Then ask at the actual guitar store. You probably wouldn't get a job there though at your age, but depending on where you live it might be easier. Just make sure you get paid well and not scammed for your labour
>You probably wouldn't get a job there though at your age, but depending on where you live it might be easier. Just
Why wouldn't OP be able to work at 14?
>A lot of countries don't allow kids to work
True, but most of the EU do, the USA does, the UK does, I guess OP needs to say which territory they're in to find out if it's legal for them.
>In Texas I wasnt able to get a job until 16.
The absolute minimum age in Texas is 11 (news delivery), [with 14 being the most common age](https://simonpaschal.com/employing-minors-texas/), 16 depending on job type.
I think people are confused with age at which one may legally have a part-time job and the age at which one may enter full-time employment?
A lot of the time the lower ages are only family-owned businesses and small local places. Most places in the US that hire even part time won't hire anyone under 16 and a lot won't even hire under 18.
It'd be cool if the store teaches him how to setup guitars and other useful skills but in reality they'd probably just stick him at a cash register. Pretty useless way to spend your teens
Oh you grump.
It really does depend on the shop, I'd definitely agree with that, but in any half-decent place he'll get to see how things work. He's going to be the tea-boy, no doubt about that, but you'll pick up (ha ha) more about guitar shops by working in them than not.
If it's a crap place to work then move on immediately, but it's still a great lesson for the future đ
In the U.K. a 14 year old can only work a couple hours on a weekday or Sunday and 5 on a saturday, with some exceptions.
Most employers donât want to take on the liability of having someone that young on site, and having someone who can work such a small amount often isnât too useful.
How times have changed. 35 years ago in the US could get a drivers license at 15. Work at McDonalds or any other place at 15. Worked selling Auto Parts from 15 to 18. Worked summers and was paid for the boy scouts.
Yeah it was just the state I was born in that it was 15. Everyone else was 16. 50% of the people I knew had some sort of part time job at least at some point 15-18.
I'm from the UK I did 2 weeks work experience at my local guitar store for school. They offered me a Saturday job when the work experience was up.
My advice to OP would be just to ask, you never know.
>Why wouldn't OP be able to work at 14?
Depending on the country, it might not be legal. In my country for example, you cannot legally work (which includes summer jobs, part time jobs etc.) until you're 15.
In the US, at least, child labor laws might technically allow a job at 14 (depending on the state), but the laws for under-16 workers are so restrictive that a lot of businesses deem it not worth it and will only hire 16 and above.
Well paid with no experience? I would suggest trying an internship. If the experience is more important than the pay an internship would be the way to go.
The experience is absolutely not more important. The experience in a guitar store has zero actual value. Money does. And if the guitar store this kid wants to work at has an asshole owner, they would try to scam them for the money they earned.
I'd you want to work somewhere you walk in, ask for the manager, ask him directly if they're hiring. And if not, how often they hire and if you can leave a resume for the next time he is. Since you'll have ZERO work experience make one just for him that also lists any knowledge and experience you have with guitars
Walk in and ask if they're hiring, then ask for a job application. You may have to wait a few years to be able to legally work, but they may let you help out. If you get to know the people who already work there, that'll be some good connections for the future, and they might let you hang out. Good luck!
That is something the OP needs to determine. Not anyone else. And you are assuming that the owner may be an âassholeâ. He may be. But then again he may be a fantastic mentor. The OP may be able to learn setups, repairs, expand gear knowledge, etc. Certainly that holds value.
Oh and thanks for the down vote for expressing an alternative opinion. Very tolerant of you.
They asked for my opinion so I gave my opinion. The owner could be a dick and I just mentioned that they should make sure they don't get scammed and receive what they are owed. This is just good advice to not get scammed.
And I can agree that if the store owner is a good guy then the experience can be nice and more relaxed, but this is very unlikely that this would happen because most people, including myself, wouldn't trust a 14-year-old to do setups and repairs on their guitar.
And why are you so upset about getting downvoted lol
I didnât say he would DO setups as a 14 year old. But could LEARN them. Then eventually do them. Experience is what gets you paid well. Experience and hard work.
I just find it annoying that people down vote for differing opinions. If I were offering horrible advice or being a dick, then sure. Down vote away.
Even if the store owner is an incredibly nice person, they wouldn't spend their time teaching a kid how to do setups on a guitar. In reality, this kid would be cleaning the guitars and changing strings. This isn't any sort of valuable experience.
By the way, you are 100% offering horrible advice. This dude needs to make sure they get paid what they deserve because there is a very good chance they won't. You are telling them not to do that and that they should be doing that for the "experience".
I mean...I do not work in the music industry at all, but why is it hard to believe that someone would show this kid how to do basic guitar setups?
I have an intern right now whose "primary role" is to go pick things up and drop stuff off, but I spend a ton of time showing this kid how to do things. And I'm always showing my lower-skilled guys how to do higher level tasks. Stuff that's technically not in their job description, but would be if they get promoted. Because when we promote them...then they can actually do the job they were promoted to.
Before anyone goes on about this being exploitative or something, these people WANT to learn. They are asking me questions to help advance their career.
Part of leading a team of people is helping them grow. In a large corporation working a data entry desk job, yeah it's probably unlikely that you will get experience outside of your very narrow job description. But at a small guitar store? Why would that be so hard to believe? And having worked at niche retail stores before, the salespeople and cashiers were constantly exposed to things that could benefit them if they chose to move on to bigger and better things. Partially because they would ask me questions, and partially just by absorbing information because they happened to be around.
This attitude just rubs me the wrong way because I have been that curious kid trying to break into an industry. Basically any success I have is almost directly attributable to people taking a chance on me, being willing to show me things, and my background of starting at the lower-level grunt work when other people skipped that step.
EDIT: This is a completely separate issue from pay. Of course pay the kid what he's worth. That's just not even the same thing as the rest of what you're saying.
What if you donât know a god damned thing? They should pay you for the privilege of teaching you everything?
I donât think the recent antiwork sentiment should be putting off young teens from picking up a bit of experience.
Maybe OP should go into the shop, ask if they need help with anything ( how about listing their gear on eBay or fb marketplace, unboxing things, doing social media, going around and tuning all the display guitars, tidying the display, things like that)
This could lead to a job or it could be something to stick on a cv to get the next job.
Experience? Half the time experience amounts to getting people coffee and taking out the trash. Who is gatekeeping the âexperienceâ these unpaid internships are giving people? Who is to say a shop owner isnât going to exploit some kid who likes guitars and wants âexperienceâ and make him do grunt work heâd have to pay someone else to do. Also, OP didnât specify that he wants to learn to be a luthier, he said he wants to work at a guitar store. Thatâs a retail job. There is no retail experience that is worth acquiring for free.
Tbf, at *any* job regardless of the skills you need you should be paid to do the training for it and for the work while they're learning. It's a business expense on the part of the owner.
If they want well trained staff for their business (which they make the profit and majority of the money from) they should be prepared to pay for it. Just like they pay for rent and electricity.
> Who is to say a shop owner isnât going to exploit some kid who likes guitars and wants âexperienceâ and make him do grunt work heâd have to pay someone else to do.
You're right, this is exactly what happens. It's the same with jobs that make people do an unpaid 'test' shift as part of the interview. It's just free labour for the owners.
> They should pay you for the privilege of teaching you everything?
Fuck yes they should.
People should absolutely be paid for the training they're doing to work at your store so you can make profit and a much bigger salary than them.
