by Scott Pape
The three-step guide to getting a job with no experience
Your teen can go from zero experience to hero in three simple steps—let me show you how it works.
Step 1: The taxi rank
The first step is for you, the parent.
It’s called ‘the taxi rank’ because you are the taxi, and you get to rank (shortlist) the workplaces you’re prepared to drive your teen to and from. (Sure, your teen may want to be a jackaroo herding cattle, but if you live in inner-city Paddington they can just as easily work behind the counter at the local butcher.)
So, right now in the margins of this book, or with your phone, jot down a list of youth-friendly employers that are close by your home or the school. Think shopping malls, supermarkets, fast food joints and small businesses.
The biggest employers of young people in Australia are McDonald’s, Woolworths, KFC, Coles and small businesses. So to help you make your decision, and make this a no-brainer, I’ve dug deep and spoken to the head HR officers of the big four and a local business, and got you some job hacks you won’t find anywhere else . . .
McDonald’s
Barefoot shares a McFlurry with Jennifer St Ledger, Chief People Officer, McDonald’s Australia
Stats: 970 restaurants, 100 000+ staff
Minimum hours per week: ‘If you only want one shift, that’s fine—you can still do your study and sport’.
How to apply: Go to mcdonalds.com.au/learn/careers
I met Jennifer six months ago, just before her first shift . . . flipping burgers at the Beacon Hill Macca’s in Sydney. ‘I was trained on every station—serving, grill, drive-thru,’ she said proudly. That emphasis on training cuts to the core of the Macca’s culture. Their pitch for getting your kid to work there is that they’ll give them ‘skills for life’. They invest heavily in training—tens of millions of dollars each year—and it shows. That’s how a bunch of teenagers help run a multi-billion-dollar business.
Can you give me an inside hack on getting a job at Macca’s?
‘Applicants don’t need to have any experience, and you know what? It’s okay if they don’t! It means they’re going to learn it our way. Teens are sponges. And if they do have experience, fantastic—we can build on that.’
When’s the best time of the year to apply?
‘McDonald’s hires all year round, but there is definitely an increase in hiring before the Christmas period. If you want to get in for Christmas, we suggest applying around August. We also open approximately 20 new restaurants per year, so, with each restaurant hiring over 100 new crew, there are some good job opportunities there. I encourage all teenagers to head online to apply. If you have the appetite for success and learning, we’ll bring the opportunity.’
Do you have any tips on acing the interview?
‘We have different jobs for different personalities. With our front-of-house staff, we’re looking for kids who are more extroverted. Yet if there’s someone on grill, they can be more introverted. Just be yourself.’
What’s the biggest misconception people have about Macca’s?
‘That we only want teenagers, and as they get older we move them on. That’s just not true. Most of our restaurants are essentially 24/7 businesses, and high school students are limited in the hours they can do. So there are definitely possibilities for people to continue working after they finish high school.’
KFC
Barefoot looks for nuggets with Rob Phipps, Chief People Officer, KFC Australia
Stats: 640 stores, 35 000 staff, 15 000 new hires each year, average age 17, average time with company 2 years
Minimum hours per week: ‘At least two shifts a week, though we are flexible’.
How to apply: Go to careers.kfc.com.au/apply/
Rob Phipps is one of the top roosters at KFC. He’s actually been with the company for 28 years, having started when he was still in high school. That explains why, when it comes to hiring kids, he approaches it with Colonel Sanders-like wisdom:
‘Look, it’s their first job. We don’t expect people to know how to “bread” a chicken. And we also understand that we’re the kids’ fifth priority: there’s family, school, sport, friends—and we’re okay with that.’
What should kids wear to the interview?
‘They can turn up in school uniform. Preferably with their shoes polished, hair clean, and mobile phone switched off and out of sight.’
Can you give me an inside hack on getting a job at KFC?
‘I personally think there is something in fronting up to the store between 2 pm and 4 pm and asking to speak with the manager. There’s something strong about saying, “Hey, here I am, here’s my résumé, this is my availability.”’
Do you have any tips on acing the interview?
‘Don’t try and pretend. Be okay about not having worked before. I’m a father to a teenager so I get it!’
How long will it take from submitting my application to dunking nuggets in the deep-fryer?
‘For us, speed is key—no more than two weeks from application to getting the job.’
Woolworths
Barefoot goes back to his roots and slices the strasburg with Woolies’ Chief People Officer, Caryn Katsikogianis
Stats: 995 stores, 150 000 staff, 30 000 new hires each year, average age 32, average time with company 6+ years
Minimum hours per week: ‘One to three shifts per week on average’
How to apply: Walk in, or go online: wowcareers.com.au/page/Careers/Supermarkets/
Caryn started in retail as a 15-year-old, so she knows what it’s like on your teen’s first day at work. In fact, at Woolies they’ve set the whole thing up like primary school. Seriously.
