In this article I will talk about using a handsaw, an exacto knife, utility knife and, oddly enough, scissors. Scissors are (hopefully) fairly intuitive, however it is important to keep your hand safely away from the blade, and use scissors that correspond with your dominant hand. Lefties may want to find lefty scissors to obtain a better hold on this tool.

Next, a utility knife, not to be confused with an exacto knife which is slightly different. Every utility knife will open in it’s own way. Swiss Army knives are fairly intuitive, whereas something like a Stanley knife might be a bit weirder. You’ll figure it out over time. It’s very important to keep your hand away from the blade and use it in the direction it unfolded, when a knife unfolds the sharp end is on the inside, make sure that is down on what you are cutting or it will fold onto your thumb (not fun!). A utility knife is good for things like Amazon boxes or splints of wood left after you saw it (we’ll get to that), although it is not very precise which is where an exacto knife comes in. An Exacto knife is good for more precise work such as very small wood carving or more commonly paper and cardboard art projects. An Exacto knife is basically just a smaller utility knife and should be used as such. An Exacto knife does however have an exchangeable blade so it is important to screw the blade tightly onto the handle.

Finally, the handsaw is what you might use to cut any wood or styrofoam. This tool is significantly more dangerous than something as trivial as scissors, and it is important to use the utmost care. While overtime you will learn how to make a starter indent over time, it may be wise to cut a small little indent into the object with a utility knife before you start cutting. After that just gently move the blade up and down to start the cut. Once it is started, continue that process with intermittent force until you complete the cut.

The three tools you’ll be using the most often when you start off are a hammer, a ruler and a screwdriver. First, I’ll talk about the modern day hammer. The hammer for hanging picture frames at first essentially, but over time it will have a very wide range of uses. A hammer has three parts, the head, the claw, and the handle. Each has a purpose, the handle is obviously for holding. The higher up you hold the handle the more control you have, that’s where you want to start. The lower you hold the handle the more power you have. Over time you’ll find a balance between the two, in the middle of the handle. The next part of the hammer is the head. If you have the choice between two hammers, for most projects pick the one with a bigger head. The bigger the head the easier it is to hit the nail. The last part is the claw. To use the claw, put the nail between the two prongs and pull down at a diagonal. Never put your body weight into it, or when the nail pops out you will fall back.

The next tool is a ruler. You would think this is self explanatory, but it can be complicated. See, you're not going to want to use a foot long ruler anymore. Most people doing these kinds of projects will use a tape measure. I personally prefer a meter stick, but you should start with a tape measure. The tape measure reads the same way as a foot long ruler, except you can read (on most tape measures) up to 25 feet. The little tab on the top of some rulers also allows you to stop the ruler from retracting, this should be used in rare cases, only when you don’t have someone to hold the other end of a really long measure.

The final tool is a screwdriver. A screwdriver can be used in any project, it has a HUGE variety of uses. The most important thing to know, righty tighty, lefty loosey. The two kinds of screws that you will see are phillips, which looks like a cross, and flat, which is a line. Also note that if you don’t put enough pressure into the screw, it might strip. But as long as you really put pressure into the screw as you rotate you will be fine.

That is the basics! If you get those tools down you’ll be at a really good standpoint to learn more.

After this, Indeed will walk you through the way to make an Indeed resume that you will need to submit with all the job applications.

Here are some high school student resume examples: 

Resume 1

Resume 2

If you have no previous job experience, click here for a step by step run through on how to write a resume without one.

Some jobs that hire teens

Click Applebees to start a job application on their website. This can also easily be found on indeed

• Carside to-go specialist (16+)

• Server (18+)

• Dishwasher (18+)

Click Subways to start a job application on their website. This can also easily be found on indeed

• Sandwich Artist (16+)

Click Panera Bread to start a job application on their website. This can also easily be found on indeed

• Team member (16+)

And there are so many more places hiring that you can find on Indeed.

For this article we used Information from an interview with Chelsea Wellspeak, an employee at the Greylock Federal Credit Union. Greylock offers a regular savings account, checking account, and youth club certificates. The minimum opening balance for most accounts is $15, for the Youth Club Certificates it is $100. If it's an account for someone under 18 it will be a joint account with a parent or guardian. The Youth Club Certificates is a good account to save for college expenses. When going to open an account your birth certificate and social security card will need to be brought for Identification. Once 16 ½ a drivers license is expected as a form of identification. Opening a bank account is an easy process. As long as research and planning is done, it is nothing to stress about and will help you create a solid future for yourself. 

Links to the banks: 

Berkshire Bank  

NBT Bank

Lee Bank 

Td Bank 

Greylock Federal Credit Union

Citizens Bank

Trustco Bank  

Pittsfield Cooperative Bank