I don't know how much work experience you've had, or your age, but think about a few things when you go in a speak with a potential boss.

Every job I've gotten I've been very poorly qualified for, BUT, these are the things that I've done to get the job and keep it.

1. Tell your employer that you'll "warranty yourself." Tell him that if he lets you have a shot at the job, that you'll work free for first week. If he doesn't like what you're doing, then he doesn't have to pay you. This may be hard to do if you're really strapped for cash, but it shows him that you have a lot of confidence in yourself, and reduces the risk for him.

2. Be the first one in the door and the last one to leave! You show dedication by going above and beyond, especially in the first few weeks of your job.

3. Offer to work extra days. If you're doing something where deadlines are frequent, you can quickly become an asset to the company if you're willing to go above and beyond.

4. DON'T F****** STEAL from the people you work for!! I realize that sounds horribly obvious, but you would be amazed at how difficult it is for employers to find someone who simply shows up on time and doesn't steal from them.

5. Say "Yes Sir" and "No Sir," and nothing else for the first few days. Doesn't matter if you're talking to your boss, customers, or other employees, they all crave respect, and will come to you if you give it to them.

6. There is no such thing as "Downtime." Employers pay you for every second that you're there, and they HATE paying you to sit on your A**. There's work time, and cleaning time. Nothing else. If you're new at a job and don't know what you should be doing, start cleaning. As you're being trained, you're going to be a pain in the A** for your manager. They don't really have time for you and need to know that you can be left alone for 10 minutes and not end up twiddling your thumbs. Sweep Sweep Sweep.

7. Take responsibility for your mistakes. Your employer is responsible for every product that his company sells. If you've screwed up his product, he needs to know ASAP. His reputation is on the line if he's putting out faulty product. If you break something that you can afford to pay for, then offer to pay for it. If you screw up a job, then offer to stay late and do it over. Tell him you don't want to be paid for the extra time. You're supposed to MAKE money for the company, not COST them money.

8. Take pride in everything you do. If your job is to sweep, then sweep until the floor is immaculate. If your job is to deal with customers, then remember their names, shake their hands, and make them your friends. Being a minimalist in highschool is the cool thing to do, but in the real world it's not. Go above and beyond and you will always be rewarded.

9. Mimic the workers who are successful. Imitate how they dress, how they speak to customers and the boss, and they work they do.

10. Leave your cellphone in your car! This is another big pet-peeve for bosses. They HATE seeing you texting or hearing your phone ring. Personal conversations while you're on the clock is stealing company's time, and your boss will notice. Same goes for talking to other employees. Wait until lunch or after work if you want to BS and talk about your feelings.

11. Let your boss know that the success and profit of the company is first and foremost. Talk to him about efficiency and how you can do things better. They'll take notice.

12. If you decide to quit at some point, give your boss lots of notice and offer to spend extra time helping to train your replacement. Keeping the boss on your good side usually ensures you a job should you decide to return, and gives you a great reference when applying for your next job.

If you can do all these things for 6 months, you'll move up the chain FAST. Many employees are only working because they show up and do the minimal work without causing any problems. Even if you start out at minimum wage, you can make real money once you've blown past the dead weight.

The bottom line is to just take pride in yourself. The work that you do brands you. You need to always work to better yourself and promote your brand. Just like we want to buy the name brand cheerios, employers want to hire the name brand employees.

Good luck,

-david