Practical life, practical life | Fierce competition for summer jobs – Natalie, 18, was one of the lucky ones

– My best advice is to stay 18! Natalie Storm laughs.

– That’s what works for a job. It turns out that you are cheerful and open.

She was sitting outside a McDonald’s in central Fredrikstad, the fast-food chain that became its first employer a month ago.

Natalie now works part-time at the chain’s restaurant in Råbekken and she couldn’t be better:

a lot around the leg

– I love him! Very busy, lots of nice clients and nice colleagues, well paid and social, says the 18-year-old, and adds with a smile:

You have to be cheerful in this job, and then you actually become cheerful.

On Tuesday, Fredrikstad Bled published a reader post written by Sivakaran Arumugathas, director of McDonald’s in Rabiken and in central Fredrikstad, in Radhe and in Mosporten.

There he addresses the topic of young people in working life, and how difficult it is for many young people to get an extra job.

According to Arumogathas, his four restaurants received 700 applications for 37 advertised positions.

– Unfortunately, there is a huge gap between the number of applicants we get for each position and the number of jobs we can offer, he wrote in the reader’s post.

– It is sad that you have to turn away so many enthusiastic young people who want to work.

It was just rejected

Natalie Storm is one of the lucky ones who made it through the narrow eye of the needle at McDonald’s.

When she was hired, her closest working life experience was writing applications that had been rejected.

– I’ve never had a job, but I applied a lot. I applied to grocery stores, clothing stores, and coffee shops, says Natalie.

– But as long as I’m under 18, I get nothing. Once I turned 18, I had three job offers.

1000 requests

Normal i gågata is another desirable workplace for Fredrikstad’s youth.

Store manager Malin Holberg estimates they receive about 1,000 orders a year, many of them getting older as summer approaches.

The youngest is 15, but like most employers, Holberg prefers to have employees as young as 18.

– We’re a street shop, and all kinds of people come here, she explains.

– Young people’s work here can be very intense.

Harder for everyone

In addition to age, sociability and a good mood are important qualities for getting a job at Normal, according to the store manager.

– You must be prompt, cheerful, able to take your own initiative and provide good customer service, Holberg says.

– And you’d better run quickly, it’s needed here, she smiles, referring to the busy days in the shop.

How easy is it for young people under the age of 18 to get a summer job?

– I don’t think it’s easy. Malin Holberg replies that it is difficult for everyone to get a job now.

Employers want people with experience, but at the same time you have to start somewhere.

Receive orders almost every day

Rima 1000 in Bigby is also seeing a large influx of young people.

Inquiries and applications pour in throughout the year, so merchant Håkon Erikstad doesn’t need to advertise summer jobs.

– Almost every day we have guys coming up with an app. He told FB we’ve probably had 100 requests so far this year.

– And then maybe only one of them will get a job. The income is more than needed.

Erikstad tends to get permanent replacements; There are young people who study elsewhere and come home to Fredrikstad for the summer.

– This year I hired a new summer replacement, and that covers the need, he says.

– But when students return to their places of study in the fall, we will need some additional help.

– Many are paid by their parents

To sit at the Rema 1000 console, you must be 18 years old in order to be able to sell tobacco and alcohol.

Most young people who approach the store at Begby are over 18 years old.

You have hired employees who are 15 years of age or older. You must be at least 15 years old, dealer Håkon Erikstad confirms.

Although he cannot offer jobs for that many, he encourages all interested parties to come in person rather than submit an application via email.

You need to be on your toes, speak up and show commitment. Erikstad says I quickly see if they are motivated and willing to work.

– Many people are pushed out by their parents, but I quickly see that. Young people must want to work themselves, and they must be passionate about it.

Young people recommend meeting physically

He understands perfectly well that it can be scary for a young man to come to the store and ask for a summer job.

– But it’s not serious. The merchant explained that honesty is the alpha omega.

Another potential stepping stone to getting a job is to have a workweek in store. It is a compulsory scheme for all ninth grade students.

– This is how my career began at Rima, smiles Haakon Erikstad, who has now 15 years as a trader behind him.

– How can young people find work in today’s labor market, is it easy?

– No it is not. We who run businesses also have to think about labor costs. We can’t hire just for the sake of employment, Erikstad replies.

– But it’s good that young people want to work. It’s often a bit random who gets a job as well. He thinks moving from one place to another is the way to do it anyway.

– You must show courage

Trine Wilhelmsen, store manager at Jernia in Østfoldhallene, also believes that young people who want a job should appear in person.

– She says that the first impression has a lot to say.

It also agrees with the merchant Erikstad’s statements that it is the will and desire of young men to work that are decisive, and not what their parents require.

Young people must show that they have courage. Wilhelmsen points out that they must expose themselves and not withdraw.

– This is a pressurized service profession, so you need to be on your toes.

Jernia needs extra help all year round and not just in the summer. The store manager says she has hired people as young as 16, but most of them are 17 and older.

– They usually don’t have references, which is why we look for other little things. They may have been active in sports or associations, as additional coaches or something like that, says Trine Wilhelmsen.

The most important thing is that they have commitment. The last person we used on the app said they bought bikes on finn.no, repaired them, and sold them again.

Here 15-year-olds get a chance

As reported by Fredriksstad Blad, interest in securing a summer job in Vispen in Skjærviken has hit a record high this year.

121 young people applied, compared to just under 90 last year.

It is Borge 4H and the charities in Skjærviken and Kjølshunn with the support of Gjensidigestiftelsen that provide jobs for young people in connection with the summer activities organized in the area.

Stall sales, lending and other equipment, and beach clean-up are some of the tasks.

Here, young people from 15 to 18 years old get a job.

– Andreas Berg Svendsen said in Borge 4H to FB last year: – It is not easy for young people in this age group to get a summer job.

– But we see that those who have worked with us gain valuable experience on their resume. Many of them have already secured a job besides school or a summer job elsewhere this year.