To ask how old your DC were when they got their first job?

[HighlandCow78]

I’m curious as to how how old were your DC when they got their first job - Judging by DD’s peers and friends’ DC kids seem to be waiting until they are far older nowadays to get one, most seem to wait until after A levels meanwhile I was doing a paper round at 14!

DD is 20 and has only just landed her first part time role. Don’t get me wrong, I’m really happy for her - she did well in competitive interviews and now has an exciting role at a lovely local business which she’s really looking toward to, but I definitely expected her to get one far earlier. Granted, she turned 16 during lockdown (so no jobs really about) and went through a tough few years due to ill health but even without these struggles she really isn’t the odd one out amongst her peers. It seems quite common for young adults to graduate these days having never done any paid work - just volunteering and internships.

What has changed so much that this is now the norm?!

It seems quite common for young adults to graduate these days having never done any paid work - just volunteering and internships.

Decent internships are paid. That was what DD did in the uni summer vacations from 19 on. The first was 3 months with BT, the other two with a company who then offered her a full time position when she graduated.

Paper round at 14

Saturday job in local shop at 16 during lockdown
Christmas job is a supermarket at 18

He still.works there now he is 20 and at uni. They allow him to move between home store and one in uni city

No one gets papers delivered anymore in comparison to a generation ago. We used to have 6 newsagents in the area and nowadays the final one became a vape shop 2 years ago.

You need different insurance to hire an under 16; most businesses and self employed people don’t bother.

DS and DD started volunteering from 13 or 14. DS continued with volunteer work rather than paid work right through university. DD started babysitting and cat sitting at 15, then a Saturday job by 16.

To the posters who mention paper rounds, can I ask how recent your experience is? Only because there are no paper rounds in my town any more because there aren’t enough customers who want newspapers delivered to merit having a paper round!

My daughter got her first job at 17, serving in a cafe. She had been trying to get a job from the day she turned 16, but had no luck for over a year. Proud of her for not giving up and continuing to apply until she was successful, even though it took 18 months

I don’t think this is the norm. I work in a university and lots of students have jobs at 18. Many transfer from wherever they’ve been working at home since age 16 (eg to mcDonalds or H&M branch where we are).

A week after he turned 16 while at college. Was furloughed, then made redundant. Got his second job as soon as the second lockdown was lifted and has worked ever since. He did have a few shifts at a golf club at 15 but not regularly.
DD (19) has not worked other than when abroad for arranged work experience (just a month). She has focussed on her studies and this past summer was her first opportunity but she left it rather late!

Paper rounds at 13 for all four of mine!

I was 13 as was DS, DH was 17.

I worked as a cleaner in a holiday camp, DS did a paper round and DH who is a bit of a brain and had already done his A levels at 16 worked as a lab assistant in the research centre for a major chemical company for a year before he went off to University. DS lost his job at 16 when the local paper went online only and then went to work in a pub as a kitchen porter when in sixth form.

Not my experience.

My Dd and her friends all have jobs in bakeries, pubs, and have done since 14.

It's been the making of my DD - she gets tips if she does well and sometimes she gets praised on tripadvisor for being a good waitress.

It has helped her with punctuality and also given her her own money which she seems to spend buying and selling huge quantities of clothes on depop.

My son is itching to turn 13 soon too, so that he can have a two hour a week washing up job at the pub where dd works.

Paper rounds are few and far between.

Mine started just after her GCSEs, so 16. I think and hope she will cut back to concentrate more on her studies through Y13. Loads of her friends started working between GCSEs and end of Y12. Some just don't suit it yet, they've got enough on their plate with their studies and that should be their focus for now.

ETA she was volunteering helping out at a kids' activity from age 12. Not sure how much difference it made to her securing her first job, but it helped her confidence hugely.

How are 13 and 14 year old getting jobs? Aren't there employment laws with minimum age requirements?

DD has health issues, and working wasn't compatible with studying for GCSEs and A levels. However, she was a young leader at Brownies from 16, then found work at 18 during her gap year before going to university.

DD 13 Tea room
Dsd 14 same cafe
DS 17 (ADHD) pub kitchen
DD 16 pub kitchen
DSD 15 Tea room (as above)
DSS 17 (ASD special school) cafe .. f/time.. different place.
DSD (global learning delay) 21. Care work.

With the exception of DSD (severe SN) all 6/7 had p/t jobs by at least 17 years old.

2 DC and 1 DSC have now got degrees. My DS also has completed a professional apprenticeship.ine DSD is on her way to a nursing degree.

Babysitting for neighbours at 14.

Proper part time job at 16, once their National Insurance numbers came through.

DS was 13, had a paper round, then a second one, so morning and evening,

Then he ended up helping out in the paper shop at weekends alongside the paper rounds. Started at McDonalds when at sixth form, then carried on with McDs, working up to Deputy Manager. Basically he has worked since 13 years old, as did I.

I had an after-school and weekend mornings job in a newsagents, which I loved.

The independent of having your own money was amazing… Even simple little jobs like these teach you how to manage your time, not being late, and a feeling of responsibility. You also learn to budget your money. Most of my friends also had these sorts of jobs at around 13 onwards.

14, 13, and 14 but, tbf, there aren't many paper rounds now so the main job for U16s has probably gone.

They did all work from 16 in other jobs though.

I’m not sure it really is the norm. Maybe just in your daughter’s group. My son who is 19 worked voluntarily age 16 and then in the summer when he was 17 and again after his Alevels. What do your daughter’s friends do for money? Their parents must be wealthy to be subbing them. Mine are at an independent school and we could sub them but I think it’s important for them to earn their own money (in hospitality and the like) and not just do glamorous internships!

My eldest was fifteen and started off just doing Sunday lunchtime at a local restaurant. Her sister followed suit a couple of years later but was only 14. It was owned by the same couple for over thirty years, but they retired a couple of years ago. My youngest got another job last year, age 16, at a local Thai restaurant and is now looking to a few hours as a life guard as she qualified this summer. A good work ethic will stand them both in good stead in life.

All 3 were 16.

Dc2 is 21 and worked as a barista during the pandemic. We were down south so apart from the initial lockdown, she pretty much worked through it all.

I believe that 16 is often the minimum age for retail and hospitality for insurance reasons. 18 year olds are preferred as they can work after midnight and I think that the rules around breaks are different so it’s tough for the 16 year olds who are against 18 year olds.

Dc1 worked retail and dc3 worked as a car valet.

My 17 yo got his first job at 16. There's nothing round here for younger than that. Waiting until after A levels or even university is older than DC's peers or friend's DC - most seem to have a job at 16 or 17. I was also 16 when I got my first job.

Did your DD and her peers not want to earn money? What was their reason for not getting jobs?

17 - he would have liked to have been a bit younger, but covid/lockdowns made it tricky.

DS2 is hoping for 16, his NI number letter arrived the other day and he was very excited

DD was 15 and DS was a 18 ( but it was covid times when he was 15). Both hospitality.

It not about us. It's about our kids.

Mine is crap socially and got turned down for Screwfix at 16 didn't even get as far as an interview with the supermarket whilst at Uni sadly.
His internship paid him £2k though so all my banging on about the value of mundane minimum wage jobs was proved wrong,

In Fairness, we cover her major bills and give her an allowance. If we weren’t able to do that, she would probably not be such a dedicated saver.

None are particularly wealthy - they just live off their student loans at uni. Most parents gave pocket money during A levels as they preferred full focus to be on exams (sixth form recommended this)