Interview with Edwin Ghasemi, 17 years old

In recent years, thousands of young people have found jobs through Yepstr, and they all have their own history. About how it all started, about why you wanted to work, and what you hoped to get out of the job. Edwin Ghasemi is 17 years old and is in his second year of high school. This is his story.It's the summer of 2018, and just like many other young people, Edwin is thinking about how he can earn some extra money during the summer holidays. A friend says that she has started working as a babysitter via Yepstr, something she warmly recommends. Edwin becomes curious and wants to know more, so he downloads the app, and already after a couple of days he is on an interview with a family looking for a babysitter.

What was your first job via Yepstr?

My first assignment was with a family with children close to where I live. I got in touch with them almost immediately when I downloaded the app and created my profile. Their ad was among the first I responded to, and after a few days I was with the family for an interview.Read more about babysitting via Yepstr.

When you started working, was there anything special you wanted to save money for?

The reason I started working extra was mainly to gain experience and work habits, but of course it is fun to earn my own money. I save up for travel, books and courses. I would like to spend the money on things that can help me grow, both financially and as a person. Some of what I earned I have saved a little more long-term.

How did it feel in the beginning, was it nervous to come home to someone you have never met before?

In the beginning, there were many butterflies in the stomach! Everything was so unusual and new, everything from chatting with families I did not know, to going home to them for an interview. But the more I exposed myself to it, the more comfortable I became, and now it feels natural.

You've done a lot of babysitting work. Is it because you like it, or because there are simply the most such jobs?

The fact that there was a lot of babysitting work was more of a coincidence than a choice. When I started with Yepstr, it was mainly babysitting assignments that were in my area, so my first job was as a babysitter for a family on a weekly basis, and then most of my assignments were babysitting jobs.Until the summer, they did not need a babysitter in the same way, so then I checked what other types of ads were out there. By that time I had put together a small CV and it suddenly became much easier to get new assignments. At the beginning of the summer, there were many who needed help with their student receptions, so I did a lot of such party assignments.

The idea with Yepstr is that you should be able to work type directly across the street, ie close to where you live. Has it been like that for you, or have you traveled all over town?

At first I only worked in Sollentuna, where I live, but the safer I became, the further away I dared to work. After the summer of 2019, I had had a large part of my assignments outside Sollentuna and worked in many different parts of Stockholm.

Do you have other assignments in addition to your jobs via Yepstr?

Right now I have no other jobs. From the autumn of 2019, I have turned down all permanent jobs and the more regular jobs in order to be able to focus on the school. During long weekends and holidays, I sometimes check which ads are out and do an assignment if it fits. For a while now, I have been in contact with a company that I will probably start working extra at, but I have not signed an agreement so it is not completely decided yet.

So you started with an assignment, which led to more jobs, and then to a "permanent" extra job?

Yes that is correct. After some of the assignments, I was offered extra employment. In most cases I said no as I did not feel it was the right time for me, but on two occasions I said yes.The first job was in a shoe store. I worked there during the summer, but refused to continue in the autumn to be able to focus more on my studies. The second job is at a smaller finance company, and this is where I will hopefully be able to start soon!

There are certainly many who read this and who are considering taking the step and start earning their own money. Which or what are your best pieces of advice along the way?

• Apply for as many jobs as possible, it's a matter of probability. The more ads you respond to, the greater the chance that someone will hire you.
• Have a nice profile. By "nice" profile I mean a picture where you see the face, a presentation of yourself, your hobbies, and a brief description of your experiences. If you do not have any, write it down! But be clear about what you would like to gain experience in and what you have aptitude for.
• Write good responses to the ads. Feel free to answer a little personally. Write "Hello 'the name'", a little about yourself, about your interests and experiences (which are relevant to the assignment of course). Do not be too careful, dare to stand out and write a serious and well-formulated answer.
• Be nice and take for yourself.The most important thing is not that you know everything and do everything right (although it is important to have knowledge in what you work with), the most important thing is that you are nice and approachable. It is not wrong to ask what to do and then take your own initiative!

Craving extra work? Read More here.

What are your future job plans?

The short-term plans (within the next 5 years), are to gather experience and create a broad network. The extra job is still not completely nailed, but if it works out, I will have the opportunity to learn more about finance and how a company is built (something that would have been a valuable lesson as I can imagine running my own business in the future).I will continue to use Yepstr in the way I have been doing lately, a little more periodically. Mainly because it is such a great tool for making new contacts, but also for continuing to find different types of jobs, and maybe try to focus a little more on the areas I am interested in, and where I feel I can contribute with knowledge.

One last tip or advice you want to send to those who are curious to start working?

That people should have a greater perspective. Use Yepstr as a tool to build contacts while having fun. Of course, money is important, but that's not all. Instead, choose the assignments that you think are fun and that you can get a good experience from.Another tip is to always be nice and talkative with those you work with, and not hide your knowledge. Tell us what you do in your spare time and what your future visions are. If you are interested in extra work - say so! Although they may not be able to offer you more jobs at the moment, they often want to help you and can tell friends and acquaintances about you. Also, do not be too fussy at first, take what you can get and make the best of the situation.

More reading:Most fun job as a babysitterWhat should I keep in mind when choosing a babysitter?