I am 21 years old, still live with my parents, currently studying Computer Science, and need some sort of income because I’m nearly out of money (mostly because I never had a job and I need bus fare to basically get around anywhere and I would like to have some money for hobbies).
Tried getting a job, going over my resume multiple times and handing in my resume in person, but that has not been working so far - I’ve been handing out like hundreds of resumes since January this year and got only 1 interview with no follow up (and I even tried places such as McDonalds, TimHortons, and Starbucks and also various programming jobs).
I have recently come up with the idea of mowing other people’s lawns for money. However, when I suggested this to my parents, they said it was just inappropriate for me because if an adult were to do it, they’d do it with tools such as a proper gas powered mower, a weedwacker and possibly even a van, but all we have is an electric mower that doesn’t even have batteries (don’t know if there are any with batteries), so I’d have to take electricity from my customers. I also don’t have enough money for a weedwacker or a new lawn mower.
Anyhow, they think it’s a stupid idea, but I personally think that even if it doesn’t work out and I don’t get any customers, then I have nothing to lose from it, and if it does work, then I get cash, and actual work experience to put on my resume (because right now I basically only have my mandatory high school volunteer hours).
I personally do think that there is a chance that they might be correct, but I personally think that I’d have to actually try it before I could be totally sure.
Plus, I believe one of the main reasons why I’m in this situation now is because in High School they always told me things like that I was stupid, and too slow and clumsy to work in fast food or grocery stores (and other jobs that high schoolers normally take) and should just focus on getting A+ grades to get accepted into the best universities and get a job as a programmer, and I fully believed them and instead of trying to get a job during the summers, I took summer school courses which just ended up in me filling up the resulting empty spots with elective courses and so I graduated high school at the same time as everyone else - and so looking back I do think that I should have just ignored my parents and got myself a job during the summer in high school. During my first few years in university, I was also under the impression that getting a job was not too hard and didn’t take really that long as it’s actually taking for me and that I could just get a programming job right now or when I graduate - and turns out I was wrong.
By the way, I also live in Durham Region, Ontario (which is in the GTA on the east side).
Any advice on this? Do you think that this may actually work?
Also, if I do end up mowing lawns for money with the equipment I have, would a price of around 20 - 25 CAD per mow be reasonable?
Have you applied to landscaping companies? Same shit but you don’t have to invest in your own equipment as least.
You’re asking about landscaping, yes it’s a real job
Forgive me if I’m taking this too literally, but I notice you said you’re handing out resumes. To get many jobs, the days of hitting the pavement and handing out resumes have passed, and this may be why you aren’t getting many responses. Many jobs will have you apply online. Even local businesses will utilize some third party site to accept applications. Check online listing’s for positions. Not only can you place more applications faster, they are also actively looking for positions. Stop responding to anything that requires you to pay money.
the online part is pretty terrible advice. the online platforms are filled to the brim with fake job listings and the real job postings have many applicants (because it’s too easy to send a resume). going in person will definitely get you more responses and that’s from recent experience. at least in Montreal when I was still a student I must have given a total of 5 printed resumes at random places (McDonalds Canada computers restaurants etc) and I got answers for all 5 of them (and the latest one was in 2023)
I remember having friends who kept complaining that they couldn’t find jobs, because they were looking at indeed postings for fast food or grocery store positions while I never applied online for these kinds of jobs and I got a 100% success rate
I’ve never mowed lawns as a landscaping job before, but I think that if you can pull it off it may help show that you can create your own personal motivation and entrepreneurial spirit that employers may appreciate.
If I were to go back and do it as a student, I’d have to consider a number of factors off the top of my head to overcome:
- what size of a network am I looking to tackle? I.e., number of neighbourhoods and lawns.
- what does a 30-45 minute session consist of? Mow, trimming edges, and sweeping?
- what additional tools could I borrow to make my service more attractive until I can purchase my own?
- how long will I even be cutting grass for new equipment to make sense?
- logistically, how could I reliably transport equipment from house to house if my network gets too large? Wagon? Parents car?
- how many public neighbourhood Facebook groups can I join to help get the word out?
- finally, does this help fulfill my longterm professional goals in my field? Can I spin this endeavour in a way that synergizes with my professional journey? I don’t want to waste my time fulfilling filler side quests.
As someone that moved out around your age it irks me a little to hear about parents looking down on their kid like that. The playing field has changed drastically since my day, so I can fully sympathize with your current plight.
Hope that helps or at least gives you something more to consider.
ETA: above all no matter what you find yourself doing don’t get discouraged along the way when people say no. Eventually the rejections will roll off your back and you’ll already be hustling onto the next job!
As someone that moved out around your age it irks me a little to hear about parents looking down on their kid like that.
I have a feeling that after, say, 2 weeks of work, the OP will have a better understanding about the landscaping business than his parents, and should therefore take much of their advice with much salt, as it will be he, and not they, who will be the professional. 😁🙂
I mean, going door to door and asking won’t hurt. Give them a quick sentence how you’re saving up for something and if they need any help around the house. Lawn mowed, dogs walked, etc. If they say no, thank them for their time and move on.