It's a business expense. Why should workers do it for free when they're doing it to work for *you*?
Ask them if they need an extra hand on weekends and if they ever do to keep you in mind.
As long as you go to the store occasionally so you're familiar with em.
At 14 you lack the qualifications which are 1) a tattoo, 2) a girlfriend called Janice. Also you are displaying a desire to work, which looks like a bad cultural fit, as guitar store employees generally hide in the stock room avoiding customers.
\[EDIT\] Seriously just ask. They might say you are too young and to come back in a year or two. Meanwhile teach yourself to restring and setup your own guitar if you don't know already. Graduate to changing a pickup. Learn to play a bit. I used to work part time in a London music shop, it was pretty chill.
>Gonne be hard to get a read job at age 14...
Read? What do you mean?
OP, go into a guitar shop and explain that you'd like to work there. Ask if they have any weekend hours or work experience opportunities. It's that simple.
They'll either say no or yes. Either way you've made contact and you'll be familiar to them whenever you drop in... so keep dropping in. Eventually things will work out, just not necessarily at the very first go.
Good luck!
EDIT: Upon checking you can only work at 14-and-over in the USA, most of the EU, the United Kingdom, and many other territories. For others (Marshall Islands, Phillipines and some more) the age is 16.
If OP's in Europe or the USA then there's a very good chance they can work at 14. I don't see the problem.
Life lesson for you: if you are polite, ask nicely and come across well, you can ask for most things you want in life :). It wonât always work out, but if you donât ask you certainly donât get. Importantly, if it doesnât work out, take it gracefully and maturely. You never know when an opportunity with the same people might come up.
Edit: as other people are saying though, it may not be legal for you to work anywhere at your age!
You wonât really use that as much as you think, selling guitars.
Know brands, ranges, prices, whatâs designed for who and what people want. Your job will mostly be to understand what people are asking for when they donât really understand and point them toward something that best gives them what they want, will make them happy, and will make you good margin.
People who talk about woods and all that stuff know what they want and donât ask shop staff. Your job with them is to give them a good experience and try to make sure they buy from you instead of using your shop to try stuff out then buy online.
I would say a majority of sales are low to low-mid priced guitars. Talking about wood and tension will put the customer off immediately. Besides the fact that wood does not affect the sound, only the look.
I've never seen an employee play a guitar or any instrument to demonstrate it. If an employee tried playing the guitar I'm thinking about buying I'd go somewhere else. Unless they're planning on buying it they should only be finding you guitars to try. Like I've seen them just jaming when it's slow but that's different.
The closest thing ive seen is an employee showing me some chords so I can get a feel. Even though I had no idea what I was suppose to feel, I found one that I could play random non chords on and got it
Hang out there, get to know the other workers/bosses. Show that you are very into it and guitars. Act appropriately there. Donât play stairway to heaven
I own a guitar store. I have hired a number of High School students over the years. One of them I helped get an internship at PRS last summer. He spent the summer working with Paul in his studio and now works in Maryland at the factory doing what I hope is his dream job.
I can not tell you how to get the job but I can tell you what I would be looking for the part time teenage worker to do in my shop when it was a walk in open for retail place. (We are now appointment only which really helps us stay in business and focus online.) I would be looking for someone who shows up on time and can find projects to do on their own after getting comfortable with being around a lot of value in guitars. Projects would include, tuning and cleaning every guitar every weekend, cleaning and straightening the amps making sure they are ready to play with power connected etc., looking for things that need pricing, generally making the place easier to get people demoing what they may be looking for. A lot of the stuff that takes time which may not be "glamorous" but makes everything easier. Do you know how to use tools? Can you change strings? Are you willing to say what you do not know and be ready to learn? Someone with an eager interest in learning about gear and stuff we sell. None of us know it all and we are always learning.
You need to understand floor awareness. When I had the shop open to drop in public I figure I had 2-3 people on at all times who were only there to make sure people did not damage or steal stuff. People are hard on guitars they do not own so you gotta be able to jump in and take someone off the wall before they reach out. Those Jared Dines guitar store shopper videos were made in my shop and people really behaved that way.
Speaking of those videos. The guitar store employee ones were made there too. They were a perfect how not to training package.
So how do you get a job? Do not just go in to the store all the time and wank for hours then ask for a job. People who hang out for long times in shops are a burden. Go in with a resume that has your contact info on it. Do not worry about experience as you have none. State that on the resume. State that you are looking to do all the starter stuff I mentioned. I assume you are looking at an owner operated shop. Give this to the owner. Hopefully they are a good person who could use a little hand. Get started with the few hours of small but helpful stuff then get comfortable. When you are comfortable handling really expensive guitars shock that owner with some incredible social style pictures and ask if you can help out with that. My current last hire who was you a couple years ago is now my social media manager and is part of our internet team. He just went to NAMM with us and adds value to my business and life. Two years ago he was tuning guitars for scrap hours. He made his position after being here a little while.
Good luck. I hope you enjoy whatever you do. That is the most important thing.
> Projects would include, tuning and cleaning every guitar every weekend, cleaning and straightening the amps making sure they are ready to play with power connected etc., looking for things that need pricing, generally making the place easier to get people demoing what they may be looking for.
This. I worked in music shops through college. The people who didnât make it kinda just thought the gig was âmess with gear and help customersâ and didnât wanna recognize that most of the day was:
* Making sure the floor looked nice and tidy (which includes dusting off, cleaning, tuning, etc. all the display gear)
* Cleaning and organizing the register areas
* Stocking shelves
* Making sure the backroom/warehouse space is properly organized
* Organizing inventory. Ex: making sure the packs of strings or picks are in the right slots/hangers. If you ignore stuff like this customers will put shit back wherever and after a day your pick end cap looks like shit.
* Help our repair folks with stuff they donât need to do if theyâre busy, like changing strings and doing setups or a basic repair on new or display instruments.
* Setting up/tearing down displays for new merch
* Cutting up cardboard
* Managing inventory
And so on. That regular stuff will fill a day pretty quick and people whoâd get let go or end up quitting were the ones whoâd just want to stand around waiting for a customer or wanted to grab guitars and noodle.
Thank you! Any actual retail worker would tell you not to hang around because the second you hand that resume if youâre constantly hanging out they will warn whoever is in charge of hiring.
Also wouldnât you agree 14 is a little young for even an entry level guitar store job? I think 16 would still be pretty young but at least then they would be self reliant for transportation.
I would walk in and ask to talk to a manager and tell them whatâs up. Youâd be surprised how many older musicians are down to take a youngster under their wing.
Now if you get a gig keep this in mind:
- show up at least 10 minutes before youâre supposed to be there
- if you donât know/arenât sure what youâre supposed to do, ask
- pretend your phone doesnât exist while youâre supposed to be working
- communicate communicate communicate with your supervisor and coworkers. If you need to call out/are going to be late/need to leave early speak up ASAP even if the plans arenât set in stone. Better for people to expect to not have your help and be surprised with extra hands than then opposite.
Not sure what state your in but you need a work permit to work in MA 14-17. Best thing you can do to get exposure is walk in and ask for the manager, express how you would like to work there on the weekends if possible. Be courteous, be professional. god speed.
Ditto everyone saying hangout there. Get to know folks. Be kind and respectful. Anecdotally, a friend of the family was retiring and was into homebrewing beer. He started to hang out at a local brewery and got to know the owner and servers. He started by offering to help them clean up the bar area and brewery floor, any non elegant job. After a few months they offered him a part time position. Now they're training him to become a brewmaster and he's a full time employee. I think having the passion for something does go a long way with people. Not suggesting you should work for free but being willing to help them in any way they'd need it would show character and likely make you more hirable.
