I'm not sure if this is the right catergory to ask this, but...

[ashley8119]

Okay, so you know how some department stores have makeup counters (featuring brands like Clinique and Benefit..)?
Well, my sister's friend just got a job at the Benefit counter. She doesn't have any professional experience with makeup or any makeup school experience. She says the job is fun, being able to recommend products and even giving free makeovers to customers. This sounds very fun, and a good opportunity to start gaining experience working with other people (instead of just using the same friends to experiment on). So my question is:

Would 17 be too young to be hired as a makeup consultant at a makeup counter in a department store?

 

[giz2000]

Around here, you have to be 18 to work anywhere in a dept store, but some places may have different hiring practices...hope this helps!

 

[Love Always Ivy]

most department stores and retail places will prefer if you are over 18. one of the most common reasons for this is because of labor laws. i know in new york state if you are a minor under 18 you can only work a certain amount of hours and in a certain span of time (ie: cannot do closing shifts because of a cutoff time of 9pm). alot of times its just not worth it to put someone on payroll for this reason (why have to worry about all these restrictions when there are plenty of other applicants that are over 18 and are able to work closing shifts and longer shifts). also if an employer is caught violating the terms of employment for someone under 18 (ie: working shifts longer than the state allows, or too many shifts in a week or shifts going beyond state mandated boundaries) they are heavily fined and punished. its not a personal ageism blah blah thing. its not personal. its a liability.

you can try to apply for a job, bc maybe in your area policies are different, but i know for a fact that in long island its very very hard to find a retail establishment willing to hire minors.

but what i can suggest as a stepping stone upward into the retail cosmetic world is to try applying at a local drugstore (cvs, walgreens, duane reade, whatev whatev) and even if they place you in another department in the store, keep nudging your way to the cosmetics department (my friend lisa did this at cvs. she was stationed at hallmark, but then slowly got bumped to cosmetics through being super helpful to cosmetics customers and being very knowledgeable). then once you are 18 or whatev, you can put on your resume
that you have previous retail cosmetic experience... previous experience is a great booster for applications and interviews. i mean, thats just a suggestion for in the meantime if you find you are unable to be hired at this time as a minor.