Welcome to our Site!!

The annual Bloomington Job Fair was a tremendous success. Details of this event and other resources can be found on this site by scrolling down this screen with your computer's down arrow. Words that are underlined contain a link to an original source website. Whether you are a student, a parent of a teen, an employer or a community leader, we welcome the opportunity to share the information on this site.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The laws that are referenced gave been compiled by various sources that we presume to be reliable but are not intended to be the provision of legal advise.

March 27, 2010 Job Fair Information

Minnesota Laws about Hiring Youth
Handouts about Hiring Minors
Keeping Teens Safe on the Job
Hiring Right, Hiring Smart
Volunteers/Interns in the Workplace
Hiring Undocumented Workers
Hiring those who are learning English
Five minute safety training
Hours Teens May Work
Prohibited work for minors (under age of 18)
Liquor * Tobacco * Hazardous Materials * Transportation * Machinery
Prohibited work for minors (under age of 16)
Machinery * Agriculture * Transportation

Section for Students & Parents:
Ten Tips for Teen Job Seekers
Teens Preparing for Job Interview
Template: Teen Writing Job Resume

Also be sure to check out the links in the box to the right >>>>>

2010 Job Fair

The Bloomington Daymakers Rotary Club invites Bloomington area businesses and high school students to participate in the 2010 Bloomington Job Fair for High School students.

Saturday March 27th,
2010 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Directions: Bloomington Civic Plaza
Lobby area
1800 West Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington MN 55431-3027

The 2009 Job Fair had twenty-one employers and over two hundred teenagers in attendance.

This year's event is expected to help match even more local teens with businesses that need quality workers. Students are invited to stop by employer's booths, fill out applications and in some cases interview on the spot for open positions that range from weekend, part time and full time summer jobs to internships.

This is a FREE event for both students and employers.

Employers interested in more information about how to be included in the day's events and how to have their information posted on this site, please contact the Rotary event chair, Jon Oleson at jon@betterworkingrelationships.com. Jon's cell is 651-208-6586. Employers are also warmly invited to visit a Daymaker's Rotary meeting which is held each Friday morning 7:29 AM at the Bloomington Hilton Hotel located at France Avenue and Interstate 494 where you can ask questions in person of those on the steering committee. We want to serve you! Space at the job fair is limited, so please sign up soon so that we may accommodate you with a table, chairs as well as space in our printed program.

Students interested in attending the job fair are encouraged to dress for possible on-site interviews, to bring a list of references and their job history with them. Brings several copies of a one page resume if you have one prepared. A standard template for a resume is included below as a resource. Parent/guardians and mentors are encouraged to help students prepare for interviews and even to attend with students. We are excited that we are able to build on the model created by Bloomington United for Youth as our Rotary Club adopts this event as our signature project. They had a great vision for this event and our club leadership truly appreciates their continued imput and energy! We know that you will find this day educational and useful.

ANOTHER RESOURCE: For an ongoing listing of part time jobs available in for teens in Minnesota check out the website Groove Job! Disclaimer: We have not vetted their site for content but it looks like a good resource.

We welcome your comments, questions and ideas about the event and this site. Contact us at BloomingtonDaymakers@gmail.com We look forward to seeing you at the Job Fair!

MN Laws about Hiring Youth

Click this link to see more Minnesota Laws that pertains to hiring young people under 18 years old. If you have questions, contact Labor Standards by e-mail at DLI.Laborstandards@state.mn.us or by phone at (651) 284-5005.

Read/Print Handouts:
Hiring Minors
Keeping Teens Safe on the Job
Hiring Right, Hiring Smart
Volunteers/Interns in the Workplace
Hiring Undocumented Workers
Hiring those who are learning English
Five minute safety training on various topics

Hours Teens May Work

A young person 16 years of age or younger may not work:

• before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m. (with the exception of a newspaper carrier);

• for more than 40 hours a week or more than eight hours per 24-hour period (except in agriculture);

• on school days during school hours, without an employment certificate issued by the school district superintendent (181A.05)

*During the school year, federal law restricts hours to no later than 7 p.m., no more than three hours a day and not more than 18 hours a week.