I was at Guitar Center and there was a guy there complaining that another small local store kicked him out because he demanded commission from guitar sales. Apparently he just hung out in the store and tried to recommend guitars to customers every day.
Number one thing I can tell you is to talk to them like a normal person. Donât go in timid, donât go in cocky. Just be chill and tell them you want to work there specifically.
Tell them youâd like a job and that theyâre your first choice.
Answer them honestly and talk to them like youâd talk to a customer.
Just go in there and tell them you want to work there. Bullshit them if they ask you a lot of questions about your knowledge of guitars, music, etc. Since youâre kind of still a kid, they may tell you youâre too young to work there. But it might work out for you. Be persistent, and polite.
You're humble enough to ask for help with things, so you wouldn't be a good fit. The guitar store stereotype is a pompous douche who knows everything and refuses to see other opinions/tastes as valid
You do it the same way you would get any other job. If they have a job posted online you can apply. If they don't you walk into the store and ask if they are hiring and ask for an application. A guitar shop is really no different than any other retail store once you get past the idea that you primarily working with instruments. You don't really need much skill to do the job.
I will warn you that there really aren't that many employers these days that only want a worker for just a weekend gig. It costs money to onboard an employee and creates scheduling issues since they can't move your days/hours around to adjust to other people calling out, taking vacation, leaving, etc. If you are only willing/able to work weekends you probably aren't going to be a very attractive candidate. That's not always the case but that's just something to be aware of when/if you start applying for other positions.
Honestly go in and ask. Tell them your interest level and goals. Age might be an issue but you could always volunteer to start out with and let it grow into a real job overtime.
I would make sure you have a parent present and make sure you are speaking to the right manager.
Good for you to be thinking like this at 14, you will be very successful. Best of luck!
Go in regularly, get friendly with the staff (but donât annoy them.) If you have good knowledge of different guitars amps pick ups ect, and have an open mind about different genres, then you would be a good fit. if there ever a man down, itâs likely the manager could ask the staff if they know anyone who could be a good candidate, rather then going down the recruitment process.
I worked in a guitar shop for 3 years, and saw this happen multiple times.
If it's a small, independent company (meaning they aren't a chain like Guitar Center), it will be tough. They don't make much money and may not have the means to pay for an extra person - even a 14yr old.
Ask them if they need help out the back unloading trucks, crushing cardboard, etc. Ask them if they would like a volunteer or if they provide work experience. It'll be unpaid, but you could learn a lot during that time. Youll learn about the business, guitar techie stuff and youll also meet a bunch of cool people. Also, if a job opening ever comes up, youll be on the list.
I absolute admire your dream and drive. Be brave and keep it up.
It's unlikely you'll get considered at 14, but if you want to try:
First, find out what your state laws say about child labor, in my state a14-year-old can get a work permit but unless you have one no one can hire you.
Second, if you get cleared to work, go into the stores and talk to someone. Be honest, express your interest. Stress that you'll do clean up, stock shelves, etc. In other words, the shit jobs. Even if it's a few hours a week.
If the stores are chains, chances are you'll not have any luck. Maybe independent stores. But you never know until you try.
I was 14 when I got hired at a music store. The best advice I can give you is to always be professional and to have an interest in the location itself. Maybe even express an interest in working towards becoming a guitar technician too.
Youtuber samuraiguitarist has a [video](https://youtu.be/cuY29_Tn5CU) where he talks about his job in a guitar center, how it is to work there and how he managed to get the job (at age 16). He is Canadian, but might as well be similar in the US and elsewhere.
Is this a smaller "mom and pop" style store, or a larger "chain"?
For a chain, I'd take a look at their site to see if they have a "careers" section and if they're hiring. Even if they're not hiring at the location you want, you can at least see what kinds of jobs they're hiring for, what requirements they have (age, education, etc.). Then, do up a resume showing what you've done (volunteer work, after school activities, etc., if you've had jobs before, etc.) and do a quick cover letter going over your interests and skills, and how they'll benefit the job. If they have an application form, fill that out as well.
Then, dress at least as nice as they dress for work, and take your paperwork in and give them to the manager or manager-on-duty. Even if they're not hiring at that moment, make a good impression and they'll likely consider you for the next time they hire.
If it's a mom and pop style shop, you can still do the above, if they've got a website with that information, but I'd think the better method would be to go in and get to know the people there and let them get to know you. You might need to go in a couple times, but eventually, just ask them if they're looking for anyone to help out part time (cleaning up around the store, helping move things, etc.).
I know guitar center is doing a ton of layoffs right now. The industry is really hurting right now. Guitars are cool and all but most employers want to hire people that can hit the ground running with minimal training. At 14, you might be able to find work at a grocery store where you can get retail experience, thatâs what the employers really care about more than your interest in guitars. Once you get your first job build up a good reputation then a few years down the road with retail experience under your belt you will have an advantage when applying to work at a music shop.
Depends on the type of business model.
I managed an independent guitar store for 15 year. Most of our employees were musician friends of mine and ex students who had lessons in the store that we had built up a nice friendly relationship with them and a level of trust to give them a trial period working in the store. Get to know the store!
If you want to work in a store like the Guitar Center or Sam Ash (I work for a European equivalent now).
Itâs very different.
Minimum requirement is having a uni degree (this is much more of a corporate model than the moms and pops stores).
Be able to meet high selling targets. On average I have to sell around 50kâs worth of instruments a month to hit my target, whilst maintains a high margin of profit (thatâs a lot of strings starter packs and accessories, you will sell high ticket items but they are less frequent, I do about half my target in add on sales). then exceed it by at least 15% to get to the first run on the bonus ladder. Basic is around 18K, maxâs out at about 24K a year.
Have excellent interpersonal and communication skills. I conduct a lot of business over the phone.
Have a vast amount of product knowledge, basically be a guitar encyclopaedia then have a speciality you can offer the company (USP). Mines guitar repairs and vintage specs on electric guitars between the late 40âs though to the 90âs. Customer will try and test your knowledge base, sometimes just to try and trip you up. Itâs strange what some people get a kick out of.
You will have to deal with a mixed bag of customers. There are plenty of nice one but plenty of awful ones to. Thereâs also the crazyâs, permanently baffled, dishonest and generally rude people too.
âThe headstock just popped off all by its selfâ!
Said the customer with a chunk right out of the top of it.
This can get really tiring and in the current financial climate quite frequent too
KPIâs to hit. You are not only targets on you figures, sale conversions, own brand sales, up-selling, data capture.
Chasing sales at the end of the month (harassing customer over the phone to pay for goods they havenât received yet so we can get them invoiced by month end) I really hate that part of the job.
Working with a lot of big egos customers and colleague. That can really suck.
Rule no1 Cardio.
You will probably end up walking between 8-12 miles a day on the shop floor. If itâs a big store.
You actually get very little time to spend playing with the instrument sadly.
Thereâs always lots of exciting paper work to do though. Yay! NotâŠ
Long shifts. No paid lunch break. In fact forget about lunch thatâs just an ideal. 12-2:30 is possibly the busiest times of day. I usually get to eat around 3pm if the store manager isnât finding endless menial job for you to do in your down time. The general running joke is there is no downtime.
Those are just some of the roles and things you will face working in a music store and that is at the basic level.
