Advice on getting a job?

[alterbridgefan]

I just now found out that Erlewine guitars is right by my house. Wowie.

So, I'm 14, and fat, and lazy, and need a job. How do I go about approaching a genius and asking for a position at his company?

 

[Cagey]

You don't. There are child labor laws that preclude his using you for anything. Your best bet at this stage of your life is cutting grass, shoveling snow, washing cars, delivering newspapers and things of that nature. If you work hard at those things, you may even lose some weight and gain some ambition. Few things are more innately disgusting than fat, lazy people, so they make poor first impressions.

When it does come time for a real job, you have to keep in mind that you need to make more money for the company than what you cost, or you're useless. If you can manage that, then the taller that margin is the more you'll make. Everyone's willing to share, but it has to be uneven or it ain't happening. Company has to make a profit, or there's no point in its existence.

 

[vic108]

Take every technical course in school you can: wood shop, electronics, welding, computers, auto, plumbing, etc... if your school doesn't have then, go to a technical high school... get certification if you can...

Nothing looks worse on a resume' than NOTHING...

 

[alterbridgefan]

You don't. There are child labor laws that preclude his using you for anything. Your best bet at this stage of your life is cutting grass, shoveling

Thing is, 14 is the legal working age in Texas. So I can work. I can't work with machinery, but almost anything else. And I'm entitled to make at least minimum wage, unless it's volunteer work.

I was joking about fat and lazy. I just meant that my summer has been rather boring and I haven't done much.

 

[bbl4ck]

You don't. There are child labor laws that preclude his using you for anything. Your best bet at this stage of your life is cutting grass, shoveling

Thing is, 14 is the legal working age in Texas. So I can work. I can't work with machinery, but almost anything else. And I'm entitled to make at least minimum wage, unless it's volunteer work.

I was joking about fat and lazy. I just meant that my summer has been rather boring and I haven't done much.

Well, if you have no skills to offer Mr. Erlewine as it pertains to guitar building, then I think you would be best served taking your last mentioned route; that of being a volunteer.
No, you are likely not going to make any money, but you have the opportunity to learn a great deal from a talented luthier and that is worth more than money.
Volunteering can be very beneficial for both parties.  Plus, you gain a lot of respect from demonstrating your willingness to give in the learning process. 
If all goes well this summer, maybe he would consider bringing you back next summer at a small wage. 
Go ahead and give a little and have a great time doing it!  :icon_thumright:
Good luck and let us know if you succeed...

 

[Nightclub Dwight]

Apply for the job first.  Go there in person and show your enthusiasm.  But don't be too enthusiastic like a stalker.  If you get shut down for the job, next you should volunteer.  Like Black Dog said, you might get your foot in the door that way.

When I was in college I brought my friend to see Jerry Garcia and Dave Grisman do their acoustic show.  My friend decided right then and there that he wanted to learn how to play mandolin.  He did a little research, and found the second most famous mandolin player in the San Francisco Bay area and asked if he could take lessons.  Mr. Famous Mandolin Player said, "sorry kid, I don't really have time for students anymore."  Well my friend persisted, saying maybe I can cut your grass, clean the house, do whatever you want and I can just pick up stuff from osmosis when you're around.

Time goes by, and my friend endeared himself to Mr. Famous Mandolin Player, who eventually reluctantly agreed to give him the occasional lesson (on the barter system no less!)  Several years pass, and by now my friend has become something of a virtuoso himself since Mr. Famous Mandolin Player ended up taking him under his wing.  Through the years he even got production credit on one of Mr. Famous Mandolin Player's albums, and was invited to join a band of which Mr. Famous Mandolin Player was a one time member.

Its kind of like Cagey said in terms of real employment.  You have to offer something the firm/person wants.  Its great if you can make them money.  But for a volunteer opportunity, just being willing to do anything (within reason) certainly works.

Don't sell yourself short.  You can do this.

