DR. WALLACE: I recently turned 18, and I'm attending community college. I did some random occasional jobs over the past few years, back when I was in high school, such as babysitting and helping my aunt at her house.

But now I've decided I would like to work in one of the two upscale restaurants that are quite popular in our city. I've heard that the servers at these establishments make good money on tips. The challenge I face is that I don't have any previous experience, but I'm a fast learner. How can I get hired by one or the other of these two restaurants so I can start earning more money soon? — Seeking Generous Gratuities, via email

SEEKING GENEROUS GRATUITIES: Many members of my immediate family have been involved in the restaurant industry over the years. Indeed, there can be some excellent server opportunities to earn a decent income, but my first bit of advice is to get some experience waiting tables immediately, even at an entry-level coffee shop or any small place you can find.

Of course, you can submit your applications and seek to get interviewed at the top of the restaurant food chain, but don't be surprised if they're looking for someone with more direct experience. One bit of advice might be to see if such a restaurant has a lunch service available and let them know that you'd be happy to start working during lunchtime, perhaps on weekends, and that you'd even be willing to serve as a host or hostess to get a foot in the door at such a great establishment.

But even if you do get a job seating people to start with, continue to look for an actual server job anywhere in your town so that you can get involved in the flow of actually taking orders, bringing food and learning how to multitask the way good servers do!

MOM WANTS ME TO PUSH MY SISTER INTO FEMININE CLOTHES

DR. WALLACE: My older sister was a star basketball player at our high school and she recently got a scholarship to play at a local university. She's a tremendous athlete and besides being a good basketball player, she plays both golf and tennis just for fun, not on any organized teams and she's excellent with those two sports also. She's so good, in fact, that she can regularly beat many of her guy friends, her age or even a year or two older.

I'm two years younger than my older sister, and I'm not athletic at all, but I really like fashion design, and I put a lot of time and effort into my outfits, my clothes and appearance. I hope to work in the fashion industry someday. Lately, my mother has been asking me quietly to try to help my older sister get more in touch with her feminine side, since she rarely likes to dress up the way I do.

I'm uncomfortable with this for many reasons, but especially because my sister is older and I feel I should be respectful of her, not telling her what to do. How do I handle my mother's request in this instance? My older sister and I have an excellent relationship, even though we have very different interests. — Not Sure What to Do, via email

NOT SURE WHAT TO DO: I agree with your perspective that your older sister deserves the right to pursue the activities in her life in the manner she prefers. You can always be there to invite her to go shopping with you, or to offer to loan her some of your clothing or accessories if she ever needs them or wishes to give them a try.

But beyond that, there's no need for you to push your older sister in any way. Your mother obviously has her own opinion, but in my book, she made a mistake trying to recruit you to carry out her own specific agenda in regard to your older sister. Be the best sister you can and don't get involved with that agenda. Your mom can initiate any conversation she'd like to with your older sister, but it's not fair to you to be instructed to carry out her agenda in a surreptitious manner.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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