Teens and jobs

[MichelleC69]

Am just curious as to how many of your 16+ yr olds have part time jobs, and what they do? My daughter has just turned 16 and is really keen to get part time job however she hasn't done anything about it yet as she's away for a lot of the summer, but I'm really keen to help her with it come September.

My stepson on the other hand is 18 and has no inclination to get a job, says he doesn't know where to start. This worries me for when he's at Uni as we can't afford to 100% support him through it financially.

Where is the best place to start looking? I thought of asking in our local pub to see if they need part time waitresses.

I recommend Tesco for jobs. They pay a really good wage and it’s the same whatever age you are. My daughter gets £8.65 an hour, plus on sundays/bank holidays she gets £11.30 an hour. You also get a discount card after 6 months.
I know that Sainsbury’s pay £9.20 an hour. And I believe Aldi are about £10 an hour. M&S pay her friends £8.65 an hour.
My son (19) is on summer break from uni. He is a waiter in a pub. He gets minimum wage plus tips (tips are shared and work out about £1.50 an hour). So my daughter gets paid a lot more than he does.

Justdanceaddict- Tesco employ under 18s - my daughter was 16 when she started there.

This has possibly already been suggested but get your son and daughter to download the Indeed app - Tesco, Sainsbury can all be found on Indeed - my son's lifeguard job, his friends Tesco job (started as a Christmas temporary job), his girlfriends 6.00 am-12pm Sainsburys job - packing online orders. You can add your CV - which might help your son if he doesn't know how to start job hunting.

Dd doesn't. She's 17 and just finished year 12. She gets an allowance from us instead.
She uses a lot of her spare time in the day doing a lot of work experience which is important to her planned university course, and future career, and in the holidays mixes some voluntary work with doing actual school work - this summer she has coursework to do for all three of her a levels, plus MAKING a decent draft of her EPQ. We also spend a fair number of weekends doing stuff as a family, which she still likes coming to, and we go away many if the holidays. Her having a job would impact on that for us too and I really can't see her wanting to miss those Holidays! Fortunately we are in a position to allow that.

Several of her friends do have jobs and, as one of our friends who works at a sixth form college has noted, often the work places are very unsympathetic to pupils who are doing school/college and out increasing demands in them to do extra shifts, etc. He did advise that if she doesn't need to work financially then it's best for her education not to do so, especially as she wants to gain as much work experience as possible too.

Definitely download the Indeed app. Tell her to keep her eye out for store assistant jobs and cashiers. I used to work in B&M and we had a fantastic 16 year old girl who worked there.

some good ideas, and nearly all the teens sound quite motivated and confident.

can't say that for my DS16. any encouragement or advice is met with negativity so I've just left it. He doesn't get pocket money though, so he basically is surviving on xmas and birthday money.

I do hope he gets something over the next couple of years, but there's a limit to what I can do if he hasn't got the confidence or 'get-up-and-go'.

I think its a shame because - apart from the handy cash - you do remember all these kinds of jobs (whether they are success or failure) when you grow up, and its good experience of life to work in shops, cafes, etc when young.

Thanks everyone, loads of useful info.

DS 16 has part time summer job with local tourist attraction, I accept that being in a tourist hotspot means more availability of jobs.

DD1 is 17 and has worked at least16 hours a week at the local Bowling Alley throughout Y12. Her marks are good and are in line with her aiming for med school.
She doesn't 'have' to work if she wants to live sensibly but she likes to go out with friends, eat out and buy the sort of clothes we can't afford to buy her.
She will be allowed to reduce her hours in Y13 but will be 18 in December and will be allowed to handle alcohol, as well as hosting parties and working as a receptionist.
DD2 has just turned 16 and will be looking for a job come September. She is a July baby and doesn't have as much experience but she'll only be at college 2.5 days a week so is going to have to do something!

My 15 yo brother doesn't have one. My elder step brother was a pot washer and then Batman. I (teenager 2006-13) was a waitress, cafe cook, cleaner, shop assistant and then bar maid. Some all at ones others alone.

At that age you have few qualifications and no experience so the best way is to walk around all the shops/ bars with a CV, buckets of confidence, a smile and a polite but friendly attitude and enquire. Make an impression and they may pick you.

Mind - I did get my best bar job by walking in, ordering a pint and asking them if they had any fucking jobs because the bar down the road wanted me to wear a bloody bikini.

My 17 yr old picks up hours in different jobs.
She is a lifeguard, and she works with someone who runs children's parties and she does babysitting for quite a few people.

My DD worked at Waitrose all through sixth form. She worked Saturdays and one evening a week but was able to pick up loads of extra shifts through the holidays. She applied though their website. They paid quite well and both me and her got discount cards for Waitrose and John Lewis - I'm gutted she no longer works there!

DS started with a paper round & then went on to restaurants, initially pot wash (never see him wash up at home) but then waiting & now he is 18, bar work as well. He’s also done various odd days helping friends who have their own business (inc catching rats ) & at sporting venues which is great as he gets to watch the games. He manages a part time job with volunteering at a holiday kids club & playing his team sports so I think he’s got a pretty sensible work/life balance & has saved up most of his earnings.

We have insisted our kids got jobs from the age of 16 - and if they don't we will be removing their pocket money - they can work in a charity or paid job - I don't care but they will work at least 4 hours a week, if they work they will continue to get their pocket money.
Dd got a job in a hairdressers - the pay is really shit and she's a bit deflated after working her butt off and getting really positive feedback about being the best Saturday girl they've had in ages. She'll use that to build her confidence and get a better paid job elsewhere...I knew the hairdresser would pay poorly but she thought it would be worth it for the glamour - two shifts in and now she just wants to be paid properly all good life lessons which was the point!

DD 17 has a paper round, she earns £7.50 a week . We live near a large city centre, and plenty of part time jobs available but her initial argument was she didn't want to get a better paid job as she wants to study in the summer holidays.... Well she hasn't been doing that either I brought up the issue of a part time job again, and her argument was she doesn't go out so why does she need to earn more money. That is true, she hardly goes out, she doesn't buy clothes, make up etc so she doesn't have a need to earn anything extra. As she goes out so infrequently I do give a £5 and that is it...About once a month....

My DD works for Waitrose. She does 4 hours one evening a week and 6 hours on Sundays. She is doing the odd day here and there now we are back from our holiday.

Mine worked part time at a guitar shop from age 15. I doubt he'd have had a job had he not found that one quite by chance but anyway, he did, and it was good for him.