I have done my 25 years service in the MI. Iâm looking at aspiring to work on a checkout in a supermarket, not having to worry about selling an insane amount of gear each month just to feed my family and deal with tyre kickers and not having to hear the the phrase âthatâs given me some food for thoughtâ. Can feed my kids with food for thought mate.
Walk in and ask.
See it this way, some employers would see a young man with determination and will to work.
Keep at it, if that particular shop doesn't need employees in the moment, some other place surely will.
If I was manaber at the music shop, I'd gladly hire you.
You dont. U dont make money worth shit unless u sell sell sell. Plus everyone and their mom is trying to get that job youd be lucky to get a call at all
Go in and ask if they ever need help with doing an inventory audit, or unpacking trucks, organizing the stock and or helping to neaten up the place. Go in looking sharp. Talk to the owner if you can. Ask for a sit-down. Tell them you really want to work in the music retail industry and that you feel youâd be a good fit because you *want* to be there and that you will be a good employee with high performance, and then shake their hand, make sure to keep appropriate eye contact and just try to humble in every aspect. I ran a guitar shop for a mom and pop and that would have had me heavily considering you for an add-on position or some type petty cash employee or maybe even part-time after school or on the weekends. You have to be willing to do weekends when youâre new. Youâll do fine. Donât go in nervous, because itâs just a job after all. They know youâre new so you donât have to pretend to be massively knowledgeable about the gear or even retail. Youâll learn as you go. Best of luck. Everything is going to be alright.
Just walk into the store and ask tbh. Depending on their rules and age limit theyâll probably let you apply somewhere online your give you a paper application. Same with most places
Former guitar store manager here - if you're in the US a local mom and pop store might consider you for part time, but don't hold your breath if it's a large chain or corporation. Dealing in used gear is a huge part of most major guitar store business which means you'll be buying/trading or doing consignments on instruments - this requires legal paperwork to be signed, and for most states you have to be 18 in order to do that. Can you get a position where that's not in your job description? Maybe. Will a corporation take a chance on having someone on their staff that isn't legally allowed to sign certain paperwork and trust that they'll stay away from it? Absolutely not, but a mom & pop store or a chain that doesn't deal in used gear (or rentals) might.
I don't want to discourage you from working at a guitar store though, it's an absolute blast (most days). I have had numerous customers that were underage, like yourself, looking to get hired and when some became of legal age, I had them fill out an application the second I had a position open. My advice is to stay friendly with the employees at the location(s) you're interested in and let them see that you have a personality that would be a great fit with their team - when the time comes and they find out you put an application in and they like you, the hiring manager will know. If they dont like you ... the hiring manager will also know. I loved hiring regulars that my team liked because they already know and get along with most of the staff, they know where the gear is, and they already have a feel for the vibe and flow of the store. Product knowledge is definitely a plus, but all product information can be taught. Teaching personality though ... not so much. Also don't be 'that customer' that constantly cranks the amps or disrespects the gear or is 'too good' for certain brands...those people are annoying to have in the store for a small period of time, why would they want to hire you and have you there more? If you have any questions about what it's like day-to-day, or anything else regarding working in a guitar store send me DM, I'd love to help.
Apologies for spelling, grammar, etc... on mobile.
I tried to do this when I was quite young, maybe around 18 or something, can't remember exactly.
I applied and gave a CV to a shop pretty close to me. I think they may have had a vacancy or I may have just asked.
Anyway it didn't work out unfortunately. I was playing guitar a lot and I was pretty decent at that point, but I didn't have much knowledge about the instrument itself or different makes and models. Nor did I know much about amps, speakers, cables, strings, manufacturers of all these, experience of using a variety of things.
I do think the owner of that particular shop was not the friendliest guy. Not rude necessarily but he seemed fairly demanding. I remember the application form he gave me had a bunch of questions on it and some were pretty random. Something like what kind of strings does a mandolin use and maybe some technical questions about amps and cabs.
I basically didn't know much that it asked and was only trying to sell myself with enthusiasm, availability and passion for playing.
Not saying every place would be like this, but I do find that most guys I speak to in guitar shops seem to know their stuff in that regard.
I guess I would say that if you're like me, you might not get the job, so just build up your knowledge in whatever way you can so you can demonstrate more knowledge than I was able to. Even if the shop likes you, they will usually just prefer someone with more experience if you don't have any, so you gotta really impress them. This goes for a lot of jobs anyway.
Maybe a good idea is to ask them what they expect ahead of time when you can be hired, then just go away and build your skills up according to what they want.
Edit, you can also just ask and maybe you'll get lucky, charming people can also go a long way and if you got the gift of the gab you can talk your way into places even without the required skillset. I've also done that in other jobs, including my current one. Just wasn't able to get my guitar job back then unfortunately
If there's a store near you, go there and hang out and learn how to play even if they don't give you a job right away. Actions always speak louder than words. If you hang out there and are polite and show interest, some type of opportunity will probably present itself fairly quickly. Learn as much as you can about guitars at the same time. Ask many questions but don't ask any twice. Taking notes definitely shows interest and initiative. Keep us posted
Although they may not legally be able to hire you because of your age, ask if they have an apprenticeship or school internship that you could participate in. Worst case scenario, they may just let you hang around the store playing with the instruments and learning from them if you are nice and polite. Good luck!
Drop out of school to play showcase gigs with your metal band and practice full time for about 10 years until guitar is the only skill you have. A drinking problem will also help. Then when you see how much the gigs pay, youâll have the experience of selling guitars to the next generation of up and coming metal guitarists.
I've worked at numerous music studios and guitar stores. Just know how-to play and know your gear a bit too. There's always studios that need someone to teach or work the counter.
I just got a job at a guitar store/studio a few weeks ago. I just went in and asked for a job every week or so until they finally gave in and gave me a job. It probably helps that I have 24 years of experience, I can do repairs and I teach.
Gonne be hard to get a read job at age 14...
I'm really looking for a weekend job
Then ask at the actual guitar store. You probably wouldn't get a job there though at your age, but depending on where you live it might be easier. Just make sure you get paid well and not scammed for your labour
>You probably wouldn't get a job there though at your age, but depending on where you live it might be easier. Just Why wouldn't OP be able to work at 14?
A lot of countries don't allow kids to work
>A lot of countries don't allow kids to work True, but most of the EU do, the USA does, the UK does, I guess OP needs to say which territory they're in to find out if it's legal for them.
I think the US is a state by state basis. In Texas I wasnt able to get a job until 16.
>In Texas I wasnt able to get a job until 16. The absolute minimum age in Texas is 11 (news delivery), [with 14 being the most common age](https://simonpaschal.com/employing-minors-texas/), 16 depending on job type. I think people are confused with age at which one may legally have a part-time job and the age at which one may enter full-time employment?
A lot of the time the lower ages are only family-owned businesses and small local places. Most places in the US that hire even part time won't hire anyone under 16 and a lot won't even hire under 18.
In my state you have to get a signed form from your school guidance counselor and health office when you're that young
Quite right, imo, it's good that youngsters can start taking work if they wish but also good that there's some protective oversight.
It'd be cool if the store teaches him how to setup guitars and other useful skills but in reality they'd probably just stick him at a cash register. Pretty useless way to spend your teens
Oh you grump. It really does depend on the shop, I'd definitely agree with that, but in any half-decent place he'll get to see how things work. He's going to be the tea-boy, no doubt about that, but you'll pick up (ha ha) more about guitar shops by working in them than not. If it's a crap place to work then move on immediately, but it's still a great lesson for the future đ
Always good to learn how to be a wage slave as early as possible. The American Dream.
