Saturday jobs

[mumblechum1]

DS is reluctantly resigned to getting a job after GCSEs for maybe 8 or 10 hours per week (had to tell him today we won't be funding driving lessons/car/insurance as it's just too much when we're aiming to fund him through Uni without debt).

So, looking online at jobs in the local town, they're all proper grown up jobs, IT execs etc.

Where do they find Saturday jobs in cafes, shops etc? Is it worth him sending his CV (such as it is...) to dozens of places on the offchance or is there some sort of website for Sat jobs?

Employers usually have to pay to advertise on websites so most still report to the old fashioned method for Saturday jobs of putting a notice up in the window or going on word of mouth.

My DC printed off several copies of their CV and then tramped round all the shops cafes and pubs in the surrounding villages and nearby town. We found it made a huge amount of difference when they turned up (well turned out) in person and delivered the CV by hand with a polite request as to whether there were any vacancies at present and if not, would the proprietor be kind enough to keep their details on file should anything come up.

The first holidays after GCSEs DD1 posted out a load of CVs but didn't get anything like the positive response she and her brother got from presenting them in person the following year.

My DDs went into loads of shops etc, CVs in hand, or picked up application forms. Friends who already work somewhere can sometimes put in a good word for them. No website AFAIK, would be an excellent idea!

That's very interesting, thanks!

Best thing to do is to print off his CV and hand it in at as many places as possible. TBH it's more often luck than anything alse and being in the right place at the right time.

ds1 did his RLSS lifesaving course straight after finishing his GCSEs and that got him a decent part-time job. It's not cheap though - probably around £200 these days.

ds2 did a footie referees course and reffed at our local youth league and also ran the line for the adult games. They can earn between £15 and £30 a match.

dd has just got her first part-time job and was lucky when she handed her CV in as they were just arranging interviews that day.

Lots of nationals won't accept CVs now, everything is online. Independents are obviously different but this is the way large chains operate now.

Help him to get a CV together and then after exams he can dress in a smart casual way (dark jeans, nice shirt) and trawl round all of the shops asking if they have any vacancies. If they do not have any vacancies for Saturday staff at the moment, he should ask to leave his CV in case anything comes up.

My eldest did this after her GCSEs. She had interviews with three High Street fashion retailers and picked the one she liked the most.

It's also worth doing the same thing in pubs who do a roaring trade in Sunday lunches - they often take on youngsters just for this shift if it's the sort of place where Sunday lunch is their busiest service.

He could also try the supermarkets - again, arrive smart and armed with a CV and ask at the Customer Service desk.

Good luck to him - it's been a fantastic thing for my DD, dealing with the general public, providing customer service, meeting people (her collegues) outside of her circle of friends at school and earning her own money.

Just one word of caution though, keep an eye and make sure he doesn't get too over-committed. You don't want him getting persuaded to take on every Saturday, Sunday and late-night Thursday because he'll quickly be exhausted and unable to keep on top of school work and any sport/ music/ extra curriculars.

A lot of the supermarkets only accept on line applications. Waitrose, for example.
For local shops it's best just to call in. Do you have any cafes locally? A good waiter can earn a decent amount in tips.

Supermarkets..online.. and they are RIDICULOUSLY complicated for the jobs offered!

All of my teens have saturday jobs and two of them got them by walking in and begging:) It does take courage but worth it. DD2 has just got a new job by applying online to a well known clothes store even tho no job was advertised.

Pubs are good too..often want washer-uppers. Places like Subway, Dominos etc are good for just walking in and while the pay isn't wonderful it's a job. My DS has been at Dominos for 18m now and he's about to leave school..he's no academic but at least he has shown he can turn up and hold a job down..also paying for his own driving lessons.

Good luck to your DS..tell him get to the nearest town and ask every shop!

Thanks everyone! He'll get his GCSEs out of the way over the next month, then blitz the high street/local pubs with his CV. He's also putting in an online appln for Primark in case anything comes up there.

He actually seems quite enthusiastic about it now he realises even just doing 10 hours a week he could save £2.5k per annum & I he gets £2k per annum pocket money already, hopefully he can save up for a car & driving lessons over the next 18 months or so.

Mumblechum - if he can find the time it might be worth starting sooner. Every 16 year old will be out there in a a few weeks time - also if you have a university near you many pubs/shops etc will be losing staff very soon as the students go home for the summer. Best get in early Good luck to him. dd starts her first job today!

saggarmakersbottomknocker is right - the sooner he can get out there the better.

I absolutely agree with everyone who suggests going round in person, dressed smart casual.

If your ds is fairly on the ball and personable I'd recommend cafe/restaurant work. He'll probably have to start as a runner (collecting plates and glasses and so on - general dogsbody basically) but it's a foot in the door to becoming a "proper" waiter (and earning £££) - very useful for when he gets to uni. Good waiters are in demand - but the good jobs are always in demand too!

wow, £2k pocket money a year already!! Hope my son doesn't see this he only gets £7.50 a week.
However back to the point, my son saw an advert for our local pub and went in and offered his services. he now works every sundaywashing up between 10-5, to give him some extra cash.

My son went begging to Waitrose and Sainsburys with CV in hand. They still told him he had to apply on line. There have been absolutely no jobs and he's been checking for nearly 10 months now.

The thing with supermarket jobs is you really have to be quite flexible, by that I mean think outside the Sat/Sun box. It may be that evenings are advertised, ie one or two evenings a week, perhaps 5-9pm, go for that then there's always the option to work overtime. Supermarkets will always contract tiny amounts of hours, you make it up to whatever you want to/they offer, perhaps on different departments.

Find an 18 year old who is due to finish.

My DS got his job by finding out when one of his 18 year old friends was finishing their job and was off to uni. He asked the shop owner outright if he could be his replacement -it saved the shop keeper finding anyone else (DS also helped out for free a couple of times to get himself known).

52Girls, my son was willing to work flexible hours but if the post isn't advertised on line then it's a non starter.

Oh I know what it's like! Sorry, I wasn't aiming my post at you specifically. I know how long it took me to get what I wanted but one day it was there!

Well done on getting a job, 52Girls!

I've had it for two years now and it's ace, so thank you! But yeah, I waited a loong time and there was lots of competition, I even had three, yes THREE interviews. I actually thought I was going for the MD's position! (My student days are long gone but same principle!)

Out of interest, did you get it via online? I can't believe there are no jobs in our area at the moment for M & S, tesco, waitrose and Sainsburys and yet if you look at their websites, there are none. How any student gets one is beyond me.

Yes, I checked online fairly frequently. Sometimes the window for application isn't that generous so you have to get in there. Absolutely everything is online so it's really a case of keep on checking, every day, if poss!