Discussions

Good day everyone,  
 
I have a concern. My child (older-teen)has been applying and applying to jobs in the Brandon area and gets nothing in return. Its really getting to him. I was wondering if anyone has any helpful advice I can pass on to him. I tell him to keep his head up as something will come up. Its been months. He has been to fast-food places, little businesses, big businesses. Its a challenge.  
Also, if you know of places who are hiring, first job seekers. Please let me know.  
 
Thank you so much

First of all, good on him for keeping trying, my advice would be to have a good crisp resume, as hard as that is with no prior experience, there are plenty of resources available on google or even youtube, focus on Skills using keywords/phrases such as "team-player, punctual/reliable, able to communicate clearly and take direction as needed. Second, maybe try a landscaping company if its a summer gig, there are a ton of them and they all need seasonal workers for gardening/grass cutting etc. Minimal experience isnt a bad thing for a labor type job such as those, and its hard to find people that are willing to be up early and work outside.

paper route .  
spring on the way picking up dog dodo  
mentioned yard clean up  
grass cutting  
weed picking  
maybe make up flyers drop in mailboxes .

Networking is a powerful tool for getting a job. If your son can approach friends who are already working to put in a good word for him to their boss, that can go a long way to getting him hired.  
 
Just mailing or dropping resumes at the front desk are pretty ineffective. It can be difficult for many teens, but it's best if they can strike up a conversation with someone, even the gatekeeper (receptionist/secretary/admin assistant) to show that you're personable and serious about wanting to work, and perhaps have even learned something about the company you're applying to. It's surprising how many times small business owners hire someone "on the spot" because the candidate happened to show up at the right time and made a positive impression at just that right time.  
 
Clean, well groomed, dressed for the job/position - need I say more?  
 
Don't give up. If someone says they will be reviewing applications in a few days (particularly with small companies), if you don't hear back in a few days, go back. No phone call. Go back in person to show you are serious.  
 
I wish your son good luck in his quest for his first job.

Also try all locations. If applying at McDonalds apply at all locations not just one, same goes for other chain food places.  
 
Try the theater, grocery stores, Giant Tiger, $$ stores, landscaping companies, Staples, Canadian Tire etc

Two Farm Kids - help wanted sign on cashier counter  
Dollar Tree - applications inside door

Maybe have a look at his resume and see if there is something that needs to be changed. Spelling errors, bad formatting, no references etc may be the reason they pass over him.

(high school, ACC, BU) advise him to apply to gov of Canada summer position. I know Ag Canada in Brandon is always looking for summer students. For FSWEP or COOP programs. He would have to enter his name and information into the pool to apply.

Reassure him that job hunting is extremely difficult! It can get really depressing applying and applying and hearing nothing back. It only takes one call back though for everything to change.  
 
If he's willing to beef up his resume with a little volunteer work, it may add that extra something.  
 
Everyone here has some good suggestions. Best of luck.

Keep reapplying. Both in paper and online. Especially since most larger chain stores are all online. Check his cover letter. Some places seem like they need multiple applications before your found. Also another hard one but good if applying to small businesses is to call them and say hi I’m xxx, I dropped off a resume on xx date I was wondering if you received it? Are you still hiring?” A lot of employers can be busy and or paper work lost/ not received. Good luck! And also check out gov of Manitoba for programs.

I had a stretch of 9 months after I graduated university where I was unemployed. I was looking for any job at all, and was primarily applying for part-time jobs as I thought they would be easier to come by. I've been working at the place that hired me since then, and I am now back in school.  
 
There are different tactics to take depending on where he is applying. If it's a big box store, or any chain, he is unlikely to get a response back unless he applies online. I took resumes to several businesses, including the one I work at now, and I only ended up receiving a call back once I submitted an online application. Larger business chains tend to dehumanize the hiring process. It does not matter to them one bit if you take initiative to apply in person and introduce yourself.  
 
Smaller and locally-owned businesses are a different story. If he finds the job posting online, he should follow the directions that they provide for applying. Otherwise walking in and offering a resume is fine. Plenty of the previous posters have highlighted how important it is to have a tidy, polished, and professional resume.  
 
Something that I noticed my peers have struggled with is interviewing. If he finally gets to the point where he is called for an interview, it's important to be dressed appropriately and be prepared. In the 9 months that I was unemployed, I was only contacted once for an interview, and I was then hired. Getting the interview is the hardest part, and for most entry-level retail/food service jobs it's almost a guaranteed job as long as one is dressed properly and reasonably prepared for common questions.

Noticed a sign on Kuipers door that they were hiring. It seems like a great atmosphere in there.

Thank you everyone for your amazing responses!