Do teens still get Saturday jobs?

[JC03745]

I see so many threads- my 22yr old is going for their 1st interview, my 18yr old has never worked etc. I'm mid 40's and from 14, myself and friends all had some sort of Saturday/after school job- supermarket or retail etc which I continued until I'd finished uni.
I don't have kids. Is getting a part-time job no longer done, or is it just on MN it seems so uncommon?

Dd (now 23) at 16 worked in a pizza shop, aged 17 worked as a party host at a soft play centre and a dance teacher at her dance school, aged 18 had summer job as a helper at a foreign language school. At uni (away from home) worked weekends as a football coach. She has just finished her degree and is currently down at Silverstone working as a merch sales assistant for the GP.
DS aged 16 trained and worked as a lifeguard and now aged 18 works every weekend as a catering assistant at a leisure centre.
They have both loved the independence of their own money - and both have studied alongside working with no issues.

Thanks for all the replies. It seems its far more common from age 16 nowadays, but interesting that most of your teens have some sort of job. Maybe all the parents I've been reading about with 20+yr olds who have never worked are in the minority.

My dd got a job as soon as she turned 17 (after gcses) and worked 10 hours a week through 6th form. She is now at uni and works full time through the holidays to help fund her life in term time. Working has been great for her self confidence and resilience and means she doesn't have to rely on us financially (we do help out though). Ds decided to do an apprenticeship and at 17 is already earning really well and saving money. We could afford to pay for everything for them but encouraged them to work as soon as they could. My brothers are still scrounging off my parents in their 40s and I can't bear for my kids to be anything like them!

Agreed. I have been amazed how picky and snobby some of dds friends were about jobs. She works at mcdonalds and so many said oh god I'd never work there I want to work in "insert fancy cafe name" but everyone wanted that job so they ended up doing nothing.

I've worked the same job since I left school at 16 (now 30) we still hire lots of teens all year round. They have to be at least 16 though

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In the area I grew up in, it's common to see teens working in pubs and cafes. I live in London, and my DD has been looking for work for 18 months from the age of 16 and no-one wants to take her on. She'd do hospitality, retail, or reception work but nada. I don't know why. She's a sensible, clever girl. Maybe competition is high?

Ds started at 16 in a busy backstreet cafe cash in hand loads hours for pittance he hated it but he knew if he wanted nice things he had to help towards it.
He left there and got another hospitality job after about a year and is still there now and enjoys it , good pay and good hours

My 16 year old neighbour had a test shift at a restaurant this evening which he had to interview for 🙋 My step sister has also worked in hospitality since she was 16. So, based on that, yes?!

In my circle of friends with teens all of them work, some from 14 but most from 16yo.

It's definitely expected they'll get a Saturday job.

My dd worked in various retail jobs from 16yo and saved enough money to put herself through driving lessons.

DS started working in our family business a5 13, still does, soon to turn 20.

DD1 started in the family business at 14 (reluctantly) but then had to stop as she developed epilepsy. Tiredness is a trigger, so work had to take a backseat, as she struggled to complete full days at school. She has recently qualified as a lifeguard and is also working front of house at the leisure centre.

DD2 has started asking if she can start in the family business

My kids, and each and every one of my friends kids, all had part time jobs from 16. Without exception. Mostly in supermarkets

they are 22 and 19 now and both stil work part time at the same place whilst studying.

School leavers only in our area which is as it should be IMO. They paid a pittance from age 16 anyway. Mine weren’t encouraged to work part time until 18 for money for Uni which they did all the way through.

Both my daughters had part time jobs from 14, my eldest started off as a Saturday girl in a hairdressers and then got a job in a plant nursery. My youngest works at the same nursery Saturdays and school holidays and also picks up cleaning shifts at her six form school a couple of evenings a week. My eldest is now at uni but when home in the holidays she still works at the nursery.

My 15 year old was desperate to get a job from the age of 8 when he went to a take your child to work day with DH. He got his first job aged 14 but the cafe closed down quite quickly, he then got a job doing the breakfast shift in a fancy hotel/ restaurant but they are struggling for custom and he now does catering for parties etc for a friend of ours. He’s been lucky though as we live rurally and kids tend to get jobs through their parents’ friends. Cafes and restaurants around here are really struggling so I can understand why there are fewer jobs for teenager plus there are strict rules about what hours they can do.

DD1 started cleaning an air bnb at 14 (which she still does) at 17, has also added babysitting and works in a local gardens cafe
DD2 is 15 and has worked in a dress shop doing meet & greet and has just got a job pot washing (will move onto waitressing when she's 16) at the local golf club

I think perhaps in smaller communities there may be small business owners happy to employ young teens but agree that much less so in London.

I also can’t imagine any of my neighbours employing a random teen to babysit or even walk their dog. People want to employ an experienced professional. Even finding volunteering positions is really hard if you are under 18.

Both mine did, one at a hairdressers and the other at a butchers

Depends where you are. In some towns all the jobs are part time because they're all zero hours and short hours contracts. In those kinds of places there are adults with lots of experience not hampered by school/college commitments and who can drive, competing with school kids, so they tend to get the jobs. In other towns, the types of places with coffee shops and bars want more part time workers than there are adults available who are willing to work precariously, so school kids can get jobs.

When I was 16 it was word of mouth and I got a weekend and evening job immediately. Its the same now really, know someone who is working somewhere, they want new staff, friend recommends. If having to apply cold it's harder but not impossible. Best thing is to ring or go in, shows more stamina than an unknown cv. Xx

We're currently trying to work out how DD16 can take on some kind of PT job. She does a lot of sport which has taken up weekends for the past 2yrs and also attends church twice on Sunday (morning service and evening youth group) so it's hard to see how she can fit a weekend job in. During the week she works hard at school and has to work hard at her homework. She's super studious and does well academically. Although she'd like a job, apart from volunteering at church which she does, it's hard to see where/how she'd fit one in!

Both my teens began volunteer coaching in their respective sports from about age 13 and it turned into a paid role (coaching / umpiring) by the time they were 15. It's great because the money isn't bad and the hours are so flexible.

So few people get papers delivered now that you actually need a car to do a round of even 40 drops, if you don't want to spend all day doing it.

Ask if her school needs cleaners. Both my kids did this. It's a fairly high hourly rate and you work at school for a few hours from 15 minutes after school closes. So, no travel to work and all done by 7 pm. In the holidays they could pick up longer shifts for deep cleaning. It's a local authority contract so they got adult living wage plus rolled up holiday pay and a substantial pension contribution which is very unusual for 16 yo. It's one of those jobs that's a hassle practically to get to work for you as an adult so they often struggle to recruit.

My dd is 14 and a half and would love to get a pt job. She did DoE volunteering in a charity shop so has a little bit of experience which she wanted to use to get a weekend shop job. She did the rounds up and down our high street asking and she asked in the hairdressers/beauty salons for any Saturday vacancies but they all have wait lists.

She could go further afield but then she'd need a lift from dadcabs (we are small market town so no buses). The resident taxi driver is not against this but she wants to be independent if she can.

Supermarkets or fast food places won't take her this young. I think she's going to try them when she's 15.

In the meantime she has a mini vinted hustle going on and cleans for pocket money.

I worked from 14 so I applaud her. Her sister (same age) does f all except proscribed house hold chores.