Everyone knows the teenage struggle – whether it’s finding the perfect outfit for school, getting so-and-so to like you, deciding what the Hades you’re doing after graduation or simply having enough gas to get to school in the morning – whatever it is, it usually requires money.

Some of you may have the most marvelous parents.

“Oh, honey, you need gas money? Here’s sixty dollars for your troubles,” says obnoxious mom.

But, most of us, have the parents that would say, “AM I MADE OF MONEY? GET A JOB! WHEN YOU HAVE KIDS YOU’LL UNDERSTAND!”

But, no parents, we won’t understand because when we are old and wise like you, we will have the greatest careers and the biggest amounts of money, yada yada yada yada. First of all, that entire sentence is wrong and one should never say such to their parents. Second of all, why do you have to wait to be old and wise to get a job?

The search for a job is significantly harder as teenager having no work experience, faulty responsibility, and some employers who simply want you to work 24/7, and that is illegal as a high school student. This leads me to the next point: If all of the above applies to me, how in the world am I supposed to get a job to cut the cord from my loving and babying parents?

Step one: Apply, apply, apply.

Apply to every establishment you can. Whether it’s fast food or a local restaurant, every application gets you so much closer to the possibilities of a job. Go online and search “Rolla, MO jobs” and it will lead you to trust job sites like Monster.com and Indeed.com – those will help you find part time jobs from St. James to St. Robert.

Step two: Talk to the manager.

Whenever you are going into an establishment to turn in an application, always ask for the manager. Shake their hand and give them your application. Be sure to check or call-in if it’s been a few weeks and you still haven’t received a call. Pestering the management isn’t always a good idea, but it shows you’re interested in the job.

P.S.: Use common sense when turning applications in. If the establishment is busy, they’ll probably be annoyed that you interrupted their stride and throw your application away.

Step three: Wait it out, repeat step 2 and 3

If you’ve come to a point that you’ve applied as much as possible and you still haven’t gotten any calls, then wait it out. Don’t use all of your gas trying to get a job, when that’s the reason you’re getting a job in the first place. Job hunting requires patience and integrity. Don’t give up!