Exemption Application

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A young person who is 16 or 17 years of age may not work
after 11 p.m. on evenings before school days or before 5 a.m. on school days. With written permission from a parent or guardian, these hours may be expanded to 11:30 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. No other limit is set for 16- and 17-year-olds.

Exemption Application

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The exemption applications for child labor exemption permits are fill-in-able PDFs. Each form may be completed on-screen or by printing it and completing it by hand. Mail the completed form to:

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry
Labor Standards
443 Lafayette Road N.
St. Paul, MN 55155

Prohibited work for minors (under age of 18)

The commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry has established as hazardous or detrimental to the well-being of minors the following occupations:

Liquor

• To serve, dispense or handle intoxicating liquors that are consumed on the premises;

• To work in rooms where liquor is served or consumed, with the following exceptions:

  • 16-year-olds may perform busing, dishwashing or hosting duties in a restaurant, and

  • minors who have reached the age of 16 may provide musical entertainment in a restaurant.

  Note: Department of Public Safety liquor-control laws prohibit serving or selling intoxicating liquor in a retail liquor establishment by minors less than 18 years of age.

Tobacco

• Note: There is no state restriction on age for selling tobacco products. Bloomington Code regarding Teens Selling Tobacco is spelled out Section 14.442. Teens may work in places that sell tobacco as outlined below. Strong caution: Any employee who is sells/stocks tobacco products shall be charged with a crime for selling tobacco to minors.
  (a) It shall be a gross misdemeanor for anyone to sell tobacco-related products to a person under the age of eighteen (18) years.
  
  (b) It shall be a misdemeanor for anyone to furnish tobacco-related products to a person under the age of eighteen (18) years.
  
  (c) It shall be a petty misdemeanor for anyone under the age of eighteen (18) years to use, purchase, attempt to purchase, or possess tobacco-related products, except that a person under eighteen (18) years of age who is employed in an establishment licensed to sell tobacco-related products may possess such products while selling or stocking them. This Section shall not apply to a person under the age of eighteen (18) years who purchases or attempts to purchase tobacco-related products while under the direct supervision of a responsible adult for training, education, research, or enforcement purposes.
  
  

Hazardous materials

• Where chemicals or other substances are present at excessive temperatures or in injurious, explosive, toxic or flammable quantities;

• Where explosives or fireworks are manufactured, stored, handled or fired.

Hazardous operations

• In or about logging or lumbering operations; paper mills; saw mills, lath mills, shingle mills; mines, quarries and sand or gravel pits; construction or building projects; ice harvesting operations;

• In building maintenance or repair higher than 12 feet above ground or floor level;

• In oxy-acetylene or oxy-hydrogen welding.

Transportation

• On boats or vessels used for commercial purposes, except if performing guide or other non-operational duties;

• Driving buses, cabs or other passenger-carrying vehicles as a driver;

• In certain railway occupations.

Machinery

• Operating or assisting in the operation of power-driven machinery, such as forklifts, meat saws and grinders, milling machines, punch presses, press brakes and shears, woodworking machinery;

• Operating any nonautomatic elevator, lift or hoisting machine;

• Operating, erecting or dismantling rides or machinery in an amusement park, street carnival or traveling show, or in the loading or unloading of passengers on rides.

Other

• As a lifeguard, except for a minor with a Red Cross lifesaving certificate that works with uninterrupted adult supervision.

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Prohibited work for minors less than 16 years of age

In addition to all of the above:

Machinery

• To operate or assist in the operation of machinery;

• Laundry, rug cleaning or dry-cleaning equipment;

• Power-driven snowblowers, lawn mowers or garden equipment;

• Drill presses, milling machines, grinders, lathes and portable power-driven machinery such as drills, sanders, and polishing and scrubbing equipment for floor maintenance;

• Meat slicers, textile-making machines or bakery machinery;

• In oiling, cleaning or maintaining any power-driven machinery;

• In work using pits, racks or lifting apparatus at service stations or in mounting tires on rims;

• In a car wash to attach cars to or detach them from mechanized conveyor lines or to operate or contact the car while it is connected to the conveyor.

Agriculture

• In any agricultural operation declared by the U.S. Secretary of Labor to be particularly hazardous for employment of children less than age 16.