You could also go to a mechanic shop, fencing company, really any random trades shops with a resume and ask if they need some help around the shop.
I finished college and took me awhile to get a job. Walmart, McDonalds, and the like never called me back. Took a job as an L1 support for some startup and moved up to SysAdmin.
Started a little lawn service in my 20s (1990s). Had nothing but a car, and after making a little money the first day, a weed eater. If you do a top notch job, you get repeat business and referrals.
My wife’s ex-husband did the same in his 60s. That’s what he was doing when she met him. After a hurricane he parlayed his experience and customer base into a fence building business. I worked at the local Lowe’s and he was the lumber department’s biggest customer, they all knew him by name.
From my experience it’s pretty easy to get a grocery store job. Turnover is really high and they are always understaffed, though this was before self-checkout so it might be different now.
I have a younger immediate family member who started a lawncare business, and I have a CS degree, so I think I can relate to your situation a little bit.
Needing an extension cord and being unable to edge properly without a trimmer would be deal-breakers for me as a client, to be honest, because I’d have to go behind and finish up the job myself so I might as well just do it myself. What you could do with limited equipment though is hand pruning and trimming. Look for people with overgrown flower bushes, or hedges, read up on proper care of your local flora between trimming and pest control, present yourself as a long-term solution. You could expand this to planting/mulching if clients cover cost of materials at very low investment on your end. Offer to start some kind of food-bearing plant.
My sibling got started with a very close circle of friends as clients – do you have any family members who could sponsor you and let you get your rhythm? What about family of school friends?
At the same time, you need to be working on your CS chops. Do you have a portfolio of personal projects? A simple static JS/HTML website? A degree is barely enough anymore, demonstration of practical skills will help you stand out. If you can eventually make one for lawn services, that would be pretty impressive.
But just mowing lawns for quick cash, I don’t think would be worth your time. Don’t let your family get into your head – it’s not if you can do it or not, it’s how you can and if it’s worth it, and I think you can get there. Best of luck to you!
They indeed do make battery powered mowers, but hey, sometimes you just gotta work with what you have as a stepping stone until you can upgrade.
Don’t let your parents drag you down, I mean you’re expressing that you’re clearly willing to work to earn money. 👍
Edit: I’m from the USA, so I don’t really know what would be a fair price in Canadian money, but any which way, that should largely depend on how big the lawn is, how tall the grass is, and mainly how much time it takes you.
$20-$30 (≈$14-$21 USD)/hr should do, IMHO.
- Write a business plan for a lanscaping company.
- Register a number company under your name (eg. 1958574 Inc.)
- Get a loan to buy your starter equipment and a beater Ford Ranger pick up truck to haul your gear.
- Advertise with door to door flyers in your target neighborhood.
- Start getting customers
- Pay off loans
- ???
- PROFITS!
- Put those profits in your parents’ face to show them how much money you can do with a job that’s supposedly inappropriate for your age
- Hire employees to do the work for you
- Start buying heavy machinery for digging and large trucks to carry them around.
- Expand your services
- Expand your customer base
- ???
- MOAR PROFITS!
- Start buying other landscaping businesses
- ???
- EVEN MOAR PROFITS!
- Buy more businesses
- Become a landscaping baron in your city
- Start to threaten any other landscaping company that starts working on your turf
- Set fire to a competitor’s business that refuses to fuck off.
- Get arrested
- No proof of arson
- Get released
- Get investigated by the municipal/provincial government for unfair practices
- Sell business before the investigation has a chance to progress
- Retire and live off your business money at 45.
In Toronto, I knew a guy in his 50s (maybe 60s) who mowed lawns using the mowers of the owners.
Many houses have outdoor outlets. I’d recommend 3 extension cords (25’, 50’, and 100’), the thicker the better (i.e. can carry over 13 amps—over 1625 watts): short ones have lower voltage drops, long ones so you can reach all parts of the lawn. At about 10¢/kw•hr, electricity is (at least relatively) cheap. Lithium is bad for the environment—they might be necessary for cars with high energy/mass ratios, but you ain’t driving a lawnmower. It you must get a gasoline weed-whacker, try for 4-stroke rather than 2-stroke. True, the latter is lighter and easier to use, but they pollute far more.
I prefer flyers to resumes as I don’t think the customers (or most of them) care if you go to college or even graduated from high school. Some might not even care if you are legally in Canada. They care if you can do a decent job, at the agreed upon price, and not foul things up for them: this is something you can most probably do, stranger.
Best wishes. 🙂
Many of the fast food restaurant retailers import TFWs these days. This has been a point of contention in federal immigration policy recently. The government clamped down on it a bit but I don’t know if it’s enough and if so when the effects would materialize.
I think retail shops at malls and such still hire Canadian labour.
If you know some hardware, you could try Canada Computers.
I don’t know anything about mowing. 🥹
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Add in a couple other services, like weed spraying, hedge trimming, etc, and you’ve got a start for an actual company.
Learn how to put down pavers and you can make decent money.
