What to expect when you get your first job.

[BASSclary]

Basically, I have the job secured. My uncle has a position open at Ace Hardware for basically the customer helper/ stock shelves/ help load vehicles etc.

Im not asking about what to expect in interviews etc, I've already done that, but what to expect after you get the job, like taxes and what not, all the stuff you adults do legally, and the in's and out's etc.

Thanks!

[Sam]

1.  Taxes will take a lot out of your pay check.

2.  To avoid owing the government additional taxes you may want to take "1" dependent in lieu of "0" dependents.

3.  You will meet jerks in your future. Do your best to be nice but avoid them.

4.  You will find nice people. Be nice to them.

5.  Sometimes you will need a "Rabbi" which is a manager that will watch out for you and help your career.

6.  Do your best; be polite; dress nice; have a haircut; no tattoos or hide them from sight; be patient; working with the public sucks so just be ready for some difficult customers. It comes with retail.

7.  As your boss how you are doing and where you can improve.

8.  On your first annual interview ask what your future is with the company and that you want to advance into management, etc.

9.  Accept the health insurance and get on the plan after the waiting period.

10. Don't be late and work after hours if necessary without complaining.

Just some suggestions to consider.

Good luck. 

[bmadd]

It is my understanding that claiming 0 dependents will generally eliminate the need for you to owe additional taxes to the Govt. I could be wrong though.

[tholmes]

With your first paycheck, start a retirement account or sign up for a 401k if your employer offers it. Sounds stupid now, I know, but 40 years from now, you'll be darn glad you did.

Tom

[Lund Explorer]

First, make sure you have your work permit completed and approved by your school. 

Second, get ready to fill out Federal, State, and maybe Local W-4 withholding forms.  Name, address and social security number is needed on all of them.  You are a minor living at home with the people who are going to claim you as an exemption.  Fill out all forms as Single & Zero.  Also be prepared to fill out other forms such as an I-9 form.  Sure it's a family business, but your uncle still needs to have it on file.

Finally, always show up to work 15 minutes before you punch the time clock.  Look over the employee's bulletin board for anything new, write down your upcoming work schedule, and do whatever else you may need to do prior to actually starting your work shift.  ALWAYS offer to stay over if needed.

ALWAYS strive to stay busy throughout the day.  If you aren't working with a customer, clean something, straighten out something, restock something.  If a customer asks for a product that is temporarily out of stock,  ask your supervisor when the next shipment is due, get the customers phone number, and offer to call them when it is comes in.  Customer service is what separates the local store from the box stores. 

Suggestion selling!  Learn what products go with what the customer is purchasing.  You've seen that side bar at BPS.... "Other Related Products".  You may save a customer from a return trip for something they forgot, and they won't forget the helpful advice.  Learn as much as you can about the products you are selling, so that customers can ask you questions.  If you don't know the answer to a question, say the following: "I'm not sure, but let me find the person that does.".  Good customers admire honesty!

Remember that customers have bad days.  You are working in a hardware store, so that means people will be coming in to buy things to fix unexpected problems.  No matter if the customer is in a good mood or bad, treat all of them with respect.  If you are having a bad day, keep it to yourself.

If you do something wrong, man up and admit it.  Make the effort to correct the problem, and try to make your supervisor see that you care about your job.

Hardware stores = weekend projects.  Expect to work weekends while your buddies are fishing.  Save your fishing for days off when most others have to work.  Weekdays = better fishing.  Just ask any of us that have already retired!

[bilgerat]

This may not be too important to you now, but keep it in the back of your mind for when you get through school and get a real job.

A friend of ours is an accountant and he HATES with a passion large income tax refund checks. Some (a lot) of people purposely fill out their W2 form to have extra taxes deducted so they get a bigger refund. He says it's basically giving the government an interest free loan. In the accounting world a perfect tax form comes out to zero; you owe them nothing and they owe you nothing. Realistically this will never happen, but you get the point.

He realizes a lot of people do this to use the money for vacations, large purchases, etc. He feels by taking a little more home in your check and disciplining yourself to save that money and earn interest you'll be better off in the long run. My wife and I happen to agree with this, many don't and that's fine. It's just something to consider.

PS  about the 401K....DO IT !!!  When you leave a job, find a financial advisor and roll your previous job's 401 into a private plan. You can't cash it out, or you'll incur big time IRS penalties.