 

[Perry Combover]

Well, if you have no skills to offer Mr. Erlewine as it pertains to guitar building, then I think you would be best served taking your last mentioned route; that of being a volunteer.
No, you are likely not going to make any money, but you have the opportunity to learn a great deal from a talented luthier and that is worth more than money.
Volunteering can be very beneficial for both parties.  Plus, you gain a lot of respect from demonstrating your willingness to give in the learning process. 
If all goes well this summer, maybe he would consider bringing you back next summer at a small wage. 
Go ahead and give a little and have a great time doing it!  :icon_thumright:
Good luck and let us know if you succeed...

+1

 

[Day-mun]

How 'bout gigging on Congress (-or any other street in your cooler-than-cool city for that matter?) -Whassup with that scene? Seems like if you were willing to grease your hair into a pompadour, put on a plain white tee, and roll the cuffs on some brand-spankin' denim trousers, a young guy like you could make a way in that town. (-Last time I was there, Austin was rockabilly capitol of the world.)  :icon_jokercolor:

But, seriously, young = novelty, it seems, -especially in music/entertainment.  I was in Memphis to hang with my brother, and he took me to Beale street. -Saw this young blues guitarist about your age. He was okay, -not earth-shatteringly awesome, not the best act that night, but pretty good... -but everyone LOVED him! -Mainly because he was a youngster, in my opinion. Adults dig that, -really eat that stuff up, for some reason. -Must conjure wistful feelings of "Oh, if I'd practiced harder back then/if I'd have been in the right place at the right time/if I'd have had more self-confidence at that age (on and on), that could've been me!"

Case-in-point: Ever see that 6-year-old girl doing scream-o on America's Got Talent? She was sorta ridiculous (my huge opinion), but the approval she got was off the charts. People love young musicians. Exploit the hell out of it. Then, when everyone comes to fawn over you at the end of your set, they see the no-name-on-the-headstock ax, and you say "yeah, I made this.", and one thing leads to another, and...

"The journey of ten thousand steps begins right under your feet."

 

[sixstringsamurai]

You don't. There are child labor laws that preclude his using you for anything. Your best bet at this stage of your life is cutting grass, shoveling

Thing is, 14 is the legal working age in Texas. So I can work. I can't work with machinery, but almost anything else. And I'm entitled to make at least minimum wage, unless it's volunteer work.

I was joking about fat and lazy. I just meant that my summer has been rather boring and I haven't done much.

Once a week stop by and ask if they are taking on apprentices, the education you would get is worth more than any paycheck.
if you are persistent, and it make take some time they'll see you are serious.
one thing....
DO NOT go in flipping knowledge to guys with a LIFETIME of experience over you.

I'll give you the best piece of advice my Grandfather gave me on the subject:

Keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth SHUT, and you'll learn all you will ever need to that way.

Cagey, Blackdog was spot on, shop floors always need to be swept, trash needs to go out...

Wax on, Wax off Daniel San....

 

[Day-mun]

Once a week stop by and ask if they are taking on apprentices, the education you would get is worth more than any paycheck.
if you are persistent, and it make take some time they'll see you are serious.
one thing....
DO NOT go in flipping knowledge to guys with a LIFETIME of experience over you.

I'll give you the best piece of advice my Grandfather gave me on the subject:

Keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth SHUT, and you'll learn all you will ever need to that way.

Cagey, Blackdog was spot on, shop floors always need to be swept, trash needs to go out...

Wax on, Wax off Daniel San....

+1

When I was a  :binkybaby:, an old-timer once told me "Take the cotton outa yer ears, put it in yer mouth, an' ya just might learn somethin'!"

I wasn't as young as you, early twenties, when I lived in Las Vegas. I'd go to Mahoney's Pro Music & Drum Shop and hang out at the tech's workshop, lolling over the counter, watchin' him and asking questions for hours at a time. I'd show him stuff I was "workin' on"; hack-jobs all the way. He'd tell me how to fix my "f"-up's, but I knew a better way. Once I came in and asked to buy a sheet of pickguard mat'l for a project I had cookin'. -He wouldn't sell it to me! -Gave me a sheet of tissue paper and a ship's curve and said "make an acceptable pattern first, then I might sell ya a piece". I think I went through half a dozen sheets of paper and an equal amount of trips to and from Maryland Parkway before I got my eager little hands on a bit of white/black/white vinyl! "-What an A-hole!" I thought.