Can you give me an inside hack on getting a job at Woolies?
‘Everything is online, but we don’t discourage walk-ins. You can have a quick conversation with a store manager, and then complete your application with one of the iPads we have set up in store for that purpose.’ (Good tip: if you front up and meet a manager, you instantly become a real person rather than an applicant on a screen. As long as you don’t have facial tattoos, that’s a good thing.)
What’s the best time of year to apply?
‘We have vacant positions all year round for our stores, but there is definitely an increase in the lead-up to the Christmas shopping period. September is the best time to to apply and register your preferences.’
What’s it like for a new starter?
‘On the teen’s first day we pair them up with a buddy and then check in with them throughout the week. And if the parents have any questions, we have a Woolworths recruitment manager they can contact.’
Any tips for parents?
‘My view? Don’t be the parent who rings up on behalf of your teen. By all means prep them, but let them fight their own battles.’
One more tip
Woolies has videos and stories about all the different jobs they offer on their WOW Careers website, wowcareers.com.au/jobs/. My favourite profile on the website is Lisa from the deli department, who says: ‘You never know what sort of people are going to walk into your life every day.’ Too true, Lisa. If you’re slinging the snags at Broadmeadows Woolies at 2 am on a Thursday, I guarantee you’re going to get some ‘WOW’!
Coles
Barefoot does a price check in the ‘give me a job’ aisle with Coles’ Chief Financial Officer, Leah Weckert
Stats: 807 stores, 92 000 staff (a third are casuals), 12 500 new hires under 19 years old in 2017, average age 33, average time with company 6 years (although the longest-serving employee has been with Coles for more than 50 years—and is still on the checkout today).
Minimum hours per week: ‘Most of our teenage team members work between nine and 14 hours a week, fitting around their schoolwork and other commitments.’
How to apply: Register an expression of interest at colescareers.com.au
Leah is a mum of two and does her weekly shop at Coles on a Saturday,
so she can experience what customers do. (And shadow shop the new hires.)
Can you give me an inside hack on getting a job at Coles?
‘We welcome high school students over the age of 14, in conjunction with their school, to come and do work experience in one of our supermarkets. Many of our team members completed work experience first and then were offered a role afterwards. Speak with your local Coles store manager to find out how.’
What do you look for in an interview?
‘Being able to explain why you want to work for Coles and why you are passionate about customers, great service and food is what we would look for.’
Is your hiring seasonal?
‘The best thing about working at Coles while studying is that school holidays are often one of the busiest times in our supermarkets, so there’s the opportunity for teenagers to pick up some seasonal work, particularly during Christmas, Easter and long weekends.’
A local business
Barefoot breaks bread with Dina Robotham, owner of the Lancefield Bakery
Stats: One store, 21 staff, four to six new hires each year, ages 15–40, average time with company four years
Minimum hours per week: ‘One shift (a shift is four to six hours, but during the week is two hours)’
How to apply: ‘Walk in and hand over your résumé’
Most small businesses are family businesses, where your teen is often working side by side with the owner. This is a totally different experience from working with one of the big employers. And while small businesses may not have much in the way of formal training, if your kid picks the right business and boss (like Dina) they can really feel like part of their extended family.
‘We’re a family business, and we see our staff as family,’ says Dina.
‘Being a small business owner is really tough. Yet one of the privileges is seeing young people grow, and helping build up their confidence. I know there are bad small business owners out there, but my staff make me feel proud.’
Can you give me an inside hack on getting a job at your small business?
‘I don’t advertise. I have kids who come in and drop off their résumé. I want to see that they’re serious enough to write out a résumé. And so I always ring back those kids. Always.’
(That’s actually a huge hack—don’t assume that just because a business isn’t advertising, or they don’t have a sign in their front window, that they’re not hiring. The truth is there’s always a job for people who are willing to work harder than anyone else. So your teen should print out 20 résumés, comb their hair, make sure their outfit is clean, and visit small businesses near your home. The worst that can happen is they get some exercise!)
Step 2: The Zero to Hero Résumé
Scottina Papina has had a rough time over the last few months. She’s applied for heaps of entry-level part-time jobs . . . it’s been a taco trainwreck for the poor girl.
Okay, so my motivation in each case was to document and decode different recruitment processes, not to land a job . . . or at least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
After all, it’d be pretty embarrassing if I actually got rejected from an entry-level job at McDonald’s, right?
However, of all the places I applied to, Macca’s has the best recruitment process, hands down.
It makes sense: McDonald’s is a big business, employing tens of thousands of kids every year. In fact, they’re so smart that they don’t even make the kids do a résumé. Instead, they just draw it out of them.
Well, I’m going to replicate their process for you . . . but better.
See, every employer Scottina encountered—regardless of whether it was Macca’s, KFC or a clothing store—essentially asked these five questions:
•Why do you want to work for us?
