Hey all, i believe this is my first post but i'd like to say first and foremost- thanks for reading.

I noticed alot of you people saying you cant get a job being a magician ant a restaurant until youre 15/16 or older, and i think its BS.

My theory: you can become a restaurant magician at any age so long as youre mentally on the same level as your audience, are presentable, and act professionally.

Now one might argue: 'you cant be mentally on the same level as an adult at 13 (lets say)' and that isnt true. Ive basically had to grow up around all my relatives and neighbours being either ALOT younger than me or ALOT older than me, and not wanting to hang out with the little kids, i was always with the adults. Thus giving me the chance to understand how they operated, and thus developped my vocabulary and general understanding of things.

On friday I had walked into a restaurant (small jamaican place in town) and got my food, the place was pretty empty and i started talking with the owner, and mentionned i did magic. On request i pulled out the ghost deck i had in my breast pocket and showed him a 2 card monte (very good idea to have this trick set up at all times), and he bugged out, and asked for more, i kindly obliged and showed him some abitious stuff. very very good reactions. I joked with him and further conversed after the show, and he was wondering what casino i worked at to pick up this stuff, i simply replied "Hah, casino.... I'm only 14".

Well, to say the least he was very amazed (though i think it had less to do with the fact i had good conversational skills and more my appearance.), and didn't belive me. after showing him my g.9 2006/07 student I.D., he finnaly believed me.

Well i talked with him some more, and had mentionned i might be looking for a job working a restaurant sometime in early 07, and then i was offerred a job. Details will be later worked out and nothing is certain yet, but i think that goes to show age is not a factor.

Simply put, I believe you should posess desirable qualities to work a restaurant;
-BE PREPARED!!
-Good vocabulary
-Look Presentable!
-Learn to carry an intelligent conversation with someone older than you
-Dont EVER show somthing youre working on, stay to your comfortable fields.
-Never toot your own horn in front of those youre trying to impress (be modest, but not TOO modest)
-Learn to know your audience quickly and use humour.
-Be CLEAR in what you want to do. If your audience dosnt understand your aim then the effect could be bust. (Eg. tell your spec to name a card then do invisible deck--- just dosnt get as good reactions as saying 'i predicted that' or 'im going to try to get you to do this with your mind' etc)
-Never be profaine, feign, or rude.
-Dont nescessarily put on a special fassad for performing in a restaurant, be your normal performing self.

And thats about it.
I never went into this restaurant for a job, just dinner, everything i did/wore/said was what i do casually with any spectator, and look what it very well might get me.

Just a heads up to the young ones, who are told by older people they CANT do it.
PAra.

Age: 14
Height: 6' 2 1/2"
Weight: high 200s, possibly low 300s.
Shoes: 13
Facial hair: mutton chops/sometimes beard
(just for those who may have wonderred my appearance.)

not mate, i dont care how mature a 13 year old is:

1 - i doubt he has PLI

2 - He looks and sounds young

3 - It is unprofessional for a restaurant

4 - probably not permitted by the law

5 - People are not impressed, they think "aww hes cute".

Your BS mate.


Now you say you always used to be with adults, that says to me that you were unsociable.

ALSO A 13 YEAR OLD CANNOT HAVE THE SAM EXPERIENCE, EXPERIENCE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR!

Also as a 13 year old it is harder for you to interact well with a 9 or 10 year old in a restaurant because you are so close to their age, they will not respect you. Adults will think of you more as a gimmick (joke) than an entertainer.

Well, maybe the fact that you look like a gorilla helped him offer the job in the first place, I'm sure if you looked like an ordinary 14 year old then you wouldn't of come highly recommended...I'm not saying age is a factor but it's hard to present yourself as a respectable and desirable magician if your 4'5'' and have a squeeky voice like alot of the magicians on here haha, I guess for this line of work you got the long end of the stike or so too speak. Your vocabulary does represent that of an 18 year old atleast so I don't know if that reflects on your age or your just smart....Either way, good luck to you but for the most part a 13-15 year old isn't going to be hired for that kind of work period. As said before, In order for your magic to be taken seriously ....unfortunately you must be of an age that you can "challenge" that spectator into thinking, if you are 13 they are likely just going to think it's a joke and not take you seriously as sad as it sounds ....

I agree with benlewis. Age does matter. Personally, I would never higher someone younger 16.

Also, some too young probably hasn't done any research on the subject in the first place. They will have no idea what they are doing, and will soon be fired for being incompetent. This will also look bad for the business, because the person will not be able to handle everything that may come up. From my expierence with younger magicians, if you criticize them at all, they basically cry and call you names. If they would do that to a customer, they would be automatically fired, if not knocked out.