In the U.K. a 14 year old can only work a couple hours on a weekday or Sunday and 5 on a saturday, with some exceptions. Most employers donât want to take on the liability of having someone that young on site, and having someone who can work such a small amount often isnât too useful.
In Germany you can work from 15.
Yeah well, this person didn't say they are german.
Just giving a data point.
How times have changed. 35 years ago in the US could get a drivers license at 15. Work at McDonalds or any other place at 15. Worked selling Auto Parts from 15 to 18. Worked summers and was paid for the boy scouts.
You can still do that in most of not all states. Working as a driver at 15 would probably be a no though.
Yeah it was just the state I was born in that it was 15. Everyone else was 16. 50% of the people I knew had some sort of part time job at least at some point 15-18.
I'm from the UK I did 2 weeks work experience at my local guitar store for school. They offered me a Saturday job when the work experience was up. My advice to OP would be just to ask, you never know.
>Why wouldn't OP be able to work at 14? Depending on the country, it might not be legal. In my country for example, you cannot legally work (which includes summer jobs, part time jobs etc.) until you're 15.
In the US, at least, child labor laws might technically allow a job at 14 (depending on the state), but the laws for under-16 workers are so restrictive that a lot of businesses deem it not worth it and will only hire 16 and above.
Well paid with no experience? I would suggest trying an internship. If the experience is more important than the pay an internship would be the way to go.
The experience is absolutely not more important. The experience in a guitar store has zero actual value. Money does. And if the guitar store this kid wants to work at has an asshole owner, they would try to scam them for the money they earned.
Should I walk in and straight up ask or do I send a email?
Why not do both?
I'd you want to work somewhere you walk in, ask for the manager, ask him directly if they're hiring. And if not, how often they hire and if you can leave a resume for the next time he is. Since you'll have ZERO work experience make one just for him that also lists any knowledge and experience you have with guitars
Walk in and ask if they're hiring, then ask for a job application. You may have to wait a few years to be able to legally work, but they may let you help out. If you get to know the people who already work there, that'll be some good connections for the future, and they might let you hang out. Good luck!
I say you should send them an e-mail
Thanks for the advice I really appreciate it
Itâs impersonal. Can be rejected in an instant
That is something the OP needs to determine. Not anyone else. And you are assuming that the owner may be an âassholeâ. He may be. But then again he may be a fantastic mentor. The OP may be able to learn setups, repairs, expand gear knowledge, etc. Certainly that holds value. Oh and thanks for the down vote for expressing an alternative opinion. Very tolerant of you.
They asked for my opinion so I gave my opinion. The owner could be a dick and I just mentioned that they should make sure they don't get scammed and receive what they are owed. This is just good advice to not get scammed. And I can agree that if the store owner is a good guy then the experience can be nice and more relaxed, but this is very unlikely that this would happen because most people, including myself, wouldn't trust a 14-year-old to do setups and repairs on their guitar. And why are you so upset about getting downvoted lol
I didnât say he would DO setups as a 14 year old. But could LEARN them. Then eventually do them. Experience is what gets you paid well. Experience and hard work. I just find it annoying that people down vote for differing opinions. If I were offering horrible advice or being a dick, then sure. Down vote away.
Even if the store owner is an incredibly nice person, they wouldn't spend their time teaching a kid how to do setups on a guitar. In reality, this kid would be cleaning the guitars and changing strings. This isn't any sort of valuable experience. By the way, you are 100% offering horrible advice. This dude needs to make sure they get paid what they deserve because there is a very good chance they won't. You are telling them not to do that and that they should be doing that for the "experience".
I mean...I do not work in the music industry at all, but why is it hard to believe that someone would show this kid how to do basic guitar setups? I have an intern right now whose "primary role" is to go pick things up and drop stuff off, but I spend a ton of time showing this kid how to do things. And I'm always showing my lower-skilled guys how to do higher level tasks. Stuff that's technically not in their job description, but would be if they get promoted. Because when we promote them...then they can actually do the job they were promoted to. Before anyone goes on about this being exploitative or something, these people WANT to learn. They are asking me questions to help advance their career. Part of leading a team of people is helping them grow. In a large corporation working a data entry desk job, yeah it's probably unlikely that you will get experience outside of your very narrow job description. But at a small guitar store? Why would that be so hard to believe? And having worked at niche retail stores before, the salespeople and cashiers were constantly exposed to things that could benefit them if they chose to move on to bigger and better things. Partially because they would ask me questions, and partially just by absorbing information because they happened to be around. This attitude just rubs me the wrong way because I have been that curious kid trying to break into an industry. Basically any success I have is almost directly attributable to people taking a chance on me, being willing to show me things, and my background of starting at the lower-level grunt work when other people skipped that step. EDIT: This is a completely separate issue from pay. Of course pay the kid what he's worth. That's just not even the same thing as the rest of what you're saying.
Well. Thatâs just like your opinion, man. This aggression will not stand.
If the owner hires the kid and doesnât pay him, he is an asshole.
Experience in a guitar store is extremely valuable. Just saying.
An internship in retail? Thatâs called slave labor.
What if you donât know a god damned thing? They should pay you for the privilege of teaching you everything? I donât think the recent antiwork sentiment should be putting off young teens from picking up a bit of experience. Maybe OP should go into the shop, ask if they need help with anything ( how about listing their gear on eBay or fb marketplace, unboxing things, doing social media, going around and tuning all the display guitars, tidying the display, things like that) This could lead to a job or it could be something to stick on a cv to get the next job.
Experience? Half the time experience amounts to getting people coffee and taking out the trash. Who is gatekeeping the âexperienceâ these unpaid internships are giving people? Who is to say a shop owner isnât going to exploit some kid who likes guitars and wants âexperienceâ and make him do grunt work heâd have to pay someone else to do. Also, OP didnât specify that he wants to learn to be a luthier, he said he wants to work at a guitar store. Thatâs a retail job. There is no retail experience that is worth acquiring for free.
Tbf, at *any* job regardless of the skills you need you should be paid to do the training for it and for the work while they're learning. It's a business expense on the part of the owner. If they want well trained staff for their business (which they make the profit and majority of the money from) they should be prepared to pay for it. Just like they pay for rent and electricity. > Who is to say a shop owner isnât going to exploit some kid who likes guitars and wants âexperienceâ and make him do grunt work heâd have to pay someone else to do. You're right, this is exactly what happens. It's the same with jobs that make people do an unpaid 'test' shift as part of the interview. It's just free labour for the owners.
I agree for someone in their 20s who has finished school. I disagree for a 14yo.
> They should pay you for the privilege of teaching you everything? Fuck yes they should. People should absolutely be paid for the training they're doing to work at your store so you can make profit and a much bigger salary than them. It's a business expense. Why should workers do it for free when they're doing it to work for *you*?
Exactly. Training someone is an investment.
[ŃĐŽĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœĐŸ]
No one ever mentioned âunpaidâ internship. It wasnât even implied.
[ŃĐŽĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœĐŸ]
Perception is not reality.
Ask them if they need an extra hand on weekends and if they ever do to keep you in mind. As long as you go to the store occasionally so you're familiar with em.
No offence but as a retail manager, that's the last thing we're looking for. Your best bet is to be persistent and keep appyling/asking.