•When can you work?
•Why should I employ you?
•Are you going to work hard?
•Who can vouch for you?
And I’ve boiled down the answers to these five questions into a double-page, plug-and-play résumé template your teen can complete in one evening. As you’ll see, it’s more than just a résumé. Because in the process of putting it together, teens are getting two benefits.
First, they’re getting a pre-written ‘cheat sheet’ they can use as a written script for their Open Book Interview (see Step 3 opposite). Second—and more importantly—they’re going to learn stories that will change the way they see themselves.
Honestly, I’ve coached teens using this résumé, and it is an absolute killer.
The feedback I get is that employers have never seen anything like it. And that’s before they’ve got to Step 3, when they will absolutely ace the interview.
So here’s what I want you to do right now:
1.Photocopy the Zero to Hero Résumé on page, or download a copy from my website, barefootinvestor.com/resources.
2.Hand it to your teen—or, if it helps, fold it into a paper plane, open the door and throw it in the direction of the bed.
3.Casually tell them about your ‘parental taxi-ranked’ suggestions for where they could apply in your area.
You’ll want to let them have a crack at these steps first, before going through it together in the upcoming Money Meal.
Again, I’ve tested it, and any teen can put this résumé together in a night.
Now this is important: your kid should do one for EACH prospective employer, especially where it’s a small business. Small business owners can tell who’s handing them a mass-printed résumé and who’s taken a few minutes to google their business and personalise the application.
Next, they should print off their résumé and front up to the store in person to deliver it to the manager.
If your teen is applying at Macca’s (or any of the other ‘majors’), they’ll be able to take this info and enter it via the online application process. (They should still do the résumé, though, because it will come in handy in the interview.)
Once they’ve done these steps, they’ll be so far ahead of every other kid it’ll be almost embarrassing.
Remember, most employers of teens aren’t looking for rocket scientists. So long as your kid doesn’t put down ‘drug dealing’ as their work experience or, when asked if they’ve been convicted of a crime, write ‘Not yet :)’, they should be fine.
And if it doesn’t work first time, they just have to keep going. But don’t be too worried. With this résumé, it won’t be long before they can move on to the next step . . .
Step 3: The Open Book Interview
What is the interviewer looking for?
Let’s get this straight: it’s not to sit through an awkward AF (ask your kids) 15-minute get-to-know-you game.
And it’s not to do a deep dive on their experience and qualifications, either. If it were about experience and qualifications, they’d just hire them straight off the application, right?
What the interviewer really wants to see is that your kid is a decent person who’ll fit in with the team. And they want to work this out as quickly as possible so they can get back to their real work.
Seriously, they’re not hiring for the head of the United Nations Nuclear Arms Proliferation Department here:
‘Can you be trusted to dunk fries without maiming yourself?’
‘Yes, I believe I can.’
‘Excellent. You’re going to fit in well.’
Thankfully, by this point, your teen has already done all the work. See, once they’ve filled in their Zero to Hero Résumé, they have stories they can adapt to almost any question:
•When they get asked ‘Why do you want to work here?’ they’ll be able to answer from the research they did into the business, and explain exactly what it was they liked about it.
•When the interviewer says, ‘Tell me about a difficult situation you faced and how you handled it,’ they’ll be able to relate the story about the time they got cut from the netball team and had to work really hard to get back in the si
de.
•Their list of experiences and work history should be a treasure trove of stories just waiting to be told: the time they earned a blue belt in karate . . . the time they saved their parents $100 on their power bill . . . the time they volunteered in the local food drive.
And the best part: they get to bring the answers into the interview with them!
See, unlike school examiners, a job interviewer is impressed when a kid turns up with notes (their Zero to Hero Résumé). It shows they’ve done their homework . . . and they’re serious about getting this job.
So, tell your teen not to freak out when it comes to the job interview.
As long as they turn up on time, looking presentable, and keep their bloody phone in their pocket . . . they won’t instantly fail. Even better, they can bring in their Zero to Hero Résumé, to peek at if they get stumped on any question.
In fact, they can even tell the interviewer, ‘I really want this job, so I actually spent a couple of hours preparing some notes for this interview, to convince you that I’d be a great fit.’
Undercover parenting
No doubt, it can be difficult and awkward to get through to teenagers when they’re always staring at a screen, or hiding in their room (or hiding in their room staring at a screen). Plus they have a finely tuned BS radar, and they know you’re really uncool, and possibly not that bright.
Yet think about what you’re doing with them by helping them apply for a job:
You’re sitting down together and identifying your teen’s unique strengths, skills and abilities . . .
You’re finding stories from their past that bring to life the times they used these strengths, skills and abilities . . .
Then, at the crescendo, there’s a challenge that gives your teen external validation of their success—someone outside the family saying, ‘I’m impressed with you, and I want you on my team.’