Age matters. You may be mature for a 13 year old, but that means very little.

whoa whoa whoa, i'm 14. and i do agree there has to be a line in terms of actual size of a person, a 13 your old 4'5" squeaky voice is indeed a gimmick, but thats not what i mean. Im strictly trying to say you shouldnt be discouraged by your age if your skill is there.

As far as me being unsociable- i am very social, now, anyways. I always used to be worried about my weight and thought id get judged because of it so i didnt really socialize that much until the last few years. socializing is not a problem. the problem was growing up around adults.

I'm kind of wondering why ive come under fire for giving a positive message to young magicians that they can do this if the skill is there. Mind you if you look like a typical 8 year old youre not getting hired anywhere, at least not as a serious magician.

But what im trying to say is if you can intelligently converse with those older and hold their interest, i see no reason not to be able to be hired.

And i guess when it all comes down to it, youre appearance counts most. Generally when i go to parties im always offerred alchohol of sorts, I just guess im older than I look. I don't look like a typical 14 year old (around here thats skatecore apperal and shaggy hair), nor do i think i act like one.

heh... i guess i just disproved myself in a sense there. age does matter, or at least how old you look (and sound).

thanks...
PAra

The reason you came under fire is because what you said is very flawed. You are an exception. Since people assume you are older then you look. If you looked like any other 14 year old though, you would have a very hard time being hired as a serious magician.

Age matters greatly. For one, there are laws saying how old you have to be to work. Also, younger people are simply less mature (for the most part). Like I said before, in my expierence, younger magicians are more likely to insult you and throw a hissy fit if you criticize them. This shows very little maturity, and will get them fired instantly, if not beaten up. Also, with age, you have expeirence.

I don't know about canada...but the U.S.A. has a few endorsed rules for employement called "CHILD LABOR LAWS". If I remember correctly, they state that the legal age for employement is at least 14 years of age...I believe it has have moved up to 15 since last I checked. THe only way this rule DOESN"T apply is if the employer is hiring a family member.

i believe i also mentioned that kyle, its a very important point, i wonder, how much do you get paid for this job?

Parasiteyo, I also believe that you are as full of crap as a Christmas goose. At 14 you have no idea of what to do in certain situations. I will tell you some very real things that will happen if you work restaurants more than once.

A) you walk up to a table and the couple has been fighting, the man says "get the $*%^ away!" Then complains to the manager that you interupted them and were rude.

B) You walk up to a table with a family and a baby. The woman opens her blouse, pulls up her bra and starts to breast feed the baby. She doesn't cover up just does it in front of God and everybody there including you.

C) You approach a table and start your routine. Either the man or the woman starts to tell you that you are "a tool of Satan!" And that "Magic is the use of satanic powers and God will send your soul to edited!" They then go see the manager, complain about the "devil worshiper" (you) and walk out without paying.

At 14 you have no idea haow to handle these situations and there is no way in whatever that you are mature enough to handle any one of them when they arise. The man who offered you a job will soon find that out and you will not only be thrown out but you will be the sole reason that no other magician will ever be able to work there again.

Stop the bull-oney throwing.

Geez, paddy, tell us how you really feel.

No, I mean that, you shouldn't hold back, it's bad for your blood pressure.

ooohh oohhh...I've been around A and C before...I KNOW WHAT TO DO!!! But wait...I'm also nearly 19...oh yeah...silly me!

jamesjay those are all things that have happened to paddy. I remember them from a previous post a few months ago. He is not trying to bash him, he is simply saying at 14 he would have no clue whatsoever on how to handle that.

OMG Paddy, that is awesome....Have all of those things actually happened to you ....Lol the worst thing that has ever happened to me would be a heckler grabbing the cards and saying he an do it and then getting pissed when he can't ....But I learned how to avoid those situations...as for the breast feeding , I don't know how I'd react haha....Maybe I'd do a Milk to silk act using her milk...

Yes all those have actually happened. Since I have 3 restaurants in KY that I work the breast feeding happens quite often. Not because Kentuckians don't care but it is legal for woman to breast feed in public there where in other states they have to either cover themselves with something or go to the ladies room.

I've not had the breast feeding but I have had the Devil Magic thing happen.
I have hard time with the idea that a 13 year old would be able to handle any of those issues as well as others that arise.
Not saying that its impossible. But in a controled situation such as a stage performace or even a kids show (to a degree) a well prepared 13 year old can do fine. But with resturant work its alot of off the cuff type things that i feel only a adult will have the skills to handle.