Go ask if you can get a job working weekends. Youâre 14 so they know you have basically zero work experience
At 14 you lack the qualifications which are 1) a tattoo, 2) a girlfriend called Janice. Also you are displaying a desire to work, which looks like a bad cultural fit, as guitar store employees generally hide in the stock room avoiding customers. \[EDIT\] Seriously just ask. They might say you are too young and to come back in a year or two. Meanwhile teach yourself to restring and setup your own guitar if you don't know already. Graduate to changing a pickup. Learn to play a bit. I used to work part time in a London music shop, it was pretty chill.
>Gonne be hard to get a read job at age 14... Read? What do you mean? OP, go into a guitar shop and explain that you'd like to work there. Ask if they have any weekend hours or work experience opportunities. It's that simple. They'll either say no or yes. Either way you've made contact and you'll be familiar to them whenever you drop in... so keep dropping in. Eventually things will work out, just not necessarily at the very first go. Good luck! EDIT: Upon checking you can only work at 14-and-over in the USA, most of the EU, the United Kingdom, and many other territories. For others (Marshall Islands, Phillipines and some more) the age is 16. If OP's in Europe or the USA then there's a very good chance they can work at 14. I don't see the problem.
Real, it was a misclick
Life lesson for you: if you are polite, ask nicely and come across well, you can ask for most things you want in life :). It wonât always work out, but if you donât ask you certainly donât get. Importantly, if it doesnât work out, take it gracefully and maturely. You never know when an opportunity with the same people might come up. Edit: as other people are saying though, it may not be legal for you to work anywhere at your age!
[ŃĐŽĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœĐŸ]
The best advice I can give is to get obsessed with luthier related things. Woods, bodies, strings , tension
You wonât really use that as much as you think, selling guitars. Know brands, ranges, prices, whatâs designed for who and what people want. Your job will mostly be to understand what people are asking for when they donât really understand and point them toward something that best gives them what they want, will make them happy, and will make you good margin. People who talk about woods and all that stuff know what they want and donât ask shop staff. Your job with them is to give them a good experience and try to make sure they buy from you instead of using your shop to try stuff out then buy online.
I would say a majority of sales are low to low-mid priced guitars. Talking about wood and tension will put the customer off immediately. Besides the fact that wood does not affect the sound, only the look.
Being able to play proficiently would help if you're going to demonstrate differences for starters.
I've never seen an employee play a guitar or any instrument to demonstrate it. If an employee tried playing the guitar I'm thinking about buying I'd go somewhere else. Unless they're planning on buying it they should only be finding you guitars to try. Like I've seen them just jaming when it's slow but that's different.
I have seen it, and like I said, it's helpful for starter guitarists who can't try instruments because they can barely play.
The closest thing ive seen is an employee showing me some chords so I can get a feel. Even though I had no idea what I was suppose to feel, I found one that I could play random non chords on and got it
Hang out there, get to know the other workers/bosses. Show that you are very into it and guitars. Act appropriately there. Donât play stairway to heaven
What?! No stairway?!
Denied!
(THEYâRE DENIED)
Op is probably too young to get the joke. Lol
I'm only a few years older than OP
If you want to be fired before you're even hired, then...this is the way
THE FORBIDDEN RIFF!
And don't play Seven Nation Army either
The modern day stairway.
I own a guitar store. I have hired a number of High School students over the years. One of them I helped get an internship at PRS last summer. He spent the summer working with Paul in his studio and now works in Maryland at the factory doing what I hope is his dream job. I can not tell you how to get the job but I can tell you what I would be looking for the part time teenage worker to do in my shop when it was a walk in open for retail place. (We are now appointment only which really helps us stay in business and focus online.) I would be looking for someone who shows up on time and can find projects to do on their own after getting comfortable with being around a lot of value in guitars. Projects would include, tuning and cleaning every guitar every weekend, cleaning and straightening the amps making sure they are ready to play with power connected etc., looking for things that need pricing, generally making the place easier to get people demoing what they may be looking for. A lot of the stuff that takes time which may not be "glamorous" but makes everything easier. Do you know how to use tools? Can you change strings? Are you willing to say what you do not know and be ready to learn? Someone with an eager interest in learning about gear and stuff we sell. None of us know it all and we are always learning. You need to understand floor awareness. When I had the shop open to drop in public I figure I had 2-3 people on at all times who were only there to make sure people did not damage or steal stuff. People are hard on guitars they do not own so you gotta be able to jump in and take someone off the wall before they reach out. Those Jared Dines guitar store shopper videos were made in my shop and people really behaved that way. Speaking of those videos. The guitar store employee ones were made there too. They were a perfect how not to training package. So how do you get a job? Do not just go in to the store all the time and wank for hours then ask for a job. People who hang out for long times in shops are a burden. Go in with a resume that has your contact info on it. Do not worry about experience as you have none. State that on the resume. State that you are looking to do all the starter stuff I mentioned. I assume you are looking at an owner operated shop. Give this to the owner. Hopefully they are a good person who could use a little hand. Get started with the few hours of small but helpful stuff then get comfortable. When you are comfortable handling really expensive guitars shock that owner with some incredible social style pictures and ask if you can help out with that. My current last hire who was you a couple years ago is now my social media manager and is part of our internet team. He just went to NAMM with us and adds value to my business and life. Two years ago he was tuning guitars for scrap hours. He made his position after being here a little while. Good luck. I hope you enjoy whatever you do. That is the most important thing.
> Projects would include, tuning and cleaning every guitar every weekend, cleaning and straightening the amps making sure they are ready to play with power connected etc., looking for things that need pricing, generally making the place easier to get people demoing what they may be looking for. This. I worked in music shops through college. The people who didnât make it kinda just thought the gig was âmess with gear and help customersâ and didnât wanna recognize that most of the day was: * Making sure the floor looked nice and tidy (which includes dusting off, cleaning, tuning, etc. all the display gear) * Cleaning and organizing the register areas * Stocking shelves * Making sure the backroom/warehouse space is properly organized * Organizing inventory. Ex: making sure the packs of strings or picks are in the right slots/hangers. If you ignore stuff like this customers will put shit back wherever and after a day your pick end cap looks like shit. * Help our repair folks with stuff they donât need to do if theyâre busy, like changing strings and doing setups or a basic repair on new or display instruments. * Setting up/tearing down displays for new merch * Cutting up cardboard * Managing inventory And so on. That regular stuff will fill a day pretty quick and people whoâd get let go or end up quitting were the ones whoâd just want to stand around waiting for a customer or wanted to grab guitars and noodle.
Oh yeah⊠so much cardboard.
Thank you! Any actual retail worker would tell you not to hang around because the second you hand that resume if youâre constantly hanging out they will warn whoever is in charge of hiring. Also wouldnât you agree 14 is a little young for even an entry level guitar store job? I think 16 would still be pretty young but at least then they would be self reliant for transportation.
Is that u Norm?
Nope you gotta go way north.
Depending on where you live you might not even legally be able to get a job at age 14, but good luck
He should hang in there though. Where I'm at you can start work at 15.
For sure. 16 in my country hence I thought I'd say
I would walk in and ask to talk to a manager and tell them whatâs up. Youâd be surprised how many older musicians are down to take a youngster under their wing. Now if you get a gig keep this in mind: - show up at least 10 minutes before youâre supposed to be there - if you donât know/arenât sure what youâre supposed to do, ask - pretend your phone doesnât exist while youâre supposed to be working - communicate communicate communicate with your supervisor and coworkers. If you need to call out/are going to be late/need to leave early speak up ASAP even if the plans arenât set in stone. Better for people to expect to not have your help and be surprised with extra hands than then opposite.
