It's time to get a job >.<

[Akira]

So I just finished high school, and I'm graduating on friday. I've already been accepted to a university (yay!) but my mom doesn't really care. D: My dad has always been like, "Don't get a job, just enjoy your youth." He's pretty much promised to pay for my college my entire life, because he values education quite a lot. My mom has lived a very different life however, being from Korea. For the longest time, she didn't think I was even going to graduate high school or get accepted into a college. Even though I've now proven her wrong, she doesn't care if I go to college or not, she just bothers me constantly about how lazy I am and how I need to get a job immediately. ._.'

So this brings me to the part where I ask for help! I've never had a job, and I don't have any work experience, so this is all really new to me. And kind of frightening. I do kind of want to get a job though, for money of course, but mostly to be away from my mother as much as possible over this last summer I have to live with her. I figure I'll try to get a job at King Soopers (a grocery store) because it seems like they hire a lot of high school kids. And I'll probably try Target too. But the problem is, well, I have SA of course x.x

So first of all, I have NO idea of what to do. Like, when I first walk in to the store, who do I go to? A cashier? If not a cashier, where am I supposed to find the person I need? And IS there a specific person I need to find? And what do I say to him or her? Like, I have no idea how I'm going to simply ask for a job application. I'm terribly afraid of how embarrassing this is going to be. Can anyone help me? Like, I need to know how to word "I need a job application," but in a more polite kind of way. I think it would help my confidence a lot to have everything planned out ahead of time. Plus, in the future when I'm looking for a job, I'll already have an idea of what to do! So.. yeah. Help! x.x

 

[Sacrament]

Try using the phonebook so you can call Target or whichever place you wish to apply for a job at. It's easier than going there and asking the cashiers or security (since the ones in charge are usually in office) and you won't have to face them eye-to-eye.

Just call them and ask "hi, I was wondering if you were hiring at the moment?" and go from there.

 

[princess_haru]

If it's a large store they may have an information desk, which is where you'd need to go to get an application. If they don't have one, don't be afraid to ask a cashier or anyone in uniform as they should point you in the right direction to pick up a form. What I've done in the past is smile and say hi, then something like "I was wondering if you have any jobs available" or "are you looking for staff at the moment?"

Best of luck to you! I've been in your position too (being hasselled by my mum about getting a job) so I know it's not much fun :roll:

 

[Akira]

Oh, I didn't even think of calling! I'm definitely still nervous over the phone, but that sounds a LOT easier than asking a cashier. Thanks for the advice ^^

And thanks for helping with the wording too, that helps a lot!

 

[noblame4]

Oh, usually when you fill out the form, you have to take a little multiple choice quiz that asks questions like, "I like to be a leader in a group: a:All the time, b.most of the time, c.little of the time, d.none of the time. I am a great team player: a.all the time b. most of the time c.some of the time d. none of the time."

LIE ON THE QUESTIONAIRE, say you like being a leader and working in teams. If you dont, they wont hire you. You really never have to lead anyone one or work in teams at all.

 

[Siren]

Hey, I got my first job just this year too.
I'm a cashier at Target and I don't like it, but it actually has helped with my SA. Your mind gets used to seeing face after face and it kind of numbs the intensity of the usual anxiety of talking to new people.

Anyway, I don't know about your Target, but the one I work at has computers close to the service desk where you apply. You just walk right in and find the computers and start applying; you don't even have to talk to anyone until you're done with the computer part.

 

[ljwwriter]

Oh, usually when you fill out the form, you have to take a little multiple choice quiz that asks questions like, "I like to be a leader in a group: a:All the time, b.most of the time, c.little of the time, d.none of the time. I am a great team player: a.all the time b. most of the time c.some of the time d. none of the time."

LIE ON THE QUESTIONAIRE, say you like being a leader and working in teams. If you dont, they wont hire you. You really never have to lead anyone one or work in teams at all.

This is good advice. Those personality tests for retail jobs are a horror for us social phobics. They seem to be directly attempting to weed the lot of us out from consideration for the job. I've always lied on the ones I've done. Once a manager told me I scored a 100% on the personality test and congratulated me. So obviously they are scoring us. So yes, please lie for your own sake.

 

[Caseums21]

I used to work at Target also and they have computers in front buy guest service. I worked a bunch of jobs there but hated it. I loved my co-workers but the manager was an asshole but thats not just Target of course.

Most places now, make you fill out the applications there or even online. I filled out a few online on their websites, so try that. Good luck to you.

 

[slicenrice]

working made me feel even more isolated than before. when i worked everyone was socializing with each other (mostly my age) while i was just...there. it fed into my terrible feelings and made me even more depressed than before.

 

[princess_haru]

Those personality tests for retail jobs are a horror for us social phobics. They seem to be directly attempting to weed the lot of us out from consideration for the job.

I've always thought that too. All those questions about whether you enjoy "working as part of a successful team," "using leadership skills," "working in a fast-paced and competitive environment" and "meeting new people" ...just reading the job ads is enough to give me a panic attack! 8O

 

[wooaah]

woh thats odd, i would have thought a korean parent would want you to study like crazy and become a doctor or lawyer or something.

good for you though in taking the initiative to find summer work.

 

[noblame4]

working made me feel even more isolated than before. when i worked everyone was socializing with each other (mostly my age) while i was just...there. it fed into my terrible feelings and made me even more depressed than before.

Really? at the time when i worked in a fast food place, i found it much easier to get along with people in that situation. It seemed people judged me less on how 'cool' I was than how easy I was to work with. I got my assighned duties done, was polite, and therefore the shit. It was hard at first, but after a while, people would come up to me and say things like, "Boy, Im glad I got sceduled with you! When I have to work with so-and-so, I always end up having to do all their work while they just hang around and talk about boys!"

I'm really tall and skinny, and was often asked to help when stocking. Once i overheard someone say, "I cant reach this! I guess I'll get jessica to get it down, with those spider arms of hers!" That hurt my feelings, so i hid between two of the coolers, so she couldnt find me to ask her to help her, and I heard someone say, "Dont be makin fun of jessica, she's a good 'un." And someone else said, "Yea, she's a sweetie."

That made me feel really good. It's funny how differently other people perceive us than we perceive ourselves.

That reminds me of something else, at KFC, my first job, there was this one cook who struck me as well...weird. Adorably weird. He got along normally with all the male employees, but anytime a female employee talked to him, he got so nervous. I remember when I'd have to run back to the kitchen to ask him for something, his face would get all red and he'd stare at me and he'd wring his hands and get right on whatever it was I needed. He had this really sweet, humble stance whenever women would talk to him. He wasnt particularly good looking, but I thought he was SOOO cute!! It got to where anytime I needed anything, I'd ask him. I really wished he'd talk to me about things outside of work, but he never did. It was kindof weird for me at the time, scince I was just a teenager, and this guy was 30+, but I was totally crushing on that guy. Knowing what I know now about scocial phobia, I guess he had it, and I guess he thought that I thought that he was some kind of freak, I bet he never knew I had a thing for him, haha!

What was I talking about? Oh yea, Lie on the aplication. They've got no buisness trying to weed people like us out, so stick it to em. And sometimes, work can be alright!

~Jam

 

[Akira]

This is the job I'm applying for.

Gah, it sounds terrible! But oh well, I have to start somewhere. My interview is in an hour, I'm so nervous!

And thanks for the advice on the survey thing! If I hadn't known to lie, I would have been dumb enough to answer the questions honestly... which would have been very bad.