jobs as a 15 year old teen

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Hello all

I am a 15 year old teenager who would like a job. I also have ADHD, Tourette Syndrome, some OCD, Anxiety, Sensory disintegration problems, and Aspergers. Would this impair my ability to get a job at 15? How would I tell my employer and how would I prevent employee discrimination. As a result of these medical conditions, I have trouble understanding jokes, some social cues, I have vocal tics a lot of the time, repetitive stereotopy behaviors such as hand flapping and variants of it, and rocking or bouncing while sitting in a chair. I also forget things a lot, am clumsy, and I am prone to mistakes some of the time. Finally, in loud areas I have an extremely hard time processing conversation and language. What kinds of jobs suit me? Can I get a job at this age or am I simply not ready until adulthood?

Have you got "working papers?" Do you have a social security number?

You have to get those first in order to get most jobs.

Do you have lots of little kids in your neighborhood? Maybe you could be a babysitter (especially if you love kids, and can be responsible). You don't need "working papers" for that.

Maybe there's still "paper routes," where you could deliver newspaper, then collect money from people at the end of each week. You don't need "working papers" for that either.

There are also summer youth programs in some cities. You should do research on where you live. Maybe they'll have a summer job program for teens in your town, city, or county.

In the winter, you could shovel snow, of course.

Don't tell your employer unless you need assistance.

Jobs for 15 year olds over the summer: news paper delivery. Lawn mowing (you need your own mower, but you will also be your own boss). Stocking in major retail stores (generally done at night, is low sensory).

As a kid, i tried to get manual labor jobs. You know like delivering newspapers or commercials in the mail. That was often in the morning or noon where people were either sleeping or at work. It was hard work, didn pay very well, well the commercials or whatever they are called in english, but newspapers paid a fair bit better. Got to get some exercise running up and down stairs.

else i was employed in a supermarkets where i mostly had to just sort the bottles that people deliver in the machines for return money on the bottles. im not sure if they have such a system where you live, not all countries have the return bottles and such for money. The downside was when sometimes i got asked to be up out in the actual store, was a nightmare trying to hide from customers that wanted help or to complain about stuff, i have absolutely zero influence over.

I also mowed peoples lawn for money, it was fresh air and exercise and okay money.

Ive always prefered work that is solo, alone, me left alone to my own. Sadly that kind of work is becoming exceedingly rare around these parts even more so as a kid obviously.

another option could be to put up some notes if your are allowed somewhere like supermarkets about walking peoples dogs perhaps. Surprisingly many people dont actually have the time to walk their dogs which is a shame, because they need exercise to be happy.

Else i dont really know. Its definitely not easy. What about your parents, are they not willing to help you out ?. One would assume they might know stuff like this, or friends family that we willing to pay a little for some side jobs,

I forgot to mention:

Never mention to an employer that you are anything but a normal kid.

that's a good question i hadn't thought of much, because a lot of what you have applies to me. i mean it seems like it would have to be something i could do by myself at my own pace. but you never know what hidden aptitudes you might have. and yeah, don't tell about yourself to the employer. Just see if you can cut it. i've heard of of people who got fired from a lot of jobs until they found the right one.

age doesnt always matter with jobs.
sister is an aspie and am certain she was fifteen when she managed to get a job working in a warehouse packing videos [good old VHS] into boxes or something like that.
then she got a job as a glass collector in a pub at sixteen,she was allowed to work in the pub even though the legal age to drink is eighteen,she just wasnt allowed to serve alcohol.

what about looking into possibility of being a glass collector in a quiet rural type pub,one which doesnt play music either which woud lessen the level of noise have got to deal with.
however it really depends on whether american pubs woud allow fifteen years old,and also whether think woud be capable of carrying a crate of glasses due to the motor skills issues and tics.

if are unable to find a paid job,may actualy find getting voluntary work a lot quicker and more varied-it woud really help to build up a history of voluntary work before getting to the full working age,for example most of the best people in the gaming industry started it by taking on voluntary jobs with the companies.

-game testing woud be a very good job for people on the spectrum,even those of us who love it but suck at gaming because they require detail spotting and bits of the game to be played over and over and over and over,rather than running through the lot and missing everything.
the only problem with game testing is there is usualy a tester waiting list with each gaming company years long,plus it isnt paid but it is done from home.

At 15 I was delivering newspapers and had a football pools round to collect once a week, nothing too challenging there. The only people I had to speak to were regulars and that was only once a week, some were obviously on the spectrum and would leave their money under a door mat.

I agree, don't bring it up.

You might have to be 16, depends on where you live.

As I recall, to be in a factory in the state of Illinois, you have to be 18.

Don't think the employer needs to know, especially if you prefer they not know.

At 15 I was self employed mowing people's lawns in the neighbourhood with an old lawnmower my father gave me to use. Turned out to be a very good job and I made good money for someone my age. Didn't have to talk to anyone except to ask for payment when done. Showed up like clockwork once a week during the day to mow the lawn. Had my evenings off. You'd be surprised what kind of money people will pay to get their lawn mowed and trimmed and the weeds pulled out of their front flowerbed.

In the winter I'd make a bit of money shovelling people sidewalks.

Good luck - I hope you do find a summer / part-time job you like

Thanks for the suggestion about lawn mowers, but my neighbor who is my age already mows people's lawns in our neighborhood. Plus I don't have a lawn mower. Where I live the minimum working age is 14, unless you are working in the agriculture or entertainment industries or working for a family business.

I started working when i was 14½, the minimum age here in california.
I worked as a parking attendant, if you can stand long hours standing under the sun, it's an easy job. the pay was terrible though and it was very unpleasant on hot days.
all day, you just wave cars around. I did that every summer until i was 18.

the key to getting a job is lying a little, if you be honest and tell the employer all your handicaps or disadvantages they will not hire you. being employed is like selling yourself to the employer, you want ot put yourself in a good light and it's ok to slightly modify your abilities in your favor.

i also did alot of school-sponsored part time internships, my special ed program had that opportunity and it really helped me get used to a professional working environment.

I wanted to try a self-employed thing like newspaper delivery or lawn mowing, but my problem was mostly talking to new people that really scared me the most and i had such a hard time with it i gave up on it. i have no problem starting a conversation with a stranger but when i have to ask something from a person a person i don't know, i usually panic.