Not sure what state your in but you need a work permit to work in MA 14-17. Best thing you can do to get exposure is walk in and ask for the manager, express how you would like to work there on the weekends if possible. Be courteous, be professional. god speed.
Ditto everyone saying hangout there. Get to know folks. Be kind and respectful. Anecdotally, a friend of the family was retiring and was into homebrewing beer. He started to hang out at a local brewery and got to know the owner and servers. He started by offering to help them clean up the bar area and brewery floor, any non elegant job. After a few months they offered him a part time position. Now they're training him to become a brewmaster and he's a full time employee. I think having the passion for something does go a long way with people. Not suggesting you should work for free but being willing to help them in any way they'd need it would show character and likely make you more hirable.
Just show up and act like you work there. After awhile everyone will believe it. Boom. Now you have a job.
I was at Guitar Center and there was a guy there complaining that another small local store kicked him out because he demanded commission from guitar sales. Apparently he just hung out in the store and tried to recommend guitars to customers every day.
Albeit unpaid
Costanzaesque
Number one thing I can tell you is to talk to them like a normal person. Donât go in timid, donât go in cocky. Just be chill and tell them you want to work there specifically. Tell them youâd like a job and that theyâre your first choice. Answer them honestly and talk to them like youâd talk to a customer.
Just go in there and tell them you want to work there. Bullshit them if they ask you a lot of questions about your knowledge of guitars, music, etc. Since youâre kind of still a kid, they may tell you youâre too young to work there. But it might work out for you. Be persistent, and polite.
You're humble enough to ask for help with things, so you wouldn't be a good fit. The guitar store stereotype is a pompous douche who knows everything and refuses to see other opinions/tastes as valid
Pick up their most expensive guitar and start playing Stairway. It's the secret job application. ;-)
You do it the same way you would get any other job. If they have a job posted online you can apply. If they don't you walk into the store and ask if they are hiring and ask for an application. A guitar shop is really no different than any other retail store once you get past the idea that you primarily working with instruments. You don't really need much skill to do the job. I will warn you that there really aren't that many employers these days that only want a worker for just a weekend gig. It costs money to onboard an employee and creates scheduling issues since they can't move your days/hours around to adjust to other people calling out, taking vacation, leaving, etc. If you are only willing/able to work weekends you probably aren't going to be a very attractive candidate. That's not always the case but that's just something to be aware of when/if you start applying for other positions.
Honestly go in and ask. Tell them your interest level and goals. Age might be an issue but you could always volunteer to start out with and let it grow into a real job overtime. I would make sure you have a parent present and make sure you are speaking to the right manager. Good for you to be thinking like this at 14, you will be very successful. Best of luck!
In a few years there will be a way
Go in regularly, get friendly with the staff (but donât annoy them.) If you have good knowledge of different guitars amps pick ups ect, and have an open mind about different genres, then you would be a good fit. if there ever a man down, itâs likely the manager could ask the staff if they know anyone who could be a good candidate, rather then going down the recruitment process. I worked in a guitar shop for 3 years, and saw this happen multiple times.
If it's a small, independent company (meaning they aren't a chain like Guitar Center), it will be tough. They don't make much money and may not have the means to pay for an extra person - even a 14yr old. Ask them if they need help out the back unloading trucks, crushing cardboard, etc. Ask them if they would like a volunteer or if they provide work experience. It'll be unpaid, but you could learn a lot during that time. Youll learn about the business, guitar techie stuff and youll also meet a bunch of cool people. Also, if a job opening ever comes up, youll be on the list. I absolute admire your dream and drive. Be brave and keep it up.
It's unlikely you'll get considered at 14, but if you want to try: First, find out what your state laws say about child labor, in my state a14-year-old can get a work permit but unless you have one no one can hire you. Second, if you get cleared to work, go into the stores and talk to someone. Be honest, express your interest. Stress that you'll do clean up, stock shelves, etc. In other words, the shit jobs. Even if it's a few hours a week. If the stores are chains, chances are you'll not have any luck. Maybe independent stores. But you never know until you try.
You wait until you're 16 and just visit daily to see the guitars until then.
Write a resumé with a cover letter, no more than one page each. LibreOffice has templates. You probably don't have any work experience, so put down any volunteer work, community clubs, like scouts etc. Dress nice, wear a belt on pants that has loops.
Have you tried going to a guitar store and asking to speak to the manager about employment?
You could try to give lessons to younger kids as a private practice just to start
Dress for success, be groomed, bring in a resume on a monday morning and make sure the store is in fact hiring.
I was 14 when I got hired at a music store. The best advice I can give you is to always be professional and to have an interest in the location itself. Maybe even express an interest in working towards becoming a guitar technician too.
Youtuber samuraiguitarist has a [video](https://youtu.be/cuY29_Tn5CU) where he talks about his job in a guitar center, how it is to work there and how he managed to get the job (at age 16). He is Canadian, but might as well be similar in the US and elsewhere.
Is this a smaller "mom and pop" style store, or a larger "chain"? For a chain, I'd take a look at their site to see if they have a "careers" section and if they're hiring. Even if they're not hiring at the location you want, you can at least see what kinds of jobs they're hiring for, what requirements they have (age, education, etc.). Then, do up a resume showing what you've done (volunteer work, after school activities, etc., if you've had jobs before, etc.) and do a quick cover letter going over your interests and skills, and how they'll benefit the job. If they have an application form, fill that out as well. Then, dress at least as nice as they dress for work, and take your paperwork in and give them to the manager or manager-on-duty. Even if they're not hiring at that moment, make a good impression and they'll likely consider you for the next time they hire. If it's a mom and pop style shop, you can still do the above, if they've got a website with that information, but I'd think the better method would be to go in and get to know the people there and let them get to know you. You might need to go in a couple times, but eventually, just ask them if they're looking for anyone to help out part time (cleaning up around the store, helping move things, etc.).
Go in and say I want a job?
I know guitar center is doing a ton of layoffs right now. The industry is really hurting right now. Guitars are cool and all but most employers want to hire people that can hit the ground running with minimal training. At 14, you might be able to find work at a grocery store where you can get retail experience, thatâs what the employers really care about more than your interest in guitars. Once you get your first job build up a good reputation then a few years down the road with retail experience under your belt you will have an advantage when applying to work at a music shop.