I could never thank that patient and caring Tech enough for the invaluable lessons he gave me. -For free, at that. Why did he do it? The only valuable thing I brought to the arrangement was that I was persistent; I showed up.

 

[sixstringsamurai]

Once a week stop by and ask if they are taking on apprentices, the education you would get is worth more than any paycheck.
if you are persistent, and it make take some time they'll see you are serious.
one thing....
DO NOT go in flipping knowledge to guys with a LIFETIME of experience over you.

I'll give you the best piece of advice my Grandfather gave me on the subject:

Keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth SHUT, and you'll learn all you will ever need to that way.

Cagey, Blackdog was spot on, shop floors always need to be swept, trash needs to go out...

Wax on, Wax off Daniel San....

+1

When I was a  :binkybaby:, an old-timer once told me "Take the cotton outa yer ears, put it in yer mouth, an' ya just might learn somethin'!"

I wasn't as young as you, early twenties, when I lived in Las Vegas. I'd go to Mahoney's Pro Music & Drum Shop and hang out at the tech's workshop, lolling over the counter, watchin' him and asking questions for hours at a time. I'd show him stuff I was "workin' on"; hack-jobs all the way. He'd tell me how to fix my "f"-up's, but I knew a better way. Once I came in and asked to buy a sheet of pickguard mat'l for a project I had cookin'. -He wouldn't sell it to me! -Gave me a sheet of tissue paper and a ship's curve and said "make an acceptable pattern first, then I might sell ya a piece". I think I went through half a dozen sheets of paper and an equal amount of trips to and from Maryland Parkway before I got my eager little hands on a bit of white/black/white vinyl! "-What an A-hole!" I thought.

I could never thank that patient and caring Tech enough for the invaluable lessons he gave me. -For free, at that. Why did he do it? The only valuable thing I brought to the arrangement was that I was persistent; I showed up.

Great story, I used to do the same thing at a local shop, hover ask questions watch, noodle on what every new beauty was in that week.
I wasn't mature enough to work in that kind of environment at the time, but I learned a lot.

 

[alterbridgefan]

Thanks all. I'm looking around, hoping to either end up at a guitar shop or apprenticing to a luthier. I've been doing the same, spent lots of time learning from the monkeys at GC.

No money involved in luthiery, just something to get me off my a$$ and learning.

How 'bout gigging on Congress (-or any other street in your cooler-than-cool city for that matter?) -Whassup with that scene? Seems like if you were willing to grease your hair into a pompadour, put on a plain white tee, and roll the cuffs on some brand-spankin' denim trousers, a young guy like you could make a way in that town. (-Last time I was there, Austin was rockabilly capitol of the world.)  :icon_jokercolor:

But, seriously, young = novelty, it seems, -especially in music/entertainment.  I was in Memphis to hang with my brother, and he took me to Beale street. -Saw this young blues guitarist about your age. He was okay, -not earth-shatteringly awesome, not the best act that night, but pretty good... -but everyone LOVED him! -Mainly because he was a youngster, in my opinion. Adults dig that, -really eat that stuff up, for some reason. -Must conjure wistful feelings of "Oh, if I'd practiced harder back then/if I'd have been in the right place at the right time/if I'd have had more self-confidence at that age (on and on), that could've been me!"

Case-in-point: Ever see that 6-year-old girl doing scream-o on America's Got Talent? She was sorta ridiculous (my huge opinion), but the approval she got was off the charts. People love young musicians. Exploit the hell out of it. Then, when everyone comes to fawn over you at the end of your set, they see the no-name-on-the-headstock ax, and you say "yeah, I made this.", and one thing leads to another, and...

"The journey of ten thousand steps begins right under your feet."

Haha, I LOVE this. I really do need too start gigging... I've got a group, we've got, music, we've put in practice.... You could be right on about the music.

