Gas Money

April 27, 2006 6:22 PM

Weekend job for 17 year old in Los Angeles? Preferably in the San Fernando Valley. Or suggestions on other ways to get money? Like getting ads put on my car?

I would really like the ads on my car thing but I have a nice big dent in the side so that might not be possible. I'll do pretty much anything since a tank of gas costs $45

posted by joshuak to work & money (25 comments total)

Find a really classy restaurant and start bussing or waiting. You'd probably have to start bussing if you don't have any service experience. Depending on how they pay their bussers, you could make some serious money.

Go to a country club and see if they have any positions there for carrying golf clubs and whatnot.
posted by schroedinger at 6:24 PM on April 27, 2006

I second bussing at a country club. If you're social, you can make a ton through tips off-the-record. I know, I did it. Plus if you're at one your friends belong to (through their parents) it's pretty fun day to day. Think: Porky's. If they're laid back, you can try your hand at tending the back bar during weddings and doing a bit of serving on busser's wages (i.e. not based on tips). Work it. Great job for your age.
posted by kcm at 6:32 PM on April 27, 2006

i've heard about that before but there are no country clubs within 20 minutes of my house that I know of
posted by fearandloathing at 6:54 PM on April 27, 2006

When I was 17 and in high school, I worked a long series of retail jobs. Office Depot, Target, etc. They generally hire kids, so they understang and are willing to work with school/busy kid schedules.
posted by ninjew at 6:57 PM on April 27, 2006

Retail jobs are probably easiest to come by. It's hard to find other kinds of work at that age without some kind of "in." Do you have any friends or relatives who you could ask for work? I took advantage of both my parents at your age and got some better-than-average jobs.

P.S. When asking two askme's simultaneously, you should try to keep your accounts straigt to avoid confusion.
posted by Espy Gillespie at 7:01 PM on April 27, 2006

I've never seen any kids working at target or office depot...
I kind of have an in with a clothes store but it is extremely inconvient to get to and pays only $7 an hour.
Please don't leave any comments saying how ingrateful i am for this because i'm not, i just really hate driving so much for $35 a day.
posted by fearandloathing at 7:06 PM on April 27, 2006

Coffee shop? Pizza place? Car dealership driver-arounder (maybe you need to be older, but I seem to remember it being a dream job for the car-inclined when I was in highschool)? Retail?

Do any of your friends work? My first highschool job was at a horrible chain pizza place, but we managed to get our whole little social group working there at the same time, so it was pretty fun.

On the office front, do any of your parents/parent's friends need filing or data entry or something else done over the summer?

Ask around, read the classifieds. Apply to everything and everything, follow up/call incessantly until hired.

If you want to put ads on your car, maybe call companies that do that? See if they need anyone. If not, figure out how to do it and call local businesses and do it yourself.

And on preview, I know I don't live in LA, but I live in Chicago and $7/hr seems like it's not too bad for an entry level, part time job. My little sister makes about that and she works in a cafe. Sometimes you have to suck it up to move up the pay scale.
posted by ruby.aftermath at 7:10 PM on April 27, 2006

extremely inconvient to get to

This is why you have a car.

pays only $7 an hour.

This is what retail jobs pay. In fact, it's what pretty much every job that a 17-year-old is qualified to do pays.
posted by gleuschk at 7:11 PM on April 27, 2006

Know anything about computers (removing viruses and spyware, install home networks, &c)?

Advertise around the neighbourhood. If you're good, the word of mouth will spread and you should be able to get a decent stream of income.
posted by PurplePorpoise at 7:12 PM on April 27, 2006

If you live in the San Fernando Valley, there are at least three country clubs within 20 minutes: Porter Valley, El Caballero, Woodland Hills.

Calabasas Golf and Country Club is probably close enough, too. And Braemar is right next to El Caballero. A little farther up the 101 there's Lindero Country Club. And Los Robles.

Working as a caddy at a golf course can be very lucrative.
posted by JekPorkins at 7:14 PM on April 27, 2006

Regarding the ads on your car: your car has to be a new model, in great condition. It also has to be a "desirable" car. Think Mini Cooper or the like. They won't do it to just any car.

I'm not familiar with your area, but I always enjoyed doing lawn work and maintenance work at that age. I worked in a window factory for about a year, doing just that. The pay usually isn't bad, either. I made $8/hr five years ago, and it was right next to my high school.
posted by Loto at 7:14 PM on April 27, 2006

Here are two country clubs in the valley for you:

El Caballero Country Club

Braemar Country Club
posted by kingjoeshmoe at 7:16 PM on April 27, 2006

the main problem i have with $7 an hour is that I've been working there for 3 years and also my friends that have jobs make much more.

If I was to apply for a job at a store like target, should i call? Because I couldn't really find anything online.

