Getting A Tech Job During High School?

EricHeinz asks: "Over the past few years I've been hearing about how successful everyone in the booming technology industry is. I even hear about many people getting jobs right out of or during high school. I'm fairly skilled in the ways of both Web design and programming, and I know that many companies are looking for techies. So before going job hunting for the summer, I wanted to know if anybody at Slashdot had experience working for companies during their younger years, and how they dealt with companies with difficulties hiring younger employees?"

Comments

It really helps...

[Antler Dot]

...if you make sure your antlers are devoid of velvet before you go in and interview.

3=) 3=) 3=).

My experience

[penguinboy]

I've had my current job for a year (since I finished 8th grade). It's not as high tech as I'd like, but I don't know of any real high-tech companies in the area who whould hire a 15-year old. Last year, I was looking for just about any sort of job, my choices came down to working in a grocery store or in an office doing data entry. When I told the owner of the company (it's a small company, not even 10 employees) that I knew how to design web pages, I was hired to set the company up with an internet presence. I don't write HTML and code Perl CGI scripts all the time, but I have set up a Linux firewall for the DSL line. Much of the time I just have to type faxes/emails and enter orders, but it beats stocking shelves.

Anyway, to give a long ramble a point, mention everything you know how to do - it can't hurt to let the prospective employer know everything you can do. Also, don't be surprised if you have to settle for something less than what you really want to do. I'd love to be writing Perl all day, but I doubt there's anyone out there willing to hire a highschool freshman for that.

Re:uh huh.

[jonnythan]

toucheé ;)

Working for a High School

[KiboMaster]

I've spent the last 4 years working for my high school I graduated in 99, but I plan on spending my summers continuing to work here. While I was up at college I helped maintain the district's web page.

Currently our school district has the most advanced systems in all of Michigan. We have 8 Novell 5 servers and 2 NT. There are over 700 Compaq workstations in the high school alone. (pent III 500's running NT 4.0) We've got a lab of SGI Indy's. (running IRIX) I've even managed to convince the school board to start a networking lab running Linux :) which I'm currently working on setting up right now.

The pay isn't the best, but the work I do is great resume material. When I put on my resume I have 4 years of computer repair and networking experince and the fact that I helped build the district's WAN from the ground up... I'm pretty sure I can walk onto almost any job.

You may want to contact your local school district and see what kind of technology they have and what kind of support they need.

Good luck in your future.

Working *FOR* the school

[Vrallis]

Many school districts have public funds set aside for work programs for students. During my senior year, the school hired me (2 hours, 2 class periods out of the day) doing computer repair work. During the summer, I was hired for a full 40 hours/week running our computer lab. Due to the nature of the work, I was making about $6 an hour, while everyone else under the program (usually people on the verge of dropping out, who spent their time picking up trash and such) made minimum wage. I even remember being told to make certain I never told anyone else in the program what I was making to avoid retaliation by them =P.

It was good work, good experience, was usable on my resume, and better yet helped me get more financially prepared for college.

As for work OUTSIDE the school districts, if you are part of a dual credit/AP course that is officially though a local university, you might try seeing if they can provide you with any part time work.

Working for the school

[CrayDrygu]

Like a few other people have pointed out, don't be afriad to work for the school.

I spent a lot of time doing volunteer work for the school -- everything from cleaning out the servers (not files on the drives, dust in the cases) to helping teach senior citizens how to surf the web.

So when a job opened up at Town Hall, well...it would have taken some major effort on my part to not get hired. Fresh out of high school, and I'm the Technology Coordinator for Town Hall. Full-time job, salary-based, decent benefits. It's a government job, so the pay could be better (probably be making at least half again what I make now if this were a corporate setting), but I'm not about to complain.

So again, don't rule out working for the school (or in my case, town). If they know what you're capable of, you've got a pretty good shot.

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