Transportation

• In or about an airport landing strip and taxi or maintenance aprons;

• As an outside helper on a motor vehicle.

Operations

• Welding, loader or launcher for skeet- or trap-shooting, manufacturing or commercial warehouse, processing plants.

Other

• Lifting, carrying or caring for patients in hospitals or nursing homes;

• In walk-in meat freezers or meat coolers, except for occasional entrance.

Exceptions:

• A 17-year-old high school graduate;

• A minor employed by a business solely owned and daily supervised by one or both parents;

• A minor employed at tasks away from or outside of the area of hazardous operation, equipment or materials.

Ten Tips for Teen Job Seekers

1. Prepare a resume

Many first-time job seekers believe they haven’t done anything worth mentioning in a resume. This is not true. Any work, even unpaid work and hobbies, counts as experience. Taking the time to prepare a resume shows a prospective employer that the applicant is serious about finding a job. Highlight the connection between accomplishments and the transferable skills learned, including soft skills such as being punctual and fulfilling commitments. >Scroll down to find the template for preparing a resume.

2. Get a list of places to apply

Use a variety of sources to search for advertised job openings, for example print and online advertisements, job banks and career centers. Some occupations are not very well represented in general online job banks, so it is sometimes worth focusing on web sites that specialize in part-time employment for teens (grooveJob.com and snagajob.com) or in specific career fields. The 2009 Bloomington Job Fair will be a great place to find opportunities

3. Talk to others

Many employers don’t advertise part-time or seasonal jobs, so don’t limit the job search to official listings. Guidance counselors, teachers, parents, other family members and acquaintances may know who is looking for temporary entry-level employees. However, applying in person is often the best way of finding a job, especially in retail and hospitality. The Bloomington Job Fair will present opportunities for you to meet face to face and even interview with some employers, so come prepared.

4. Be ready to complete a job application

Some employers require candidates to fill out a form that asks about skills, education and work history. Job seekers should be prepared with the following information and those coming to the Bloomington Job Fair should bring this information with them:

• Names and addresses of previous employers (if the job seeker has prior work experience)
• Dates of employment References (can be neighbors or teachers) and their contact information
• Resume (if the job seeker has one)
• Days/hours available to work
• Contact information of the job seeker

5. Check whether there are any laws prohibiting youth from working in a particular field.

Scroll back up this screen for Minnesota and Bloomington laws. According to the Department of Labor, teens may not work in hazardous occupations.

6. Prepare for the interview

Job applicants may either be interviewed on the spot when dropping off their application or some time following an application. Employers who hire teens are probably not looking for excellent qualifications and experience, but for the attitude needed to do an excellent job. Employers are impressed with applicants who show the following characteristics:

• Professional manners
• Interest in the job and the company
• Willingness to learn
• Self-confidence

Do some research about the job. Identify skills that match the job description. Review answers to common interview questions (check out list by scrolling down), think of a few questions to ask the interviewer and practice many times.

7. Make a good first impression in person

Personal grooming and attire can matter more than an answer to a particular interview question. It is not necessary to wear a suit - just look professional. Clothes and shoes should be conservative, and avoid extreme hairstyles, excessive makeup and perfume. Wear a belt. Tuck in clothes. Ditch the gum. Put away the phone. Walk confidently. Leave the hat at home. Choose another time to use slang words. Clean up the foul language. Take out your ipod earpiece or a bluetooth in your ear: they can give the impression you aren't fully attentive to them. Be aware that the first impression might be walking into the building, in the elevator or in the parking lot.
Check out this site: Dress for Successful Interview Be sure to plan your wardrobe for the Bloomington Job Fair because you may meet your future employer that day!

8. Follow up

This is perhaps the most important part of getting a job. Employers look for candidates who are ready to follow up with customers. Wait a couple of days to call the employer, and make sure to talk with the person who will be hiring. Job seekers should have a telephone answering machine or voice mail so potential employers can easily reach them. Plan ahead for what will happen when the employer calls the phone number you list on your application/resume. This will leave a strong impression on the employer. Who answers? How do they/you answer the phone? "Yo wussup?" versus "Hello, this is Bobby may I ask who is calling?" If you don't answer, what is the message they will hear? Is it classy? Do you speak clearly? What do the lyrics of the song on your message portray about your taste and class? Do you check your messages frequently? Do you have paper/pen available when you answer? Are you ready for THE CALL each time your answer the phone? It may be better to allow someone to leave a message than for you to answer at a noisy basketball game or while you're busy. If you're unable to be reached for more than 24 hours via phone/email, consider leaving a new message that explains when you may be reached. And speaking of email, what you have selected to be your email address may communicate things good-bad too. Facebook content/photos can be detrimental if it is inconsistent with the professional, classy, responsible image you are trying to portray.