I guess being a caddy would probably be my first choice because I've had it be recommended the most
posted by fearandloathing at 7:17 PM on April 27, 2006

oh crap, don't you have to recommend what clubs to use and that kind of stuff? I can't even pick out clubs for myself!
posted by fearandloathing at 7:20 PM on April 27, 2006

I don't know for sure about Target, but I've been noticing more and more little computer kiosks at grocery stores and the like for filling out job applications. Since Target advertises as pretty hip, I'd wager that they have one, too. Calling is good as a follow-up, but coming in in person to get some face time after you've applied is even better. There is, of course, a limit to these things (don't call a bunch of times, don't be annoying) -- but you need to become more than just a name and address on a piece of paper, as they get tons of those. Probably most important is be absolutely nothing but nice (and charismatic, if you can do it without seeming fake) to every single person you talk to: the checkers, the person you ask about who you should talk to about hiring, the manager, everyone. If enough people remember you and get a good vibe, it will help immensely.

The key to getting a job at a place that probably sees a lot of applications is to stand out. It's not easy to make it look like you put effort into an application when it's of the fill-out-this-form type, but you can try. Go for more than one or two word answers, be descriptive -- show them that you're not an average kid looking to make a buck.

Finally, as another income route: I had a hard time finding a job out of college (about four years ago). It's extremely hard to walk into a place with a sad little resume and expect someone to realize your potential (unfortunately, not many people will take "trust me! I can do it!" as a good reason to hire you). The key is to get some good resume fodder, good experience, and good references. The thing that really helped me a) make more than minimum wage and b) flesh out my resume with something was to go through temp agencies. They have them for lots of fields: construction, office work, insurance-related stuff, basic grunt-work type stuff, etc. I know you say you're 17, so presumably still in high school (read: without a hs degree, yet), so you might find this to be something of an obstacle. But go around, apply to more than one or two, and follow up with them as much as they recommend (usually every week) with your availability.

Most of all, if you want to make money, be willing to do lots of different jobs, be nice and show them you're hard working (and therefore worth it), and doors will start to open for you.

Sorry this is so long.
posted by penchant at 7:38 PM on April 27, 2006

If your friends have jobs that pay much more, why not do what they do? Seems like they're doing something right.. If there were a job for unskilled part time workers that paid very well, why would anyone work anywhere else? You have to have knowledge or a connection. Figure out what you're good at, use that to your advantage. Or, re the last thread, your parents seem rather wealthy - ask them if any of their friends/co-workers have positions/leads. Their business network is a lot larger than yours is.
posted by devilsbrigade at 7:39 PM on April 27, 2006

MeTa...
posted by interrobang at 7:49 PM on April 27, 2006

Try In N Out. They hire kids your age, treat them well and pay much better than other fast food joints. My nephew went to work for them when he was 16 2 years ago and the starting pay then was over 10 dollars an hour. In N OUt has worked with him as he moved out of town for college and arranged a transfer to one of their locations near his new school. They're a topnotch employer for people your age.
posted by buggzzee23 at 8:03 PM on April 27, 2006

There's always Magic Mountain.

Or since you're in the SFV, maybe Universal Studios is closer.
posted by sideshow at 8:59 PM on April 27, 2006

I could WALK to in and out, i just didn't know they hired kids. I hope the one near me does.
Or Universal is pretty close too.
Thanks
posted by joshuak at 10:45 PM on April 27, 2006

My Dad worked for UPS at your age, and while the work was very physical (he didn't have to go to the gym anymore) he said the pay was better than anything else around him at the time.

IIRC, he said he was loading / unloading trucks for 4-6 hours a day in the early morning at the local hub.
posted by Wild_Eep at 6:47 AM on April 28, 2006

Also you could try working for a catering company. They also are looking for partime labor.

My dad worked at a gas station at your age. I worked for a restaurant as a cashier.
posted by zia at 7:31 AM on April 28, 2006

I don't know if you're particularly design oriented or a great typist but many corporations and law firms hire off-hours word processors. You take dictation or manipulate spreadsheets or do basic design in a PowerPoint. The hours aren't great, sometimes weekend days or evenings from 6-10, but you make great money. When I was in high school I did work like that and made $15/hour (and this was back in 1996). I am positive they pay more now because my firm hires these kinds of folks (sorry, we're in Chicago). The work environment is pretty nice, there are a bunch of moms and older women who like to do this work while their husbands watch the kids (so they love hanging out with mature teenagers, seriously - and you get a lot of baked goodies). And it's in an office so you don't have to deal with crappy weather. Just a thought.
posted by MeetMegan at 8:07 AM on April 28, 2006

Valet parking.
posted by nanojath at 9:47 AM on April 28, 2006

I worked at a coffee shop when I was 17. This was pre-starbucks though.
posted by k8t at 3:24 AM on May 9, 2006