applying for a job

[piichinu]

uhhh i want a job bc im bored all day, and my parents arent from this country so im on my own here and i gotta figure out how things work.

now i was looking at the rm chocolate factory as a potential place to work, and their site said to contact the store directly for job openings.

when i call do i like just straight up ask if they have job openings?? say they do have openings, and assume that they ask me to meet with them (if they dont ask to meet you then you just email/fax the resume right?).

what do i need to have besides a resume?

ok and then one last question about job experiences in my resume.
the only job ive had was working for my dad in his office, basically what i did was fax stuff to other doctors, be in charge of patient files, call other hospitals for lab reports, etc. it wasnt a fake job where ur parents pay u for no reason or anything, my dad is p strict so i wasnt fooling around. does it matter that i worked for my dad or would they find that illegitimate? we obviously have the same last name so if they ask if he's my dad should i lie about it and say its my uncle orrr does it not matter. should i just be like yeah.

thx

 

[KaydeeKrunk]

I would mark that previous experience as kind of a secretary position, and if they ask if it's your dad say yes and that it was/is a family business or whatever and that's why you worked there, lying wont get you anywhere lol When you call there will likely be one of two things, one the boss/manager will be in and you can ask for them and then talk to them and they might ask for an interview or even ask you a few things over the phone right there, OR the boss/manager isn't in and whoever is working will usually tell you what you need to do like sending in a resume, or coming to get an application you then will have to fill out, every place is different.

 

[piichinu]

they might ask for an interview or even ask you a few things over the phone right there

what sort of things do they ask on the phone? because i have plans to take classes this summer so if its schedule stuff should i get that sorted out immediately? i have a general answer for that (like after ~3-4 PM) but im not sure if thats specific enough.

 

[KaydeeKrunk]

what sort of things do they ask on the phone? because i have plans to take classes this summer so if its schedule stuff should i get that sorted out immediately? i have a general answer for that (like after ~3-4 PM) but im not sure if thats specific enough.

If they ask about availability I would definitely bring that up, but I think usually it's more generalized in the on the phone stuff, usually just things like "had any experience in a business like this" "how old are you" etc, simple things on the phone, and usually they'll still want a sit down interview to see the resume (and app if there is one) and get to know you a bit. Then definitely bring that up that you'll need a specific schedule when you have classes and if they really need the help they should be able to accommodate.

 

[Celestefey]

uhhh i want a job bc im bored all day, and my parents arent from this country so im on my own here and i gotta figure out how things work.

now i was looking at the rm chocolate factory as a potential place to work, and their site said to contact the store directly for job openings.

when i call do i like just straight up ask if they have job openings?? say they do have openings, and assume that they ask me to meet with them (if they dont ask to meet you then you just email/fax the resume right?).

what do i need to have besides a resume?

ok and then one last question about job experiences in my resume.
the only job ive had was working for my dad in his office, basically what i did was fax stuff to other doctors, be in charge of patient files, call other hospitals for lab reports, etc. it wasnt a fake job where ur parents pay u for no reason or anything, my dad is p strict so i wasnt fooling around. does it matter that i worked for my dad or would they find that illegitimate? we obviously have the same last name so if they ask if he's my dad should i lie about it and say its my uncle orrr does it not matter. should i just be like yeah.

thx

I'm not from the US so, I'm not entirely sure if their job application procedure is much different from the UK, but I'll try and help you as best as I can, since I was in your shoes not too long ago.

Like Kaydee said, if you call them in about job openings, I would just say you're interested to know more about the job availability and how you can apply, they'll probably tell you exactly what to do (eg: visit them to get a job application, email them your resume, etc), they might even ask you a few questions but it will be very general and it's just so they can kind of get an idea as to who you are really, so if you do come in for an interview they know what to expect.

About your previous work experience, definitely don't lie about it, there's just no point because there's still a chance they will find out and you really don't have any reason to. People won't "disapprove" of you just because you worked in your dad's doctor's office or whatever, you still did secretarial work and gained some valuable experience which is what they're looking for, and if you can apply that experience to the job you're applying for then they'll be interested. They will know you're still young so understandably it's harder to get work experience at first so really anything interesting you've done (eg: attending a school club, doing some volunteering, etc) they will really like.

Also about availability, don't worry about it too much, as you haven't definitely got the job yet so they're not going to know dates that are definitely set in stone, but as long as you tell them that you're planning on taking some summer classes they will (hopefully) be okay with that, just as long as you let them know. You'll be working for them after all so they will need to be flexible with your schedule, too.

Anyways, I wish you good luck! I'm sure you'll be fine

 

[ams]

I think if you're still quite young (say 15-16) only having that one job experience with your dad is fine. Remember that you can add other things to your resume too such as volunteer work and any leadership positions you've had at school. It's also totally acceptable to put a teacher or two down as references when you're still in high school. If there was another person at your dad's office that you worked with you could always consider using them as a reference too.

For the interview make sure you read a little bit about the company because they often ask as a first question something like "What do you know about our company" or "What drew you to applying for a job here". Also they will probably ask you scenario questions like "What would you do if a customer did this" so prepare a bit for that too. Some places might ask for a cover letter in addition to a resume but I doubt a store would do that.

 

[inkling]

i don't think you should lie. its great that you have previous job experience. assuming you are young, your resume isn't as important, but how they feel about you in general and how you answer interview questions. calling a place is usually a waste of time, you should just go in and introduce yourself and they'll probably have you fill out an application.

 

[Hermione Granger]

Well, if you can fake your way through a lie, then go ahead but I wouldn't recommend it. Applying for jobs is hard because a lot of times employers don't call back, especially when you don't have experience in what they do. I did the same job you did for your job and the only employers that contacted me were offices. Some employers don't care tho if you're impressive in your application.

As for when you call people, they'll just redirect you to where you can apply or guide you through the steps of applying. I've only experienced the whole "You apply online" or "you can come in and fill an application and we'll give you a call if you fit our needs" blahblahblah.

 

[Dim]

I really wouldn't lie. Always be honest when you're applying for a job or else you might look bad. As for the phone thing, I can't say for sure since I've only applied online.

Funny you brought this thread up because I got done my interview for a job a few days ago (still waiting to hear back)