Where can I start my career off? Do I have to work a cliche job like in fast food? How can I get a "real" job at my age?

I think its important for everyone to get a job they hate, especially in customer service. It makes everyone more livable. Ever see someone being super rude to a waitress or a cashier? That person never worked in customer service, or not long enough. If you had to work in a job where you dealt with people and had to be nice to them all day no matter how snotty, rude, etc they were to you, I guarentee you will never be rude to a worker again. (unless they are rude to you, but then you just report them to their manager!). But too, it is important for everyone to have the job they love. If your unhappy in your work life, whats the point? However I still stand by my point. Work, and know what its like to do the thing you despise, and use that as your fuel to find the job you love. You'll have it in no time!! Trust me!

It used to be that a lot of small to medium sized companies hire young people to train in whatever business it is they do. Also, while you may look down on enterprises such as car washing, or lawn mowing, if you can work for yourself in this area, you can actually make good money. If you can run a business getting other people to wash cars and mow lawns, you can become a millionaire.

Regardless of your computer skills, at your age you need to do physical labor for the sake of knowing what it is to sweat. Mowing yards will prove to be much better for you in the long run. One thing that you need to think about is that you are thinking about a job, working for someone for wages. That is a path that will keep you relatively poor, unless you have exceptional skills and the ability to succeed in the corporate world. You will find yourself much better off to be in a business for yourself, and mowing yards will be a start on the way that works.

Start your own business and don't gripe!

It depends on whether you're still in school. If you're still in school, then I'm afraid the only options will be things like fast food or retail, because they are the only places that will offer part time, flexible hours. There will be time after schooling to look for something else. If you aren't in school, as annoying as it is you will have to start at the bottom. I have finished high school and university, and learnt that those things are not as important as you would expect when it comes to getting your foot in the door. They only seem to matter later in life when you're trying to advance. I have a great job now, but to get there I had to enter the company working in the call centre and work my way up. It's really the only way. If you have customer service skills, go for something customer related in a large company with room to move, and work hard. Also, if you're looking for something IT based, you need to have a degree or have some sort of qualification. It's not enough to just know how to do it. You need to get your foot in the door of a large company and when it's time to move up, have that qualification there so you'll get where you want to go. It just sucks that places very infrequently will hire a person on qualifications alone.

Go to an employment agency. Actually, might as well apply at several. Sounds like you could probably get a decent paying job and not have to work at McDonald's or anything. Something where you could continue to practice and learn on computers while you get paid. You do not need to necessarily get a cliched job for someone your age. Don't listen to people who tell you that you have to. They are not winners.

from your description of your computer skills, they sound unmarketable. look for entry level unskilled jobs. maybe you can find something that you can move up in that's relevant to your interest in computers. most job boards have an entry level section or some way to search entry level, so use those. also research into local businesses and talk to them directly.