Help Wanted?
“Most jobs look for employees that are organized, punctual, and hardworking. However, I possess all of those qualities and I still didn’t get the job!” SKHS senior Sami Cahoone confessed after she never received a call back following a recent job interview at a local retail store.
“I was engaged with the manager and I showed a lot of enthusiasm,” said Cahoone. “Surprisingly I never got a call back.”
Similar scenarios happen to teens often in the workforce as they face the harsh reality of never getting a call back for jobs that they have applied or even interviewed for.
Justine Noka, another senior, said the key to getting a job is being relentless. Noka states that for every job that she applied for she followed-up with multiple calls to check up on her application.
“It really shows how much you want the job, if you continue to call or check-in a few times,” Noka said.
Although there are many businesses in South Kingstown, many students say few places hire teens to work.
According to a survey of business leaders, many teens are leaving school and entering into the workplace lacking basic skills such as punctuality, manners, and the ability to hold conversations. The recent survey concluded that the reason behind this trend is because schools are not teaching students these life skills in their curriculums. The survey also found that many teenagers struggled to adapt to the most basic entry level jobs because of an inability to perform simple tasks.
Some students agree that schools could help students better understand the job application process.
“I think schools should help teach us what we should put on job applications,” stated senior Kyle Palma. “I did not know what to put in my application and I had some trouble filling it out and had to ask help from my father and brother.”
Mary Schiller, the hiring manager for Belmont Market, claims that Belmont Market is a great first job to have.
Schiller explained that she looks at every application very carefully to determine if the applicant will be hired or not. “The thing I look most for is if the application is completed and is filled out correctly. It is very important that each applicant fills out an application correctly.”
“Getting your first job is very overwhelming and there is a lot to learn,” said Shiller. “At Belmont we often look for teens that are willing to work hard and gain their first experience in the work force.”
Palma, an employee at Belmont Market, believes he was hired because “[his] older brother worked there.” Prior to his Belmont job Palma had never had a job or any work experience before.
“I was very persistent about getting the job,” Palma said. “ I stopped by often to see the status of my application.”
The hiring manager at Dunkin Donuts in Wakefield, Meesh Howell, said she mostly looks at what past job experiences the applicants have.
“I usually like to see if the applicants have worked in any other business that have frequent customers throughout the day,” said Howell. “In order to work in an establishment such as Dunkin, every employee needs to excel in communication skills. You make or break the customers experience just based on your presence and attitude.”
When asked about the interviewing process both Schiller and Howell agreed that the applicant must come dressed appropriately to the interview.
“If an applicant comes to an interview in clothing such as sweatpants or pajamas, it shows that they aren’t very interested and are not taking the interview seriously,” said Schiller.
“The thing in an interview that turns me away the most would have to be if the applicant is not focused or engaged,” said Howell. “The key to landing the job is asking lots of questions,” she said. “It shows that you are interested.
“Smiling, keeping good posture and answering the questions to the best of your ability,” Schiller added, will also help students get the jobs they seek.
Overall hiring managers strive to find the teens that are hard working, determined, kind and willing to learn a new skill. When teens apply for entry level jobs, managers say it is all about persistence and attitude and being able to convince future employers to give them a chance.
Cahoone, who ended up landing a job at Smoothy Booty, said her enthusiasm during the interview really impressed the boss. “I really tried to express how eager I was to learn,” said Cahoone.
Noka, now a Marshalls employee, agreed. “I think employers are looking for motivated, kind and committed individuals, who are willing to learn something new.”
