local detail shop hire me, a 16 year old?

G

glass_image

New member
well summer is knocking on the door and although my parents want me to enjoy my teen years and stay away from work, i need money somehow to get the rims/springs i need to finish up my first project car.



most of my friends resorted to fast food joints, grocery stores, and private businesses for money. i, on the other hand, decided i want to do something i enjoy for work... detailing.



i noticed a detail shop open just recently near where i live, and immediately wrote down the number. today i went by to talk to the owner about working there but nobody was there... an electrician who was locking the place came to me and asked if i needed inside. i asked if the manager was around and he said he had no idea where he was; he in fact, was looking for him too. i told him i was looking for a job there and he said something along the lines of 'well they have plenty of work, just nobody to do the work, so they'll probably hire you'. well i got all excited and rushed home to call and leave a message.



i got home and left a message that stated i wanted to work for them, and mentioned i could claybar, wash, wax, polish, dress tires, etc. and i was trained to use an orbital buffer. i also said i'd be happy to run any errands or other chores that needed to be done.. well heres the kicker, im 16 and still in school (little less than 2 weeks left) and i mentioned i could work after school the next 2 weeks till about 9 at night (that's 5 hours of work) until summer came around; when i could start working full time.



my question to you guys is this:

If you were the owner, and you had sufficient amount of help, what would you say to me? do you think this guy is going to give in and hire me? i'm not sure how much help he has right now, but if he denys me then i can always try for another, older shop a few miles away.



thanks for listening. :wavey
 
I would say that you are hired for $5.15 per hour. Detail shops don't pay their grunts very well. You could probably make the money faster bagging groceries somewhere. It wouldn't be as fun and it wouldn't give you the experience to make more money, but enjoying your work is something that you can put a dollar sign on. I would have to be making a truck load of money to do something I didn't enjoy. Even then I would probably only work it as long as I had to.



You could take the job and use it for the experience. Shops that pay better are only going to pay you with a resume built on detailing. Keep your eyes out for a mobile detailer who needs help on the weekends and jobs like that. Working at a detail shop is going to be good experience and you can't put a dollar amount on that one.
 
glass_image said:
well summer is knocking on the door and although my parents want me to enjoy my teen years and stay away from work, i need money somehow to get the rims/springs i need to finish up my first project car.



most of my friends resorted to fast food joints, grocery stores, and private businesses for money. i, on the other hand, decided i want to do something i enjoy for work... detailing.



i noticed a detail shop open just recently near where i live, and immediately wrote down the number. today i went by to talk to the owner about working there but nobody was there... an electrician who was locking the place came to me and asked if i needed inside. i asked if the manager was around and he said he had no idea where he was; he in fact, was looking for him too. i told him i was looking for a job there and he said something along the lines of 'well they have plenty of work, just nobody to do the work, so they'll probably hire you'. well i got all excited and rushed home to call and leave a message.



I don't really worry about a person's age, race, religion or otherwise when I hire my staff. The first and most important thing is a good attitude and work ethic. I also don't differentiate in pay between young workers and workers over 18 (even though the law allows me to pay significantly less to anyone under 18). Everyone starts at the same pay because they are all doing the same work so I really see no reason everyone shouldn't be paid the same. If I may offer a piece of advice to you if you are new to the work force:

1: always show up for work 10 minutes early and be ready to start working as soon as you are scheduled to start

2: learn your job responsibilities and then DO YOUR JOB

3: understand that you are at work to do just that, business do not operate to provide you with a job

4: treat your employer as you would like to be treated - respect your boss and you should in turn be respected as well

5: do not call in sick UNLESS YOU ARE REALLY SICK

6: understand that everything you do while working has consequences not only for you, but also your fellow employees and the business owner



I know these things seem simple and should be just common sense but I find it alarming how many young people show up at my shop looking for employment but don't have ANY work skills. You seem like the type of kid anyone would be lucky to have working for them and if you work hard you'll do great. Good luck!



i got home and left a message that stated i wanted to work for them, and mentioned i could claybar, wash, wax, polish, dress tires, etc. and i was trained to use an orbital buffer. i also said i'd be happy to run any errands or other chores that needed to be done.. well heres the kicker, im 16 and still in school (little less than 2 weeks left) and i mentioned i could work after school the next 2 weeks till about 9 at night (that's 5 hours of work) until summer came around; when i could start working full time.



my question to you guys is this:

If you were the owner, and you had sufficient amount of help, what would you say to me? do you think this guy is going to give in and hire me? i'm not sure how much help he has right now, but if he denys me then i can always try for another, older shop a few miles away.



thanks for listening. :wavey
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thanks for the responses guys, i really appreciate it. im hoping to get some sort of phone call today, either saying he wants to talk more with me or to say hes not interested.. i'll post back this afternoon with an update.
 
Yeah I agree about them paying poorly. BUT, you could use this low paying job as great experience and maybe open your own business. Work there for a summer then detail on the side next summer and work your own ours and make more cash!
 