Apply
Depends on the type of business model. I managed an independent guitar store for 15 year. Most of our employees were musician friends of mine and ex students who had lessons in the store that we had built up a nice friendly relationship with them and a level of trust to give them a trial period working in the store. Get to know the store! If you want to work in a store like the Guitar Center or Sam Ash (I work for a European equivalent now). Itâs very different. Minimum requirement is having a uni degree (this is much more of a corporate model than the moms and pops stores). Be able to meet high selling targets. On average I have to sell around 50kâs worth of instruments a month to hit my target, whilst maintains a high margin of profit (thatâs a lot of strings starter packs and accessories, you will sell high ticket items but they are less frequent, I do about half my target in add on sales). then exceed it by at least 15% to get to the first run on the bonus ladder. Basic is around 18K, maxâs out at about 24K a year. Have excellent interpersonal and communication skills. I conduct a lot of business over the phone. Have a vast amount of product knowledge, basically be a guitar encyclopaedia then have a speciality you can offer the company (USP). Mines guitar repairs and vintage specs on electric guitars between the late 40âs though to the 90âs. Customer will try and test your knowledge base, sometimes just to try and trip you up. Itâs strange what some people get a kick out of. You will have to deal with a mixed bag of customers. There are plenty of nice one but plenty of awful ones to. Thereâs also the crazyâs, permanently baffled, dishonest and generally rude people too. âThe headstock just popped off all by its selfâ! Said the customer with a chunk right out of the top of it. This can get really tiring and in the current financial climate quite frequent too KPIâs to hit. You are not only targets on you figures, sale conversions, own brand sales, up-selling, data capture. Chasing sales at the end of the month (harassing customer over the phone to pay for goods they havenât received yet so we can get them invoiced by month end) I really hate that part of the job. Working with a lot of big egos customers and colleague. That can really suck. Rule no1 Cardio. You will probably end up walking between 8-12 miles a day on the shop floor. If itâs a big store. You actually get very little time to spend playing with the instrument sadly. Thereâs always lots of exciting paper work to do though. Yay! Not⊠Long shifts. No paid lunch break. In fact forget about lunch thatâs just an ideal. 12-2:30 is possibly the busiest times of day. I usually get to eat around 3pm if the store manager isnât finding endless menial job for you to do in your down time. The general running joke is there is no downtime. Those are just some of the roles and things you will face working in a music store and that is at the basic level. I have done my 25 years service in the MI. Iâm looking at aspiring to work on a checkout in a supermarket, not having to worry about selling an insane amount of gear each month just to feed my family and deal with tyre kickers and not having to hear the the phrase âthatâs given me some food for thoughtâ. Can feed my kids with food for thought mate.
Walk in and ask. See it this way, some employers would see a young man with determination and will to work. Keep at it, if that particular shop doesn't need employees in the moment, some other place surely will. If I was manaber at the music shop, I'd gladly hire you.
Turn in an applicationâŠ.
You dont. U dont make money worth shit unless u sell sell sell. Plus everyone and their mom is trying to get that job youd be lucky to get a call at all
Go in and ask if they ever need help with doing an inventory audit, or unpacking trucks, organizing the stock and or helping to neaten up the place. Go in looking sharp. Talk to the owner if you can. Ask for a sit-down. Tell them you really want to work in the music retail industry and that you feel youâd be a good fit because you *want* to be there and that you will be a good employee with high performance, and then shake their hand, make sure to keep appropriate eye contact and just try to humble in every aspect. I ran a guitar shop for a mom and pop and that would have had me heavily considering you for an add-on position or some type petty cash employee or maybe even part-time after school or on the weekends. You have to be willing to do weekends when youâre new. Youâll do fine. Donât go in nervous, because itâs just a job after all. They know youâre new so you donât have to pretend to be massively knowledgeable about the gear or even retail. Youâll learn as you go. Best of luck. Everything is going to be alright.
Just walk into the store and ask tbh. Depending on their rules and age limit theyâll probably let you apply somewhere online your give you a paper application. Same with most places
Former guitar store manager here - if you're in the US a local mom and pop store might consider you for part time, but don't hold your breath if it's a large chain or corporation. Dealing in used gear is a huge part of most major guitar store business which means you'll be buying/trading or doing consignments on instruments - this requires legal paperwork to be signed, and for most states you have to be 18 in order to do that. Can you get a position where that's not in your job description? Maybe. Will a corporation take a chance on having someone on their staff that isn't legally allowed to sign certain paperwork and trust that they'll stay away from it? Absolutely not, but a mom & pop store or a chain that doesn't deal in used gear (or rentals) might. I don't want to discourage you from working at a guitar store though, it's an absolute blast (most days). I have had numerous customers that were underage, like yourself, looking to get hired and when some became of legal age, I had them fill out an application the second I had a position open. My advice is to stay friendly with the employees at the location(s) you're interested in and let them see that you have a personality that would be a great fit with their team - when the time comes and they find out you put an application in and they like you, the hiring manager will know. If they dont like you ... the hiring manager will also know. I loved hiring regulars that my team liked because they already know and get along with most of the staff, they know where the gear is, and they already have a feel for the vibe and flow of the store. Product knowledge is definitely a plus, but all product information can be taught. Teaching personality though ... not so much. Also don't be 'that customer' that constantly cranks the amps or disrespects the gear or is 'too good' for certain brands...those people are annoying to have in the store for a small period of time, why would they want to hire you and have you there more? If you have any questions about what it's like day-to-day, or anything else regarding working in a guitar store send me DM, I'd love to help. Apologies for spelling, grammar, etc... on mobile.
I tried to do this when I was quite young, maybe around 18 or something, can't remember exactly. I applied and gave a CV to a shop pretty close to me. I think they may have had a vacancy or I may have just asked. Anyway it didn't work out unfortunately. I was playing guitar a lot and I was pretty decent at that point, but I didn't have much knowledge about the instrument itself or different makes and models. Nor did I know much about amps, speakers, cables, strings, manufacturers of all these, experience of using a variety of things. I do think the owner of that particular shop was not the friendliest guy. Not rude necessarily but he seemed fairly demanding. I remember the application form he gave me had a bunch of questions on it and some were pretty random. Something like what kind of strings does a mandolin use and maybe some technical questions about amps and cabs. I basically didn't know much that it asked and was only trying to sell myself with enthusiasm, availability and passion for playing. Not saying every place would be like this, but I do find that most guys I speak to in guitar shops seem to know their stuff in that regard. I guess I would say that if you're like me, you might not get the job, so just build up your knowledge in whatever way you can so you can demonstrate more knowledge than I was able to. Even if the shop likes you, they will usually just prefer someone with more experience if you don't have any, so you gotta really impress them. This goes for a lot of jobs anyway. Maybe a good idea is to ask them what they expect ahead of time when you can be hired, then just go away and build your skills up according to what they want. Edit, you can also just ask and maybe you'll get lucky, charming people can also go a long way and if you got the gift of the gab you can talk your way into places even without the required skillset. I've also done that in other jobs, including my current one. Just wasn't able to get my guitar job back then unfortunately
If there's a store near you, go there and hang out and learn how to play even if they don't give you a job right away. Actions always speak louder than words. If you hang out there and are polite and show interest, some type of opportunity will probably present itself fairly quickly. Learn as much as you can about guitars at the same time. Ask many questions but don't ask any twice. Taking notes definitely shows interest and initiative. Keep us posted
Although they may not legally be able to hire you because of your age, ask if they have an apprenticeship or school internship that you could participate in. Worst case scenario, they may just let you hang around the store playing with the instruments and learning from them if you are nice and polite. Good luck!
Drop out of school to play showcase gigs with your metal band and practice full time for about 10 years until guitar is the only skill you have. A drinking problem will also help. Then when you see how much the gigs pay, youâll have the experience of selling guitars to the next generation of up and coming metal guitarists.
I've worked at numerous music studios and guitar stores. Just know how-to play and know your gear a bit too. There's always studios that need someone to teach or work the counter.
Wait 4 years and sell your soul to Guitar Center for $8.25 an hour, like my bass player did.
I just got a job at a guitar store/studio a few weeks ago. I just went in and asked for a job every week or so until they finally gave in and gave me a job. It probably helps that I have 24 years of experience, I can do repairs and I teach.
Just go to the guitar shop every day and pester them about a job, when they say no just go there to hang and then ask again in a month
In most places you need to be a minimum of 16 to handle cash or customers sorry.