The post below is written by my 17-year-old son, and is published here with his permission.
Past work experience: none.
If you’re in that kind of situation, and you just can’t seem to get a first job because you have noone to recommend you or no work experience, that’s alright. Since February of 2023, when I submitted my first job application (I was 15), I’ve put in a lot of applications to various places around where I live. I have lost track of how many applications I’ve filled out specifically, but it’s a lot (probably 20-30). Out of all those applications, I’ve been reached out to for an interview a grand total of three times, the first one not being until around 14 months after I had submitted it.
Over the past few years, I’ve learned that it’s important to figure out how to showcase my strengths on a resume or on a job application. I think some of the applications I filled out were too generic and sparse. For some of my more recent applications, I added skills that I didn’t think were especially relevant to working in food service, but showed I might be useful in additional ways (computer programming knowledge, media/broadcasting experience). I also brought copies of my resume to interviews when it wasn’t specifically asked for online. I’ve learned that I need to differentiate myself in a job application in order to get an interview (and in an interview in order to get a job). This might mean going beyond basic straightforward answering of questions that are asked.
My first interview was at Culvers, and my second interview was at McDonalds. After each of my first two interviews, I never received a response. Not even a “no.” Just nothing. Around a week or two after each of them, I realized I wasn’t going to get a response at all. So I wasn’t really sure what I did “wrong,” per se. After my second interview (McDonalds), I felt like I could have prepared more for the questions that were going to be asked. I think I could have done a better job of highlighting my strengths. But I also wonder if my disabilities have impacted how I’m perceived in my interviews. I have Autism and cerebral palsy, so it’s possible for people to judge me based on my appearance and social interactions. I wonder if there may have been some underlying stereotypes that my could-have-been employers may not have noticed they had against me.
Learning from not getting the job from my two previous interviews helped me to “cook,” as we like to say it nowadays, in my most recent interview at a local blueberry farm. I decided ahead of time to disclose my disabilities in the interview and practiced how to do this. I explained to my employer during the interview how my disabilities may impact my efficiency when working. More specifically, I explained how my cerebral palsy can affect how efficiently I work, and that by not working at the same level as others, I was not being lazy. I explained that I might not be able to do physical work as fast as my peers, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t do the work at all. I also explained that I am Autistic and that I focus better when I don’t make a lot of eye contact. I’m not trying to be rude by not making eye contact, but I’m actually trying to help myself focus better on the conversation.
I think sharing this helped prevent people from immediately judging me during the interview. I was trained for the job the same day. There were multiple questions I thought I was going to be asked during the blueberry farm interview that I wasn’t, which I was surprised by. However, I felt prepared because I had reviewed these questions ahead of time, which gave me some confidence entering the interview. I ended up getting hired, and I had my first day of work there just over a week ago.
I am very optimistic about this job. This job is my first paying one, and I think that I will have a positive work experience here. This is only a seasonal job, and I’ll have to go back to job hunting as I always have after early August, but I hope to be able to use this blueberry farm as a good recommendation for a future employer that I might have during this upcoming school year, should I get one. For those who are in a similar situation I once was in, it might be helpful to consider explaining to potential employers about any disabilities you may have, primarily during interviews. I understand this is a personal and complex decision, but I think it may have helped me bypass some of the barriers I was having in interviews. Potential employers are more likely to understand you and not be as judgmental, sort of, than if you were able-bodied and/or neurotypical.