[Root beer]

Quick advice for taxes, don't try to take exemptions and tax breaks that will reduce your tax liability. I'm pretty sure you fall under Kiddie Tax code, so anything you try to do to reduce your liability your parents will get it if they claim you.. :

[Root beer]

Ah, what the heck. Just show up 5 minutes early every day for work, on your off day you might get called in I suggest you to go in if they call you. (I went in every time they called me in, the reward? I got entire month of June off when I graduated high school to go to Jamaica, Cayman Island, Mexico, and Lake Guntersville in Alabama) Whatever they tell you to do, just do it and ask them if it the right way to do things.

It important when stocking shelves you be aware of customers, don't leave boxes, or anything in middle of aisle. That a gold mine for someone waiting to trip over it and sue the company. People will try to make you mad, just be patience and try not to let it get to you. Some of those people don't truly understand how product flows from store to store and will get mad at you for something that beyond your control. Just shrug it off.

Have fun when there are no customers.

[lynyrdsky1]

Expect no time after school and probably not much fishing. I have a job that I have to go to after school everyday and saturdays. I love the job just the problem is that my work schedule has it where I can't do any after school activities like sports and if I go fishing on saturday I have to be back early so I can get to work. Good thing I was able to work out with my boss (also a fisherman) to let me get off 3 to 4 times a month. Once for club meeting, and 3 days to fish/ fish tournaments.

It is a good experience that your going to learn sooner or later, just be able to manage time wisely.

[B-Dozer]

Hey BC, Did you ever think about working at Bass Pro? You are young it would be great to get into a line of work you enjoy, a job where you look forward to go to. Bass Pro seems like they are doing good, the store near you seems busy. Just a thought. Think of the employee discount! 

[lynyrdsky1]

Hey BC, Did you ever think about working at Bass Pro? You are young it would be great to get into a line of work you enjoy, a job where you look forward to go to. Bass Pro seems like they are doing good, the store near you seems busy. Just a thought. Think of the employee discount!

I know from experience you have to 18. I've been tryin to get a job at mine for a long time and even tho I'm close they say they can't hire me till after my 18th birthday.

[B-Dozer]

Hey BC, Did you ever think about working at Bass Pro? You are young it would be great to get into a line of work you enjoy, a job where you look forward to go to. Bass Pro seems like they are doing good, the store near you seems busy. Just a thought. Think of the employee discount!

I know from experience you have to 18. I've been tryin to get a job at mine for a long time and even tho I'm close they say they can't hire me till after my 18th birthday.

Good luck to you. Don't spend every paycheck there. 

[BASSclary]

First off, due to work permit poop, I can only work for 3 hours on days we have school, even half days, so me working weekdays is not going to happen according to my uncle, who is the store manager.

And no, Ace is not a family company, if you live in VA you might know it. Its like a Home Depot mixed with walmart, but a lot smaller.

And I have no idea about 401K (I know its a retirement deal) and tax(I know I owe it ;D)

And yes, i've tried Bass Pro, Gander Mountain, and DICKS, but you have to be 18. No younger. I thought about seeing if I could volunteer at BPS, but transportation is the problem. All my family and consequently rides go north. BPS is south, and at 120 miles to work and back, not ideal for me paying for gas.(Yes, If I have to use the car I pay gas.)

Basically i'd be working the weekends, non-school days, and summer. Can only work 8 hours a non-school day, and only 18 hours a week. Work Permits are a bummer for me.

[BASSclary]

Hey BC, Did you ever think about working at Bass Pro? You are young it would be great to get into a line of work you enjoy, a job where you look forward to go to. Bass Pro seems like they are doing good, the store near you seems busy. Just a thought. Think of the employee discount!

I know from experience you have to 18. I've been tryin to get a job at mine for a long time and even tho I'm close they say they can't hire me till after my 18th birthday.

Good luck to you. Don't spend every paycheck there.

LOL!

Actually half my check will go to a car and gas, I'll give a 1/4 to momma and pops to help with bills etc, and 1/4 for me to blow on girls and fishing!

[lynyrdsky1]

Hey BC, Did you ever think about working at Bass Pro? You are young it would be great to get into a line of work you enjoy, a job where you look forward to go to. Bass Pro seems like they are doing good, the store near you seems busy. Just a thought. Think of the employee discount!

