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Original poster

Do most 16/17 year olds have jobs these days?

53 replies

NewAccount12345 · 01/11/2019 09:58

I remember when I was that age it seemed to be the thing that everyone got a part time job at around 16 or even earlier sometimes. I used to work in a small cafe from 15 onwards.

DS is 16 nearly 17 and I think it would be a good idea for him to get a part time job alongside his A levels. Obviously I can't force him but I've mentioned it to him. He says nobody his age really has a job and they're really hard to get. To be fair he's looked online and most places are looking for 18+, and/ or experience, which he doesn't have because he's never had a job before. He's created a CV and dropped it into some local shops but no luck so far. Maybe part time jobs aren't as common nowadays.

Those of you who have older teenagers, do they/their friends have jobs? Any ideas how he can get one?

OP posts:
tkband3 · 01/11/2019 12:10

DD1 (16, year 12) babysits and is also tutoring a friend's child once a week.

DTs (14) pick up the babysitting jobs that DD1 can't do and walk a friend's daughter home from school 3x a week because the parents don't want her walking on her own.

But they all have an activity on Saturday afternoons which they love and it is on some Sundays as well, so they can't work weekends. They also have huge amounts of homework to do!

I was working in BHS on a Saturday from 15, and extra days in the holidays.

Buyitinbamboo · 01/11/2019 12:11

I have 2 16 year old siblings. Both have worked for the last year or so and pretty much all their friends have a job. Must depend on the area. Both started with washing up in the pub on a sunday (not advertised they just asked)

PupsAndKittens · 01/11/2019 12:22

I actually think it’s easier when you are under 18 (year 12+) as companies like it as they don’t have to pay as much. Contrary to popular belief there is actually very little difference legally to employing a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old ( The big difference is usually to do with alcohol).

Companies that will employ 16 and 17-year-olds:
McDonald’s
Burger King
KFC
Odeon
Build a bear
Nando’s
Lush
Primark
New look
Superdrug
Boots
Pizza Hut
Most indi Cafes

There are probably more, But these are all places that employed me or a friend when we where In sixth form (under 18).

Crystal87 · 01/11/2019 12:28

When I was 16 I was working weekends in a shop and college in the week and going on placement. So some weeks I was effectively working 7 days a week, but only paid for the weekend job. I loved working at that age as I had my own money and independence and I never asked my parents for money again. But I do think it's less common these days.

TheDrsDocMartens · 01/11/2019 12:28

It’s not as easy as it was. There used to be Saturday only jobs and they’ve got merged into other jobs now. Dd1 didn’t work and at uni does bar work. Dd2 works at the leisure centre on zero hours contract which she works around her sports competitions

clary · 01/11/2019 12:29

Mine all did a paper round

DD (great GCSEs in English) did some tutoring in yr 12/13 (word of mouth)
Ds2 is a football ref, he also did some work at a local outdoor sports place
Kids' mates have worked in local cafes (many) also babysitting, working in local pubs (waiting on rather than on the bar).

You just need (or he just needs) to keep asking. Phoning up is best.

redtulip12 · 01/11/2019 12:31

My daughter works for 6 hours in a cafe. Her school ask them not to do more than 8 hours a week whilst studying for A levels. She also volunteers for a few hours each week which she loves more than the paid work!

BillywilliamV · 01/11/2019 12:31

My DD is 16y and 1m old. She has written a CV, found a job, applied, had an interview and aced a trial shift all with no help from me at all. She is now waitressing 12 hours per week. I am ridiculously proud of her!

HowlsMovingBungalow · 01/11/2019 12:35

My DS works in a motor garage, he did his work experience there the owner then offered him summer term work and now he works there as an apprentice. He is just 17.

Mainly retail, cafe work and carehome KP work here (touristy area).

clary · 01/11/2019 12:35

you can do a paper round at 13 and other jobs from 14 eg reffing is min age 14. Obv cash in hand, you're not going to earn £12k!

Yes a lot of jobs want weekend working which never suited DD, hence her doing a paper round till she went to uni. I'm pretty sure it didn't impact her studies, just meant she got up nice and early and had some spare cash for herself.

Aragog · 01/11/2019 12:44

Lots of dd's friends have jobs - they are all in sixth form.

DD doesn't. We made the decision to advise her against it, and instead we give her an allowance. Made the decision as we are able to afford to, wanted her to be able to do plenty of relevant work experience (for getting on to her university course of choice) and focus on her school work during the day at weekends/after school too. A friend who is a sixth form/ A level teacher advised this too where possible.

Aragog · 01/11/2019 12:46

A lot of dd's friends get really pressured to do extra hours, and aren't happy when they say they can't because of school work. And a couple are often not paid properly for extra hours. Not all companies who employ these young people, who they know are still at school/college, actually appreciate that they do need to prioritise their studies over extra shifts.

