When did you start working and when did you start full-time work?

[areyousittingontheremote]

Also when did you start paying for yourself completely?

I started work at 15 and carried on from there

I was working full-time at 18 and never stopped for long until I went self-employed and now switch between full and part-time.

It seems natural that my child would begin working around the same age, but is this normal for people now?

At 18 I was considered an adult and expected to buy everything for myself. I moved out then and have been independent ever since.

I never got any funding from parents at uni, I thought this was normal then, or is it a new thing to fund grown up children until early twenties?

Cleaning and babysitting at 13, Saturday shop assistant in a high street chain 15-18 (£1.24 an hour!) and various bar and retail/temp jobs in the university holidays. Temped for a year after university and then worked overseas for 2 years. First professional full time job in the UK aged 24 and have worked ever since except for mat leaves - now in my 50s.

My own dc have done a bit of tutoring and bar work at university but Saturday jobs in shops for the under-18s seem much rarer than they were in the 1970s and 80s.

I was 25 when I started working. My parents supported me throughout so I could focus on academics alone. They prized school above all else which paid off massively. BUT I never took it for granted and worked as hard as I could. 10 years later I make more money than they ever could and I can help them if needed. They don't need financial help atm so I treat them when I can.

Started working at 14 - usual schoolgirl jobs, kitchen porter in restaurants, weekends shift as a waitress in wee local cafes etc.

Worked all through university both as an undergraduate and postgraduate - PT through term time, full time in the holidays - because I didn't come from a wealthy family and had to make my own money. I had three PT jobs at one point when doing my MSc.

Finished up my education at 23 (took a year out between my UG degree and MSc, again because I had to pay my own way).

Have been working FT ever since - I'm 43 now.

Would it have been nice to not to have to have worked so much? Maybe, but I don't know, it was just what was expected. Most of my peers did the same - we did the think those who didn't have a PT job were a bit spoiled and childish.

I was probably 14 when I got my first job and had various bar / waitressing jobs through school and uni. I stopped working for a bit for my uni finals (or maybe just dropped down to 1 job!? I can't remember!) did a bit of casual work that summer and got my first 'proper job' at 21 after finishing uni.

Dropped down to 3 days a week after I had first child. Then up to 4 and then full time when youngest went to school.

First part time job at 15 and worked part time until I left home at 18 to go to uni.

Uni was funded part-grant, part-loan, part-parents. I worked each summer to pay for clothes, holidays, nightlife etc.

Went straight into full time work at 21 when I left uni and have been fully independent ever since.

Working at 15, full time at 17, paying my own way and living away from home at 19. Paying nominal room and board at home from 17.

Had part time jobs from 14. Left school at 15, had a part time job for a couple of months until I found full time work. Had 2 years working part time when children were born. I worked full time for about 40 years. I now work part time. I funded myself as soon as I started work and paid board to live at home. My children had part time jobs as soon as they were old enough and both worked all the way through university. I gave them a small monthly sum for food and that was it. They have funded themselves ever since and I'm proud of them for doing so. I think 18 is an adult.

Started part time work at 19 (while studying). First full time job at 23 after graduating. Moved out at 25 so I suppose that's when I became financially independent.

Started working at 15 and was full time at 18 during my first year of uni.

Not working until 21 is ridiculous. You don't really become an adult until you start working full time and paying your own way in the world.

I was working at 13, helping out in afternoons and weekends on a shop/market stall, was running my own stall at 16 and pretty much working full time on top of school. Parents who insist their 16+ aged kids "don't have time to work" are doing a disservice to their offspring, and I never understand why they do it.

I got a job in a takeaway at 14 it was supposed to be a couple of nights 4 hours I ended up doing 4 8 hour shifts a week after school. My mum was a single parent so since I got that job I never took any money from her other than the school uniform benefit. I worked there through college and got a full time job when I was 20 and I still work for the same company 25 years later.

Your post is ridiculous. I actually agree with you that work from 16ish is in most cases a good thing, but your generalisations about full time work, regardless of the responsibility = adulthood makes no sense.

For one thing, the vast majority of people are not able to work full time from the age of 16-21 while also undertaking full time education. What about women who have children young and don't start work until they are older - they have responsibility over a whole other, defenceless person - that's not enough to count them as an adult?
Or people whose health prohibits them from working full time - you don't count them as proper adults? That's infantilising and ableist.
Neither of my grandmothers worked full time - are they still technically children in their mid 80s?

Started working at 15, financially independent from the point I moved out for uni. In retrospect I worked too much during my first year of uni in particular but it was London and not really possible to live on maintenance loan alone. At 37 I am already starting to get quite tired of working and hoping to retire early, maybe in my early 50s. I would try and take a longer break from work next time I change jobs if I can afford it. It feels like a long time, can't imagine sticking it out til 68 or whatever SPA will be by then.

Sadly most high fliers I know spent their school days doing school work and sports, drama, extra-curriculars etc.

It's sad that all of worked from age 14/15 when there's so little free time outside of school.

School is as many hours as many adults work as a full time job & that's excluding revising and homework!

*sad that all of you

Yep this is what I mean!

This is the best approach imo

Yes, agree with this. You have your whole adult life to work, would rather my dds study and get good grades than spend their whole weekend doing paid work.

Maybe. I started work at 16 but would be classed as a ‘high flier’ I suppose. Top GCSE and A-Level results, studied Law and French at a Russel Group uni, work in banking. I felt like I had time to work and study.

I had my first holiday job at 15.
I think it is really important to instil in children a good work ethic.
My dc studied in term time but always had holiday jobs. Gave them confidence, social skills and good self esteem.

I worked part time during uni then full time after I graduated. Stopped for a year to get a masters then full time til i had children (in my 40s so had been working almost 20 years).
My son didn't go to uni so worked part time throughout college while living at home, then turned the job full time when he left college. He's 19 now and no way could he cover living on his own. Rent is extortionate - even a shared house would wipe out most of his pay. He lives in a house I own. Covers the bills but does not pay rent.
Most adult children starting out live at home until their salaries match rent if they get a partner that makes it more affordable. Most had summer jobs from 16.

16-18y - part time whilst in sixth form
18-19y - full time during gap year
19-22y - part time through uni
22-28y - full time
28-35y/current - part time since kids, although about to go up to nearly full time again

I didn't work until I was 22, but have worked full time since.

@ladykale I habe carried out graduate assessments for a number of large organisations. I prefer a grad with a few years part time work at Tescos to one with transparently CV burnishing of work experience or internships organised by mummy and daddy.

The former will often have a better work ethic, more transferable skills and won't expect to be running the bloody place in six months.

You tend to learn time management skills and the art of getting things done when you have to balance studying and working.

I started looking for a Saturday job on the high street at 13/14 had two or three, in a clothes shop, then a takeaway, then maybe somewere else.

Went looking at the big shopping centre when we got our NI numbers, so 15 and a half, got a job in a shoe shop. Worked there evenings and weekends for about 2 years. Had extra Christmas jobs in clothes shops.

Then in 6th form went to do telesales and door canvassing for a window company. Did that til a little bit after leaving 6th form and then started an AVCE in business studies, did that for a year while doing the sales, then after that got my first proper full time job, so I was 19/20 when I started proper work and been working ever since.