Hi, I really want to help you answer this question. The truth is I don't exactly remember, that was about 15 years ago for me.
I do remember talking with my dad, and he made a list of chores I did and had me write them down as skills I had and gave me a recommendation as he knew I was a good worker. I also helped a friend on his job for several years before I got out of high school and he gave me a good recommendation as well.
I think even if you just did baby-sitting, or a newspaper route, or even volunteer work and chores you can find good references for yourself that will vouch for your work ethic. Be creative.
I found this list that may also be helpful for you:
Handling Job Interviews
“Before going on a job interview, remember, first impressions are lasting impressions,” advises job counselor Cleveland Jones. He cautions against wearing jeans and sneakers to an interview and stresses the need to be clean and neat. Employers often conclude that the way a person dresses is the way the person will work.
When applying for an office job, dress as a business person dresses. When applying for a factory job, wear slacks and a shirt that are clean and pressed, along with neat-looking shoes. If you are a woman, dress modestly and use cosmetics sparingly. And if applying for an office job, wear hose and dress shoes to complement a conservative outfit.
Always go alone to a job interview, cautions Jones. If you bring your mother or friends with you to the interview, the employer may conclude that you are immature.
‘Suppose the employer asks me if I have had prior work experience, how do I answer?’ you may wonder. Do not bluff. Employers often see through exaggeration. Be honest.
You may not realize it, but you have likely had prior work experience even if you are hunting for your first “real” job. Did you ever have a summer job? Or did you ever baby-sit? Did you have a regular work assignment in your home caring for family chores? Were you given the responsibility to take care of certain duties at your place of worship? Have you ever had training in public speaking? If so, then these things could be mentioned at the interview or listed in your résumé to show that you can handle responsibility.
Another important concern of employers is how interested you are in their company and the job being offered. You must convince them that you want to do the work and can do it. The “what’s-in-it-for-me” attitude will quickly turn off the interviewer’s interest in you.
Applying for and getting a full- or part-time job is a challenge that you can meet successfully. And when that job is used as a tool to help others, not just yourself, satisfaction becomes a fringe benefit.
What to Do During the Job Interview
Be grown-up, businesslike. Greet employer with proper respect. Call him “Mr.”—not “Jack,” “Buddy,” or “Pal.”
Sit up straight in chair, feet firmly on floor; look alert. Advance planning will help you to be calm, poised, and at ease.
Think before answering a question. Be polite, accurate, honest, and frank. Give full information. Do not brag.
Have a guide sheet with you, listing all your jobs, dates of work, wages, kinds of work you did, reasons you left.
Be ready to show how your training and work experience will help you to get ahead on job you are asking for.
For references, give the names (and complete addresses) of three reliable people who know you and your work.
Be confident, enthusiastic, but do not bluff. Use good English and speak distinctly. Do not talk too much.
Listen carefully; be polite and tactful. Above all, do not get into any arguments with your prospective employer.
The employer is interested only in how well you will fit the job. Do not mention personal, home, or money problems.
If it seems you will not get the job, seek employer’s advice about other jobs that may come up with the firm.
Send employer brief thank-you letter immediately after interview.
Both were taken as exerts from the book: Questions Young People Ask, Answers That Work Volume I, p 171.
You can download the entire book here in pdf format:
http://jw-media.org/rus/publications/yp_e.pdf
Skip to the chapters about finding and keeping a job. They might help you.
Cheers.