Saturday jobs for very shy teens

[waltzingparrot]

Has anybody got a very shy teen that's managed to find a doable saturday job?

DS will not work in a cafe/restaurant or shop - basically customer facing roles. I do get that it would possibly/probably be a good thing for him to do that and bring him out of his shell, but I would have to drag him through the door to his interview, kicking and screaming which is not a good look infront of your prospective manager.

We don't fund him for fun stuff and times, in order to motivate him to get a weekend job. He would actually like to earn something now, but can't find anything apart from shop/hospitality.

What are your 16/17 year olds doing if they're not customer facing?

Pot washer? They are often pretty much left to it. Delivering papers/leaflets.

Yes to pot washer. It's what my youngest wants to do as with ASD, the constant stimulation of being being a bar or having to chat to customers would be over whelming.

*being behind a bar

My son is the same really. For the moment I'm not doing anything about it. I am helping him more with work experience application, and encouraging a level studies, rather than getting a part time job he doesn't actually want. Think long term.

Shelf stacking in the evenings.

Warehouse work

Deliver leaflets
Stack shelves
Busboy (doesn't take orders so little interaction with customers - just clears and wipes tables.)

But would it not help her shyness to have some sort of customer facing role?

My very shy teen was persuaded to volunteer at a vaccination centre alongside me, and graduated to going on their own. Could this be a stepping stone to a paid role?

I was a shy teen, and had a pot washing job.

DS is an internet shopper at a supermarket. Basically he has to walk round with a trolley and pick up the items from people's internet orders. He very occasionally might get asked where something is, but essentially there is no interaction with the general public - he tends to just zone out and just focus on the orders. They are also allowed to listen to music while they do it. Supermarkets (round here anyway) are definitely looking for more staff at the moment as well.

Making pizzas in Papa Johns. Two evenings a week. Really busy, but just cracks on with the online orders and doesn't really have to deal to anyone.

speak

I was shy to the point of not being able to speak to my own extended family and getting a job as a waitress was the best thing I ever did. It brought me out of myself and I found I could speak to people when I was in 'waitress' mode rather than as 'polkadotpixie' which then eventually gave me confidence outside of work

This is a very useful thread.

Where do people find leaflet/newspaper-delivering jobs these days?

My 16yo DD wants a job, is also shy, and would benefit in many ways from being obliged to get outside and walk a couple of times a week!

My 16 yr old son works on dot.com (online shopping) very early starts but finished by lunchtime.

DD has a job inputting data at a vaccination centre, she likes it as she wears casual dress and doesn't have to talk to anybody.

My son doesnt do people but works in a small family run cafe. He does everything from the till to service. They have given up asking him to smile as he is very polite to compensate.

I heard that older picking at Waitrose early morning is a good job for shy teens. Good money and only have to odd customer asking for help as it's not her primary role. Good money too

I've seen ads for people in stock rooms at shops. They unload deliveries and sort in the stock room.

Could he volunteer to sort stuff at a charity shop? Then possibly do the odd stint on the counter (eg when someone needs the loo) to build up his confidence a bit? Obviously he wouldn't be paid, but it might open up options for him.

I was very shy and I found working in a supermarket helped enormously. It’s just very basic small talk on the checkouts. It was kind of terrifying at first but got easier. Stacking shelves you didn’t have to talk so much but I was more scared of the box cutters so 🤷‍♀️😂

I would leave him to it. If he wants the money he will find a suitable job, but the impetus needs to come from him.

DS had a job at a local pub as a glass collector, although obviously that was evening work rather than days. Customers are not interested in talking to a teenager collecting empty glasses from their table, and the bar staff interactions would be limited to asking if he could concentrate on particular glass types (pint, wine etc) as they were starting to run low.

It was a pretty ideal job really. They even asked him if he knew anyone else to take the job on alongside him (busy, busy pub) so he had one of his friends working with him too - very suited to a shy lad!

@Mumsnut

My very shy teen was persuaded to volunteer at a vaccination centre alongside me, and graduated to going on their own. Could this be a stepping stone to a paid role?

Thank you, I really like this idea as a stepping stone to interacting and doing something useful with his time.

@polkadotpixie

I was shy to the point of not being able to speak to my own extended family and getting a job as a waitress was the best thing I ever did. It brought me out of myself and I found I could speak to people when I was in 'waitress' mode rather than as 'polkadotpixie' which then eventually gave me confidence outside of work

Yes I do understand that it could be a really good thing to face his fear.

But did you decide to apply yourself or did a parent insist and sit over you while you filled in the application form? It's hard to pursue this useful life skill when they are saying no.

Does she like animals? I went to local kennels with my son and asked if they had any volunteer ops. He now does 4 hrs every Sat helping look after the dogs and cats. Loves it. We pay him as reward