I need a job

turbo

Keep working at what you want to learn, and realize that what you have to do to earn money right now is not going to be applicable. We are heading into warm weather, and people will want to take vacations. Because of that, people doing blue-collar work will need to be replaced at least temporarily. I suggest that you contact local grocery stores, and ask for summer employment. There is nothing glamorous about stocking shelves and freezers, but it is work that has to be done, reliably with as little supervision as possible. If you are good at it, you can probably work all summer long and earn a decent wage. If you can't do a good job, you are right back where you are now.

When I was in engineering school, I worked summers as a vacation replacement in a veneer mill. I started out doing some pretty menial stuff, and a year or so later, I was lead-operator (all summer long) on a pretty technical finishing line. No line of work is beneath me, and I hope that you'll take that attitude too. Honest labor that is fairly compensated is a good mark on anybody's resume.

Varnick

As a 16 year old with few to zero qualifications, I would estimate better employment opportunities being slim. Is there a particular reason you need a better job? I think you mentioned family support.

(About the sub-argument that developed, the OP does come off as rather arrogant, and you should understand that you enrage people because you claim to know everything about something they/we spend years studying in a formal manner.)

benk99nenm312

That's where I think the misconceptions started. I never claimed to know everything. I claim to know a little, but I never said I know it all.

As to why, yes, I need money for the family. Some started talking about me as if I thought I was above blue collar work. I work at a grocery store. Yet another misconception.

As I read my posts through again, I'm finding out that I came across as arrogant, but I never said half the things people claim I said in my posts. I don't know how they got the impression that I was a spoiled rich kid who thinks blue collar is below me. I do blue collar work for a living right now. I think some were just anxious to state their opinion, and they forgot to listen to mine.

thrill3rnit3

learn programming, that's the best bet you'll have at 16

Luke1294

Your exact words were "..but I'm not a blue collar person"- that's how I got the impression you think blue collar work is below you, and that is a terrible mentality to have.

My suggestion- get some experience with electronics and PC repair, try to land a job doing something along those lines. It's a great experience for someone your age, and the skills will stay with you throughout your career/life.

Vanadium 50

The OP is already working at a grocery store. He objects to it as "[he is] not a blue collar person."

Vanadium 50

If everyone is telling you the same thing, have you considered the possibility that they are correct?

Dadface

Hello benk,we have employment agencies in the U.K. and I am assuming you have something similar in the U.S.I suggest that you find out what they have to offer and get on their books.As a youngster I had a wide variety of temporary jobs but I found the outside jobs to be the most satisfying.With your limited experience you may be ble to land jobs such as a builders labourer or a gardeners assistant.I feel fairly sure you will enjoy them.Personally I could not stand shop work,I worked in a wet fish shop but left after one day,actually I was sacked.

Wellesley

The OP's original wording could've been clearer, but it was clear that they came here looking for job suggestions. If they were so arrogant, they wouldn't be asking for help.


This post seemed to start the ensuing arguments, in my opinion.

Astronuc

Well, perhaps one was not explicit about knowing everything, but one made some bold, or perhaps brazen assertions, that seem to imply knowing more than one actually does, and that is to what many of those who are learned were reacting.

From the first two posts:
A lot of knowledge, understanding and proficiency is necessary to develop a unification theory, assuming one is refering to the common usage meaning GUT or ToE. However there is a self-contradiction in "I know QM and Relativity very well conceptually, but the math of both is still a bit beyond me." and "I have a unification theory that has been looked at by a few professors from a couple colleges nearby, and they say it is quote, "plausible."

Rather than state that one is not a "blue collar person", it would have been better and more appropriate to say "I aspire to be more than a blue collar worker". When I was 16, I began taking Calculus and Physics during my senior year of high school. I was familiar with the concepts of QM and SR, but I was certainly aware that there was so much more to learn.

At 16, I worked at a gardening center loading 100 lb bags of dirt, stone and sand. The bags of manure were lighter. I heaved 50 - 70 lb bags of fertilizer and herbicides. I carried sod, potted plants, and trees and loaded peoples cars. I loved it! I started that during the summer of my junior year and worked on weekends and some evenings during the school year.

The second job I had during high school was at a grocery store - first sacking groceries, then stocking the dairy case. Living at home (parents'), I saved the money to pay for school.

