The short answer

Many stores, cafés and restaurants hire through an online form, and some only that way. Walking in can still help: it puts a face to your name, and some smaller places hire people who simply ask. Treat it as a way to introduce yourself, alongside applying online, not instead of it. You don't need a long speech. You need four things, said plainly, and a resume to hand over.

The 20-second intro

Say these four things, in this order:

1. Hello and your name"Hi, I'm Maya."
2. What you're looking for, and when you can work"I'm looking for part-time work, evenings and weekends."
3. One or two things you've done"I've volunteered at the Westside Food Bank every Saturday since September, and I have my first aid certificate."
4. The ask"Could I speak with the manager about applying?"

Put together, it sounds like this:

"Hi, I'm Maya. I'm looking for part-time work, evenings and weekends. I've volunteered at the Westside Food Bank every Saturday since September, and I have my first aid certificate. Could I speak with the manager about applying?"

Part 3 is the one people get stuck on. Pick something you actually did, from your resume, in plain words: babysitting, a team, a club, a co-op, a job helping a neighbour. Skip words that describe you, like "hard-working" or "a people person". A real thing you did says that for you.

Say it out loud a few times before you go, until it sounds like you talking, not like something you memorised.

Before you go

Pick a slow timeIf you're in school, try a weekday once the after-school rush has passed, or a weekend morning before it gets busy. In the summer or on a day off, mid-morning or mid-afternoon on a weekday is usually quietest. Avoid lunch and dinner. If you're not sure, ask someone working there when it's usually slow.
Bring your resumeA few printed copies in a folder, so they stay flat. Make sure your name and phone number are at the top.
Dress like the people who work there, a little neaterClean clothes, nothing with a big logo or slogan. You don't need a suit to apply at a grocery store.
Do the talking yourselfIt's fine if a parent or someone else drives you or comes along. Let them wait nearby while you speak to the staff yourself. Walking in with a group of friends makes it harder for a manager to picture you working there.
Know when you can workThe first question is often "When are you available?" Have the answer ready: which days, and about how many hours a week.

When you get there

Walk up to someone working at the counter or the front, smile, and say your intro. If they get the manager, say it again to the manager. Then let them lead. They may ask a couple of questions on the spot, take your resume, or tell you to apply online.

Questions you might hear right away:

For "Why do you want to work here?", give one real reason: you shop there, it's close to school, a friend likes working there. A short, true answer beats a long, polished one.

If the manager isn't in

This happens a lot, and it's not a no. Ask:

"Do you know when the manager is usually in? Could I leave my resume for them?"

Write down the manager's name, leave your resume, and come back at the time they gave you. When you come back, say "I dropped off my resume on Tuesday, and I wanted to introduce myself." Coming back when you said you would shows the one thing a manager most wants to know: that you'll show up.

If they say "apply online"

This is normal: many employers hire only through their online form. Thank them, ask for the manager's name if they'll share it, and apply that same day. If you get an interview, you can mention that you came in.

Following up

If you haven't heard anything in about a week, go back once, or call, and ask whether they've had a chance to look at your resume. One follow-up is good. More than that starts to feel like pressure.

How old do you have to be?

The minimum age to work depends on where you live and the kind of work.

Ontario

14 for office and retail spaces, arenas and restaurant dining areas.
15 for factories, which the province says include restaurant kitchens, repair shops, auto service garages, grocery produce and meat preparation, grocery receiving areas, laundries and warehouses.
16 for construction.

United States (federal)

14 for most jobs outside farming.
At 14 and 15: no more than 3 hours on a school day or 18 hours in a school week, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (9 p.m. from June 1 to Labor Day).
Your state may be stricter; the stricter rule applies.

Other provinces set their own rules. Your province's or state's employment standards office can tell you what applies to you. (Rules checked against the official pages on November 1, 2026.)

Practise it before you go

Relaunch, which publishes this guide, can write your 20-second intro from your own resume and let you practise it out loud before you go.