Comefromaway · 01/11/2019 13:05

My DD is 16y and 1m old. She has written a CV, found a job, applied, had an interview and aced a trial shift all with no help from me at all. She is now waitressing 12 hours per week. I am ridiculously proud of her!

12 hours per week is the maximum number of hours a young person in Year 11 is allowed to work.

They are allowed to work up to 8 hours on Saturdays and up to 2 hours on Sundays and school days and they can;t work after 7pm.

GrumpyHoonMain · 01/11/2019 13:13

Do you need the money? If not then fund him and encourage him to take up short internship in the area he wants to go to uni for / get a job in, even if it’s free. It will be a lot more useful for him than a minimum wage, zero hours contract retail job

NoNewsisGood · 01/11/2019 13:15

It changed from when Sunday started being a shopping day. Before then, shops were open Mon-Sat 9-5 (mostly). The 'usual' staff did Mon-Fri and didn't want to work on Sats. Then, shops started opening late on Thurs and on Sundays. That meant a change in shift pattern. Shops then needed evening staff as supermarkets starting then to stay open late evenings/24/7 which meant the 'Saturday jobs' started to disappear quite quickly and turned into more difficult shift patterns to manage with school/college work and around parents' schedules before kids are able to drive themselves (where needed). Also harder for young girls to do late shifts so I know some parents are ok with them not working as now the only options are driving to out of town retail centres at 9pm+ at night and the parents don't want to do it any more than the kids do.

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 01/11/2019 13:20

My 16 year old has a Saturday job in the local butchers

Parsley65 · 01/11/2019 13:27

I actively discouraged my DD16 from looking as she is struggling with A levels and insists she wants to get much better grades and go on to uni.
If you do go ahead, this is a perfect time of year for it. Lots of shops, etc round by us have 'Staff wanted' adverts up for Christmas.
Good luck.

Elbowedout · 01/11/2019 13:48

We live in a fairly touristy area so quite a lot of teenagers work in cafes, doing housekeeping in hotels etc. I haven't let my children work until after Alevels, partly because I wanted them to focus on their studies and extra curricular activities and partly because there is nowhere near enough to our house for them to get to under their own steam until they can drive. I have enough on my plate without adding being a taxi driver to and from work. I'd rather pay them to do jobs around the house than get up at the crack of dawn at the weekend to drive 20 miles to a hotel to for them to change sheets.

JoJoSM2 · 01/11/2019 14:05

I wonder how it works with uni applications. I do know children from very wealthy families that have Saturday jobs as apparently it helps with uni applications.

Comefromaway · 01/11/2019 14:54

It doesn't help with uni applications unless the job is directly related to the degree they are applying to in some way. A med school applicant may find it useful to state they have experience dealing with the public or a teaching applicant with work experience in a children's activity class.

Universities are pretty much solely concerned with whether a candidate has proved they have the ability and passion for the particular subject applied for.

ErrolTheDragon · 01/11/2019 16:08

It doesn't help with uni applications unless the job is directly related to the degree they are applying to in some way

Yup, it's irrelevant in most cases. DD never had a job while at school, the unis just wanted good exam grades plus in some cases, evidence of engagement in their subject. That might often be better served by some sort of voluntary work, running a school club etc. The lack of work experience before uni hasn't seemed to be any obstacle to getting good paid subject-related internships in the summer vacs either.

YouJustDoYou · 01/11/2019 16:10

I've been looking for part time work for over a year, even though ALL adverts state the base hours EVERY SINGLE FUCKING ONE then add further in the add "and must be flexible to cover holidays, work evenings, weekends" etc, ruling out mostly anyone who has other responsibilities such as studies.

LolaSmiles · 01/11/2019 16:12

We find a lot of our students will want jobs, but not always get it.
The ones that work well are some local shop work, independent businesses, some of them have done music tutoring for younger students, lifeguarding, sports coaching for younger children etc.

Honestly, as a teacher it seems to cause a lot more issues than it's worth with some jobs. Waiting jobs and bar jobs are the worst. It drives me mad how often some students with jobs decide that prep is optional or they come unprepared and think that "but I was working last night" or "it was a busy weekend at work" seems to excuse the most basic prep when they have free periods to study during the day as well.

wineandsunshine · 01/11/2019 17:13

My son (17) has had a job - part time in a chip shop for about 8 months...he's very lucky he can walk there within 10 mins!

Saying that, I do think jobs are a lot harder to get these days!

gottagetbetter7 · 01/11/2019 17:44

My DS got a job in a local theme park last summer at 16 and is still doing one shift a week now he is 17 (upper 6th form student). It is not too much work to have a negative impact on his studies but it has helped his confidence and I do think it looks good to have secured paid employment on his ucas application (there is a section on there to state paid employment). We are in an area with lots of opportunities, I know it is not the same everywhere.