Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

My sister is 16 and makes good grades and is trying to get her first job here in Hampton Roads, VA. She has put in applications at MCDs, HotTopic, Payless, Pier One, Micheals and tons more with NO callbacks. She is an attractive girl with very short black hair and red bangs. She does dress DOWN when applying, wearing jeans and a regular shirt. NO CHAINS AND STRAPS like normal.... Please give us some advice on how to let her still keeps her gothic style but find an employer who isn't so bias!!!

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

Some markets aren't ready to accept goths yet, they have stereotyped goths. Redo the bangs to a normal shade perhaps. First call the places back she applied, it shows initiative and that helps. If nothing else works try an image makeover just for job hunting. Michaels craft store just doesn't seem like a place that would be open at all to goths.

Work on the appearance, brush up on communication skills, show initiative, call them back, thank them for their time and help. If she's never had a job before have her to tell the employer they can train her how they want her to be. When I was that age, that always got them and me the job.

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

welll if they can't except her, as she is is the job worth it?

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

Has she tried any of the restaurants?

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

Try music stores and i know i've seen stores in the mall that sell that type of clothing.

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

HOT TOPIC. I think they actually have requirements that you have too look like a freak.

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

tell here to grow up

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

Try applying at a music or a video game store :) They appreciate original people.

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

do you have a whole foods market where you live?..She could try there..they hire all types of people without judging on what someone looks like

http://wholefoodsmarket.com/

They are a wonderful company to work for

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

Hmmm...Hot Topic would probably have been her best bet, because I know the people who work in Hot Topic out here (CA) wear tons of straps/black clothing, black hair w/colors, etc. Theres another store called "Red Balls" thats kinda like Hot Topic, but a little more punk, maybe she could try there.

Tell her to just apply everywhere she sees a sign. The more places she applies to the better her chances at getting the job. She will eventually meet a manager that sees her potential and not just the style of her hair.

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

try hot toppic at the mall..

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

HotTopic should've hired her. I would suggest having her call back to inquire about whether or not the position has been filled, and if not express desire to work there. Employers like it when an applicant also makes the effort to become employed. Also try local theaters and other shops in the mall.

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

what about a store in the mall that is has a more "goth" theme to it. somewhere she will fit in and feel more comfortable i'm sure

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

You ought not to assume it's just that. Really, when applying for jobs, the vast majority aren't going to call back, for a variety of reasons.

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

Apply at a place where there is no customer or client interaction. Employees are the face of a company. Most companies don't want their face to have two-toned hair and gothic looks.

I'd suggest either losing the goth look - try some nice pants or a skirt and a polo. A blouse even!

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

Hot topic sounds good to me, but maybe instead of wearing jeans when applying, she should wear slacks and a nice shirt. Also, the fact that it's summer and most of the "teenager jobs" are already taken, might be working against her. Good luck!

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

You might be interested in a study a TV show did, where they had goth and regular looking teens apply at Hot Topic - a place where you'd think goth teens would be welcomed. Instead, it was the regular looking teens that got the callbacks/jobs!

So it's a tough road to walk. I'd say try a more funky part of town - maybe a record store, tattoo or piercing parlor?

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

You sound bias yourself, note "NO CHAINS AND STRAPS like normal"

If you, her sister, considers her different than why should the employers not?

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

Bias?

Welcome to the real world, sweetie!!

Sometimes you have to "play by the rules" before you can actually play the game the way you want to play it. Once your foot is in the door, people care more about how well you do things than how you look. But the dandruff shampoo commercial got it right: it is true that you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

Trendy type hair salons, tatoo places may actually let her wear her chains and whatnot, Movie Theatres, Telephone based services.

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

sadly some employers look at apperence and many just judge you on what you are wearing or look like when you hand in the application. she needs to dress nice and not funky. no jeans and a t-shirt. try a skirt and a nice shirt. have her go un goth when she hannds and picks them up. also if there is someone that knows her and don't like her at the place she is trying to apply for that can be a cause to. how you represent yourself to others and dress tells alot about a person. i'm goth i have black and purple hair. but i dont' dress all black with chains and stuff i actually only do that on special days like clubing on weekends otherswise during the week i dress kinda preppy and chicky.

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

You say that she dresses DOWN when applying. This is her biggest mistake. First impressions, mean everything. Not only in the clothes she wears but her attitude when applying. Is she polite or too forward when asking for an applicaton? Too much makeup? My advice? If she wants to be a Goth, do so on her own time and not on any potential employer's.

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

welcome to the real world... do you think bil gates would be where he is now if he had a mohawk? you can be gothic...on you own time... save it for after work or on the weekends. sorry, but black hair with red bangs is not very professional, and chances of finding a professional job that will accept your lifestyle will be hard. do you ever go into the dentist office and see workers with their faces pierced? no, most jobs require you to take out piercings... same with "different" hair styles... it's just not professional... maybe you could get a job at a tattoo parlor or a hair saloon until you outgrow your goth phase (and i call it a phase, cuz really...are you still gonna dress like this when you're 25? 35? 60?) good luck... i had a hard time finding a job that would let me keep in my eyebrow piercing...

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

I am a bit gothic myself, for most of the jobs I have to dress up. I learnt web designing and I found that in order to do it doesnt matter the way i dress. maybe she would like something like that.

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

Employers are going to be at least a little biased. I mean, if she's SCARY looking, of course they won't hire her! I don't know what your 16 year old sister looks like, but during the summer I turned 16, I was able to get 2 jobs.

Maybe they're simply looking for an 18 year old. I ran into that problem. Keep looking I guess, and remember, employers must be a little biased to get customers. It doesn't matter so much if you dress down, just don't look scary. It's terrible, but look as normal as possible for your job (your as in your sister...).

Again, terrible, but life. And it's only for a couple hours a week for a dumb part time job.

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

The whole Gothic style is about making a dramatic impression. Most employers are reluctant to have such 'impressive' people associated with their business, because their customers aren't comfortable with it. I'm sure this comes as no surprise to you or your sister. Good luck!

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

Sorry, but sometimes we have to dress the way others want to see us, I'll be changing my appearance when I get home. We even have to put our opinions and such aside to get and keep employment. I'm not recommending that you abandon yourself just to make a buck but we all have to give into artificial situations. Goth is a state of mind, not the cloths you wear.

Where can a gothic teenager who is 16 work? Having trouble with callbacks, must be the hair!!!?

I really don't want to be rude, but are you "SERIOUS"?

Businesses have customers, businesses are competitive and the jobs your sister is applying for, are in part, requiring her to represent the company. Gothic is, almost by definition, a "shock" culture. People in business are not looking to shock their customers. If your sister opened a Gothic supply store, would she want a 55 year old man in a three piece business suit representing her and the business. I think not.

So what do we do about your sister's problem? Tell her to get "real" and dress for the job. She seems to be looking in places where people spend money. She must understand, like it or not, people with money tend to dress and look more conservative. Additionally they tend to shop in establishments that don't make an overt effort to shock them into a cardiac arrest.