I wanted to try working a bit over the summer to get some experience, try it out and have something to put on my resume. I managed to find a job that takes in teenagers over the summer so that's where I'll be working the coming weeks.
So the way it's set up is they've hired a group of 4 teenagers, 2 guys and 2 girls, and we are supposed to do various tasks throughout the weeks we work there. Nothing really interesting. I have never worked or had a " job " before though so it's all kinda new to me but I kind of just learn as I go. Today was the first day I met the other 3 people I'm going to be working with and it was also the first day we actually got to work.
When I got there, the other 3 people who I'm going to work with over the summer had already arrived and had taken a seat at their table to listen to the morning meeting that everyone at that workplace had every morning. First thing I did as I came, I asked I missed anything or if I'm late. I tried to make some small talk, I asked where everyone goes to school & how old everyone is and stuff. Now keep in mind, when I got there they were completely quiet just looking at the table / their phones so I tried to fix the awkward mood by getting some conversation going. I did my best but I just couldn't get them talking. They seemed pretty nervous, as was I which is understandable but they just gave short answers to everything and to be honest some of the questions I asked were pretty bad but I thought it's better than having to spend the coming month in awkwardness 24/7. I wasn't really prepared though and I thought the rest of the group would be more willing to talk and join in on the conversation.
So anyways, what would you do in a situation like this? What's the optimal thing to do? How do you keep up conversation here? Like what would I ask or talk about? I want to just try and make the group more comfortable because it would kind of suck to spend all this time working together in just plain awkward silence.
So the way it's set up is they've hired a group of 4 teenagers, 2 guys and 2 girls, and we are supposed to do various tasks throughout the weeks we work there. Nothing really interesting. I have never worked or had a " job " before though so it's all kinda new to me but I kind of just learn as I go. Today was the first day I met the other 3 people I'm going to be working with and it was also the first day we actually got to work.
When I got there, the other 3 people who I'm going to work with over the summer had already arrived and had taken a seat at their table to listen to the morning meeting that everyone at that workplace had every morning. First thing I did as I came, I asked I missed anything or if I'm late. I tried to make some small talk, I asked where everyone goes to school & how old everyone is and stuff. Now keep in mind, when I got there they were completely quiet just looking at the table / their phones so I tried to fix the awkward mood by getting some conversation going. I did my best but I just couldn't get them talking. They seemed pretty nervous, as was I which is understandable but they just gave short answers to everything and to be honest some of the questions I asked were pretty bad but I thought it's better than having to spend the coming month in awkwardness 24/7. I wasn't really prepared though and I thought the rest of the group would be more willing to talk and join in on the conversation.
So anyways, what would you do in a situation like this? What's the optimal thing to do? How do you keep up conversation here? Like what would I ask or talk about? I want to just try and make the group more comfortable because it would kind of suck to spend all this time working together in just plain awkward silence.