service: cashier, host, busser, counter or drive-through staff. Workers who are 14 or 15 have limits on cooking and equipment under federal rules.
• Retail and grocery: cashier, stocking shelves, bagging groceries, customer service.
• Parks, recreation and camps: recreation aide, day camp counselor, sports program helper.
• Pools and aquatics: lifeguard (with certification), swim instructor, front desk.
• Entertainment and attractions: movie theaters, family entertainment centers, ticket and concession stands.
• Community jobs: library aide, tutoring, after-school programs, office help.

Look for listings that say no experience required or training provided. Those employers are telling you they expect to teach you.

Where to look

• Job boards built for first jobs. On Fun First Jobs you can search by job title and location and filter for jobs that don’t require previous experience or that hire at your age. Every job must pass our verification and safety checks before it appears.
• Employers’ own websites. Many employers post openings on a “careers” or “jobs” page. Your city or county website often lists jobs in parks and recreation, libraries and summer programs.
• People you know. Tell family, neighbors, coaches, teachers and your school counselor what kind of job you’re looking for. Many first jobs start with someone saying, “I heard they’re hiring.”
• In person. Some local businesses still take applications at the counter or have a “now hiring” sign. Go at a quieter time of day and ask how they prefer people to apply.
• Career help near you. American Job Centers, part of a nationwide network supported by the U.S. Department of Labor, help people with job searches, referrals and training. The Department of Labor’s American Job Centers page explains how to find one near you.

Get your basics ready

• Contact information you check. Use an email address with your name in it and a phone number with a voicemail greeting that sounds the way you’d want an employer to hear it.
• A simple resume. Even a one-page list of your school, activities, volunteering and skills helps. Our guide on making a resume when you haven’t had a job yet walks you through it.
• Two or three references. Adults who know how you work, like a teacher, coach, youth leader or someone you’ve babysat for. Ask them first, and have their name, relationship to you, phone number and email ready.

You don’t need your Social Security card or other identity documents to apply. After you’re hired, your employer will ask you to complete paperwork, including the federal Form I-9, which confirms your identity and that you’re allowed to work in the United States. You’ll show your documents then. If your state requires a work permit for your age, you’ll usually need to get it before you start.

Apply, and keep track

1. Read the whole listing before you apply: the duties, the schedule, the requirements and exactly how to apply.
2. Fill in every field honestly. Give your real availability. If a field doesn’t apply to you, say so rather than leaving it blank.
3. Check your spelling, especially your name, email address and phone number.
4. Apply to several jobs, not one at a time. Waiting to hear back from one employer before applying to the next can cost you weeks.
5. Write down what you applied for: the employer, the job, the date, how you applied and when you’ll follow up.

Follow up

If you haven’t heard anything after about a week, or after the date the listing gives, a short, polite follow-up shows you’re interested. Call or email, and keep it brief:

One follow-up is enough. For timing, what to say and what to do if you hear nothing, see how to follow up after applying for your first job. If you don’t hear back, put your energy into your next application. And if an employer calls to set up an interview, here’s how to prepare for your first job interview.

Stay safe while you search

Real employers don’t charge you to apply, and they don’t need your bank details or Social Security number before they hire you. If a “job” asks you to pay for training, deposit a check and send money back, or reship packages, it’s a scam. Read how to spot a fake job posting before you start applying.

Keep going

Not hearing back is normal, especially for a first job. It usually says more about timing and how many people applied than about you. If weeks go by, try a few changes: apply to a wider range of jobs, ask someone to look over your resume, widen your availability if you can, or volunteer somewhere that will give you experience and a reference.

Your first job doesn’t have to be your dream job. It’s where you’ll learn how a workplace runs, earn a reference and figure out what you want to do next.