Once a week stop by and ask if they are taking on apprentices, the education you would get is worth more than any paycheck.
if you are persistent, and it make take some time they'll see you are serious.
one thing....
DO NOT go in flipping knowledge to guys with a LIFETIME of experience over you.

I'll give you the best piece of advice my Grandfather gave me on the subject:

Keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth SHUT, and you'll learn all you will ever need to that way.

Cagey, Blackdog was spot on, shop floors always need to be swept, trash needs to go out...

Wax on, Wax off Daniel San....

I agree with you that it can be annoying and that it is stupid to try and tell any adult "what they're doing wrong", especially one with experience, but I will say this:

While I'm online, answering questions, I would appreciate it if you would take my words as they are. I've repaired and set up many, many guitars already, I've spent hours behind tech counters learning how it's done. I've gone through reading, learning woodworking skills, days spent out in the heat sweating my a$$ off to finish projects... Even if I've only been doing this for around 2 years, that's 2 years more than most. So if I give misinformation, it's because I was misinformed. If I answer a question, that's very simple - I'm answering a question... I'd rather not have my opinion or real info disregarded because I'm 14. If anything, I will take responsibility as a man if I screw up.

I won't play the age card, please don't.

 

[Day-mun]

Hang in there, Preston! you have many a thread with a lot of posts and responses; we geezers wouldn't even post (at least I can speak for myself, anyway) or give your topics the time-o-day if we didn't think of ya as a fellow. This life is a classroom; we all got our lessons to learn, all have our wisdom to share... I, for one, always enjoy and appreciate whatcha got to bring to the table!  :icon_thumright:

 

[alterbridgefan]

Thanks! The feeling is mutual..

By the way, what have you got planned next? A matching tele for your P-bass?

Please? :toothy12:

 

[Day-mun]

By the way, what have you got planned next? A matching tele for your P-bass?

Please? :toothy12:

-I think Fat Pete has that one covered! -Hotdamn! Is that thing lookin' good or what!? 

Actually, I wanna get more understanding in the finishing techniques arena, so I'm chillin' on the builds right now, and lurking on the DIY Finish 'boards. -Like I said, everyone's got their lessons to learn... so I'm soaking mine up.  :sign13:

 

[alterbridgefan]

Finishing is hard... Good luck! I should really get myself some good spray equipment.

 

[sixstringsamurai]

Finishing is hard... Good luck! I should really get myself some good spray equipment.

Get yourself one of those turbine pressured HVLP rigs, I think Cagey has one they're like $300.
I got plans to get one of those and a friend of mine, and I are in the planning stages to build a collapsible / portable downdraft booth strictly for Guitar finishing.

 

[Day-mun]

I got plans to get one of those and a friend of mine, and I are in the planning stages to build a collapsible / portable downdraft booth strictly for Guitar finishing.

-LUCKY!

 

[sixstringsamurai]

Well I spent almost ten years doing Exteriors summers, and spent my winters doing custom kitchen cabinet finishing.
I have been wanting to build something like this for a long time.
Gonna use a collapsable Yard shed, seal it up with gorilla tape, and outfit it like a sandblaster. Gloves, window Ect.
And building a small CFM down draft exhaust is leggo construction, dryer hose, Roller tray, Oven Hood filter backed with a small disposable AC filter, with a pull fan on the other end.

thats just a simplified overview of what we are doing.

Done deal

 

[Fat Pete]

-I think Fat Pete has that one covered! -Hotdamn! Is that thing lookin' good or what!? 

Someone mention my name? Thanks! There's plenty of room for more Teles - one completely matching your bass, anodized pickguard and all? That would be seriously cool. Anyway...

Altar, go for it. I used to hang out at a local music store when I wasn't much older than you and ended up working there for 20 years... (What kind of advice am I giving here? DON'T DO IT!!  :doh Seriously though, personally I have no issue listening to your opinions/advice. You're enthusiastic, knowledgeable and thoroughly marinated in guitar sauce. you should be judged by words and deeds so if anybody doesn't take you seriously because you're young, take a little pleasure in proving them wrong.

Go and knock on some doors...