Even if you get paid a dollar or two less per hour compared to bagging groceries for a bunch of soccer moms (blah!), you'll be doing something you love! Hopefully he'll have work for you!



Pay attention to the business and how he runs things. You can learn a lot of valuable business lessons watching how a new company works.



Also, why not try to detail some cars on the side? I'm sure you have friends of the family or family members or even some of your friends' parents who would like their cars detailed or even washed on a regular basis. You'll be suprised how many people would like to help a kid out who is willing to work hard for his money.



You have a unique opportunity and a passion for something. Run with it! Good luck! Be proactive! Be a go-getter!
 
thanks for all the ideas and thoughts guys, i really appreciate it. yeah i plan on becoming a junior mobile detailer if both businesses turn me down.
 
when I was 16 I got hired by the local school washing & protecting their fleet of buses. Was above average money but hard work. The next summer with this experience I got a job with a detail shop, the pay was less but it was much cooler learning how to really care for a car and customer service. Of course part of the job was picking up supplies answering the phone etc. This experience helped me have an above average knowledge of detailing that has allowed me to always be able to make extra money while doing something I enjoy.
 
Detailing is hard work. I had friends who had jobs that would just sit there and do nothing. Why not check out a resturant and try to be a bus boy (is that how you spell it?) I had about four friends who did it and all of them said they hardly did any work and would take home hourly pay + tips!
 
that's like telling me to ignore my dream :( it's not about the pay; i'd work for them for $2.50 an hour and enjoy every minute of it... i want to do something i love and most of all i will get experience from it... experience i could possibly use later on to open my own shop.



he didn't call me yet today, but there have been horrible tornadoes and such around this area plus on the emssage i said to call anytime before or after school hours and it's only 4:30 right now. pray for me :(
 
Don't wait for him to call. Go back and see him in person. Go back several times! You come across as the kind of young person I"d want to hire and I think, judging from what you've posted, that you will make an excellent impression in person.



Going back in person will impress on him that you are actually excieted about detailing and not just looking for a job to have a job. Let your excitement show when you talk to him and talk about learning the business of detailing. Hell, you'll be his asst. mgr in no time!
 
It is not about the money, especially at your age. If you are good at what you do and that is usually the things you love, the money will come.
 
Do what you want to do, Glass. Chase your dream. Heck, when I was younger, I did stuff for free to learn the trade from people! (not detailing).



Don't worry, if you had sounded sincere in your message, he'll call, but if he doesn't in the next day or two, a follow-up call is in order. Nothing like persistence to put you on people's minds. Don't be annoying, like leaving multiple messages. But calling every other day to see if he can return your call is reasonable.
 
glass_image said:
that's like telling me to ignore my dream :( it's not about the pay; i'd work for them for $2.50 an hour and enjoy every minute of it... i want to do something i love and most of all i will get experience from it... experience i could possibly use later on to open my own shop.



he didn't call me yet today, but there have been horrible tornadoes and such around this area plus on the emssage i said to call anytime before or after school hours and it's only 4:30 right now. pray for me :(
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You sure got your head on straight :xyxthumbs
 
To bad you do not live in the N.E. I would hire you in a heartbeat. A gentleman came to my shop 21 years ago just like yourself. He was 17 years old and just out of High School. He told me that he new nothing about detailing but loved cars. I said when can you start. To this date he has been with me for 21 years. He has been the best worker an owner could find. He never calls in sick. He is 100% dedicated to the business. I treat him like a son, and we are best friends. These kind of people are just so hard to find. My suggestion to you is to keep pestering him. Every couple of days go by and see him. Tell him how much you want to work there. Tell him that if he doesn't hire you that you both will loose. Tell him that the first day you will work for free, just so he can see your work ethic. I guarantee that within no time you will be hired.,Once you get hired just don't let him down. Learn everything you can so next summer he will either hire you back or you have the exdperience to call your own shot. Best of luck
 
glass_image said:
that's like telling me to ignore my dream :( it's not about the pay; i'd work for them for $2.50 an hour and enjoy every minute of it... i want to do something i love and most of all i will get experience from it... experience i could possibly use later on to open my own shop.
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Then it sounds like you want to detail. Just was giving you some other options before you commit to this job.
 
Well, have you heard anything yet!?



I'd recommend visiting the owner at his shop, just as a follow up to the phone call. I know I tend to put off returning some calls that I get and then before I know it I forget entirely to call the person. Stop by the shop again!



Good Luck!
 
no call today :( i drove by after school around 3:30 and nobody was there... last sunday i saw it open so ill try again later tomorrow or this weekend. :(
 
Go for it! Its fun work. You should try some car dealerships. I was hired as a "lot tech" at a Saturn dealership when I was 17. They paid me $7. It was a good job, but the kicker was the next summer when I went over to a BMW dealer (Read: BMW enthusiast's Dream Job). They paid me $7.50. Some dealership insurance companies require you be 18 before they hire you if you're driving the cars, but some don't. BMW did, Saturn didn't. You'll be able to find something, I'm sure. Good luck, it'll make the summer go by fast.
 
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