9. Be persistent

First-time job seekers need to prepare mentally for whatever happens and choose to keep trying if the door doesn't open right away. Actually practice your response for being offered a position. Then practice your response for being turned down. Show maturity by saying, “Please give me a call if you need someone in the future. I’ll leave you a copy of my resume. Thanks for your time.” Don’t be discouraged. Business is about networking and although this door isn't open for you at this time, your class might be what makes them save your resume for another opening in the future. That employer might be so impressed that they will refer you to another employer. Never burn a bridge! Always say thank you for the opportunity to interview and apply because this will make the next application just a little easier.

10. Think of future goals

If interested in a career in education, why take a job as a stock clerk at the local department store? Instead, the job seeker may consider working as a summer camp instructor or in a local elementary summer-school classroom. The more career-related experience accumulated, the stronger one’s resume becomes. Job seekers should think about a career that allows for a desired lifestyle while at the same time matches the interest, ability and enthusiasm of the job seeker. Successful job seekers develop a plan to become qualified in a desired field, including the education/training and specific work experience needed.

Good luck job seekers!!!

Teens Preparing for a Job Interview

Summarized from " About.com"

Job interviews tend to stressful - even for job seekers who have gone on countless interviews. The best way to reduce the stress is to be prepared. Take the time to review the "standard" interview questions you will most likely be asked. If possible, take the time to research the company. That way you'll be ready with knowledgeable answers for the job interview questions that specifically relate to the company you are interviewing with. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

Interview Questions: Work History

• Name of company, position title and description, dates of employment.
• What were your expectations for the job and to what extent were they met?
• What were your starting and final levels of compensation?
• What were your responsibilities?
• What major challenges and problems did you face? How did you handle them?
• Which was most / least rewarding?
• What was the biggest accomplishment / failure in this position?
• Questions about your supervisors and co-workers.
• What was it like working for your supervisor? What were his strengths and shortcomings?
• Who was your best boss and who was the worst?
• Why are you leaving your job?
• What have you been doing since your last job?
• Why were you fired?

Job Interview Questions About You

• What is your greatest weakness?
• What is your greatest strength?
• Describe a typical work week.
• Do you take work home with you?
• How many hours do you normally work?
• How would you describe the pace at which you work?
• How do you handle stress and pressure?
• What motivates you?
• What are your salary expectations?
• What do you find are the most difficult decisions to make?
• Tell me about yourself.
• What has been the greatest disappointment in your life?
• What are your pet peeves?
• What do people most often criticize about you?
• When was the last time you were angry? What happened?
• If you could relive the last 10 years of your life, what would you do differently?
• If the people who know you were asked why you should be hired, what would they say?
• Do you prefer to work independently or on a team?
• Give some examples of teamwork.
• What type of work environment do you prefer?
• How do you evaluate success?
• If you know your boss is 100% wrong about something how would you handle it?
• Describe a difficult work situation / project and how you overcame it.
• Describe a time when your workload was heavy and how you handled it.
• More job interview questions about your abilities.
• More job interview questions about you

Job Interview Questions About the New Job and the Company

• What interests you about this job?
• Why do you want this job?
• What applicable attributes / experience do you have?
• What can you do for this company?
• Why should we hire you?
• Why are you the best person for the job?
• What do you know about this company?
• Why do you want to work here?
• What challenges are you looking for in a position?
• What can you contribute to this company?
• Is there anything I haven't told you about the job or company that you would like to know?

Interview Questions: The Future

• What are you looking for in your next job? What is important to you?
• What are your goals for the next five years / ten years?
• How do you plan to achieve those goals?
• What are your salary requirements - both short-term and long-term?
• Questions about your career goals.
• What will you do if you don't get this position?