Sonic Drive-In is not only a family-favorite fast-food company but also a popular place for teens and young adults to seek job opportunities. The fast-food industry is a stepping-stone for some and a life-long career opportunity for others. Many employees go on to utilize the skills they learn during their time with Sonic, when opening their own fast-food stores later in life.
This makes Sonic very particular about the employees that they accept, as the hunt for motivated, passionate and creative team members is on.
Contents
- But, How Old Do You Have To Be To Work At Sonic Drive?
- Applying When You Don’t Have Much Experience to Speak of
- Your attention to detail
- A professional manner of speaking to customers
- Ambitions to learn about the industry
- Passion for something related to the particular position you are applying for
- Ability to work under pressure
- Willingness to work with your team
- Any extra-curricular activities that may have given you some skills that would make you better at your job
- Physical strength and stamina
- Punctuality
- The languages you are proficient in
- To Link or Not to Link
- Looking for More Superb Teen Job Opportunities?
- Send it off!
But, How Old Do You Have To Be To Work At Sonic Drive?
The company requires its staff to be at least 16 years of age. However, simply meeting the age requirement is only half the battle; you need a creative edge to stand out among the rest.
To give you the best chance to make your application pop and land a job at Sonic Drive-In, follow these tips:
Get creative with your resume presentation
The bland Word document with the serif-based font and the 1.5 line spacing is uninspired and dated. You can use PowerPoint or the free-to-use online-based design program, Canva. With either, you can create a custom resume with one of the many A4 templates available.
Decide on a cover page with a recent, professional photo of yourself and possibly a cover letter as to why you should get the job you are applying for. Don’t be afraid to use contrasting colors, divide the page into sections, and use different fonts for headings and the body of text. A font size of 12 is reasonable to use, but 14 is often more comfortable to read.
Your resume’s overall look should reflect your personality. You can declutter or separate pieces of text with more images of yourself or whatever the section of text relates to. If you just wrote about your passion for cooking, a photo of the last burger you made can be a great addition.
Your cover letter should not be generic
Avoid the use of “your company” and “this position” if you have not used the company or position name somewhere in the cover letter before. It is always much more convincing that you are willing to go the extra mile if you write a cover letter specifically for the position you are applying for.
Many cover letters are cleverly written to cover a variety of positions, possibly even different industries. However, this makes them generic and impersonal.
Applying When You Don’t Have Much Experience to Speak of
You may be a teen or young adult that does not have much work experience yet. Don’t worry about this; everyone needs to start somewhere! Focus on your strong points. You may want to mention some of the following points:
Your attention to detail
Being able to take the correct orders and avoid mistakes is crucial to customer satisfaction.
A professional manner of speaking to customers
You need to be able to maintain service with a smile, even when having an awful day.
Ambitions to learn about the industry
As mentioned, the industry can open many doors for you, albeit practical experience, life lessons, or the opportunity to own your own fast-food business one day.
Talk about your love of burgers, roller skating, or being able to serve people – whatever makes you excited about the position.
Ability to work under pressure
There will be times when the pressure is on. You will have to be able to stay level-headed and not get overwhelmed.
Willingness to work with your team
You will work with fellow cooks, servers, and possibly under the authority of a supervisor. You need to be able to take instruction and criticism, as well as be supportive to your co-workers. It is not 100% giving on your part either; they will also support you.
Any extra-curricular activities that may have given you some skills that would make you better at your job
You may be on the debate team and learned how to be patient, as well as communicate clearly and concisely. A sports team may teach you about teamwork and learning to take cues from others. You may be exceptional at roller skating.
Physical strength and stamina
A physical job can take a toll on the body, especially when you are expected to be on your feet and carrying around heavy items for long periods. Being physically fit is always a bonus.
Punctuality
You will need to show up for work and be ready to start work as soon as your shift starts. When you are sluggish, it not only affects you but also affects your team.
The languages you are proficient in
Being able to communicate well in English is a given; however, being able to speak Spanish or any other language is a huge bonus. This means that you could be able to communicate with customers in their preferred language, which is a huge bonus.
To Link or Not to Link
It is not uncommon for teens and young adults to have social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, or YouTube. For some, this may be your pride and joy, and even be an opportunity to promote your place of work.
If you are proud of your profiles and your social media presence is clean, you can link it to your resume. It is a great way to show your prospective employers that you are a responsible internet user as well.
However, if your profile contains content that you would rather hide from your employers, it may be better not to link your accounts. Make sure that your profile is private enough that it will never interfere with your work.
Once your resume and application are put together…
There is only one last step left: Have someone proofread it for you. It is often the fresh eyes that will pick up any mistakes you may have made.
Looking for More Superb Teen Job Opportunities?
Then check out our in-depth look at my Dominos Pizza Application and Dominos Pizza Interview Questions, my Dairy Queen Application, and Dairy Queen Interview Questions, or our Auntie Annes Application, Starbucks Application, and Five Guys Burgers And Fries Application.
You might also be wondering How Old Do You Have To Be To Work At KFC, How Old Do You Have To Be To Work At Chick Fil A, How Old Do You Have To Be To Work At Burger King, How Old Do You Have To Be To Work At Dominos, and How Old Do You Have To Be To Work At Pizza Hut in 2023.
You may also be interested in our features on the Best Fast Food Jobs for Teens, Good Jobs for Teens, How to Become a Teen Golf Caddy, How to Become a Teenage Youth Sports Referee, and our Fast Food Cashier Job Description.
And if you’re looking for a good read and some fantastic advice, check out Life Skills and Career Coaching for Teens, Life Skills Activity Workbook, Road Map to Your Job, and Soft Skills Training: A Workbook to Develop Skills for Employment.
Send it off!
Visit Sonic Drive-In Careers and fill in your application, and follow up in a day or two if you did not get confirmation of receipt. Things often get heated in the fast-food industry, and a courtesy follow-up may help remind those in charge of pending applications that may need to be reviewed.
After a follow-up, you can relax, knowing you made the effort. The rest is up to Sonic Drive-In, but if you’ve done everything right, you should be working at Sonic Drive-In in no time at all.
All the very best with your Sonic Drive-In Application.