I know from experience you have to 18. I've been tryin to get a job at mine for a long time and even tho I'm close they say they can't hire me till after my 18th birthday.

Good luck to you. Don't spend every paycheck there.

LOL!

Actually half my check will go to a car and gas, I'll give a 1/4 to momma and pops to help with bills etc, and 1/4 for me to blow on girls and fishing!

haha. Watch out man once i got a job I thought 50/50. Gas and necities and the rest for fishing and play. Turns out since gas has gone up, my parents are making me pay for insurance(your parents may do the same), and other things (like paying for my car getting toed) I actually owe my parents money. So be careful with your money and also manage your time like I said. You're going to get to a point where you need money for your free time and then find out you won't have any freetime due to work.

[BASSclary]

Ya, I gotta pay for insurance too. I already payed off the year after a tile-laying job.

[Root beer]

You don't pay taxes on 401k unless you withdraw it early. By early I mean when you're like 58, 59, or whatever. if you withdraw it before that age you pay taxes on it. If you withdraw it after that, you do not.

I don't have one. I just stick to stocks.

[preach4bass]

You don't pay taxes on 401k unless you withdraw it early. By early I mean when you're like 58, 59, or whatever. if you withdraw it before that age you pay taxes on it. If you withdraw it after that, you do not.

I don't have one. I just stick to stocks.

Do you hold your stocks in an IRA, ROTH, or some other kind of retirement tax shelter?

[Root beer]

You don't pay taxes on 401k unless you withdraw it early. By early I mean when you're like 58, 59, or whatever. if you withdraw it before that age you pay taxes on it. If you withdraw it after that, you do not.

I don't have one. I just stick to stocks.

Do you hold your stocks in an IRA, ROTH, or some other kind of retirement tax shelter?

Nope!

[preach4bass]

You don't pay taxes on 401k unless you withdraw it early. By early I mean when you're like 58, 59, or whatever. if you withdraw it before that age you pay taxes on it. If you withdraw it after that, you do not.

I don't have one. I just stick to stocks.

Do you hold your stocks in an IRA, ROTH, or some other kind of retirement tax shelter?

Nope!

Why not?

[Stasher1]

The only advice I can give that hasn't already been stated is this:

Be prepared to feel violated when you get your first check. What you think you made, and what you actually made are often two very different things.  ;D

[Root beer]

You don't pay taxes on 401k unless you withdraw it early. By early I mean when you're like 58, 59, or whatever. if you withdraw it before that age you pay taxes on it. If you withdraw it after that, you do not.

I don't have one. I just stick to stocks.

Do you hold your stocks in an IRA, ROTH, or some other kind of retirement tax shelter?

Nope!

Why not?

It been a couple years now, but first time I started buying stocks on my own I look at a tax shelter security and I realized I could make more money like this, even after taxes I still had the potential to make more money than if I held them in tax shelter security. So what the freaking point? If I'm making more money right now after taxes than any gain on IRAs then it not worth the management fees. (if one applies) IRA managers and mutual fund managers generally just buy every freaking stock in a sector, even if they are companies that haven't made a profit in 3 years. I rather pick companies with promising futures and hedge them myself than buy 100 stocks where 50% of the stocks are going perform poorly and the other 50% generate a 4% return then add the management fee (again if applies) to reduce your return to 2% if you're lucky. Eff that!

[preach4bass]

I believe you can buy stocks, bonds, and even real estate, under the IRA tax shelter.  It's not just limited to mutual funds.  If you're not planning on using the money any time soon, why not protect it from taxes?

[Root beer]

I believe you can buy stocks, bonds, and even real estate, under the IRA tax shelter. It's not just limited to mutual funds. If you're not planning on using the money any time soon, why not protect it from taxes?

When I get out of college I'll reconsider, but it pointless right now. Plus, you can only deduct a max amount each year. What is it anyway? $5,000?

[preach4bass]

Deduct?  I don't know that the word "deduct" fits here, but you can put up to $5000 in either the Traditional or Roth per year.  If you're saving more than $5000 each year, just invest it non-qualified like you have been.  You'll still get to avoid taxes on that first $5000.  So, I wouldn't say that is "pointless."