During my first years at university, I took a summer job on campus as a plumber's helper, and that lead to a part time job during the school year. I did mechanical maintenance and janitorial work as well. And in the second year, I worked in the food service department, which paid my room and board for the year. I was studying physics at the time. I learned a lot of practical things, including plumbing and electrical work, which I still use today as a home owner.

After a few years of studying physics, I switched majors (to Nuc Eng) and university. At that time, I took a job as a iron worker building metal buildings and large industrial structures. That was a blast too! I enjoyed the heavy labor and I could earn several $thousand over a summer which payed for my school year and living expenses.

When I started grad school, I received teaching and research assistantships. During my MS program, I also worked full-time (40 hrs/wk) for the local city water department as a system operator, which allowed me time (evenings or graveyard) to do homework and grade papers.

At 16, one has start at the bottom. It's like weightlifting, one starts with 10 or 15 pounds in each hand, and slowly works up to 50, 60, . . . lbs per hand. A novice does not go and lift 200 lbs overhead the first time.

benk99nenm312

What I meant by "I'm not a blue collar person," is that I'm not good at it.
I don't think it's below me, it's just that I would rather aspire to higher ranking jobs.

I see your point about the contradictions I've made with the unification theory and knowledge of physics. I know it seems rediculous. I would rather avoid discussion on that. I don't want to spend time arguing over something I can't even give you the details of.

Thanks for the advice on what jobs I should look for. As an attempt to find something closer to my hobbies, does anyone know of how you could sell music? I compose piano in my spare time.

Wellesley

You could record it, and then sell the CDs either locally, or on the internet (eBay, Amazon, etc.). I don't know how sucessful that will be though.

Astronuc

For music, one would have to audition, or make a tape/CD. I knew an amateur piano player who made his own demo tapes. He gave me couple, which were quite good. Some churches pay for people to play piano or organ, or hotels/bars allow piano players to play for tips.

I wasn't good at sacking groceries, but with advice from others, I improved. Skills must be learned - whether its blue collar work or physics or math. I find manual labor rather relaxing and meditative or contemplative, and the exercise is good for the mind.

benk99nenm312

Do you know if it has to be published through some-one, or some business? That would be the toughest part, I think.

Wellesley

Amazon requires a publisher/middle man. As far as I can tell, eBay does not. I'm sure there are other sites out there that are better than these two, you just have to look.

swat4life

Hey Kid,
I'd encourage you to be optimistic. I had a high school student working for me for several months - and the only reason why he's not getting more of my money is because he had to prepare for exams. I'd encourage you to check:

odesk.com (set a really LOW hourly rate - like say $4 - initially; then, once you get a track record, you can charge more)

rentacoder.com

getafreelancer.com

If you can write well, try the buy/sell/trade section at wickedfire.com. You'll have to give free samples of your work but after a while - if you are good - you can build up a lucrative client base. As an example, I had a 19 year old Romanian kid doing work for me for a while. His impetus for working was that he needed to earn money to pay for his mother's operation in Vienna. Now the guy's making close to 5 figures per month. When I first hired him, he was writing for about $.02/word. As you can imagine, $10,000+ for a Romanian teenager without a college degree can create a standard of living equal to $30-$50,000/month in the USA (depending of course on the fact that you are not in DC, LA, Boston, San Fran, etc).

If you have an affinity for the quantitative, try offering some kind of excel-based service. Also, don't buy all this talk about "boo hoo, there's a recession, nobody is spending money, blah blah blah". That's utter balderdash. Now's the best time in the past 70+ years to make money. So much so it causes one to sweat because you realize in a short time everyone else will awaken to the reality and all that easy cash will be gone....

You can make money for yourself online if money is what you require. However, you will need to learn how to package your skills/core competencies/talents, in such a way that it can be effectively monetized; this means learning and speaking the language of people who have the money and are willing to spend it. So you can either become an "independent wage earner" and sell your services on the open market vs. an employer (i.e. check those sites above); or you can set upon the task of owning some of the factors of production, i.e. your own business. Both choices carry a distinct level of uncertainty/risk and reward/$$$. I'm not doing anymore hiring at the moment - else I'd tell you to send me your CV.

Good Luck

benk99nenm312

Thank you very much.