Teengers like to have their own money and there are so many benefits to earning at this age. It teaches young people budgeting skills before they really need to learn how to manage. It is the time to learn how to be responsible with money. It teaches them the value of money and also the value of hard work. Therefore I am a huge supporter of weekend jobs for teens.
However it can be hard finding suitable weekend jobs especially if you play sport or have other regular commitements. The law is very clear on school children working. For many the first jobs are in the informal ecomomy and may include babysitting, dog walking and other casual work.
Once a child reaaches the age of 16 more opportunities open up as you can handle money and operate tills. At this stage many may start working in retail and the hospitality trade.
Where to find weekend jobs for teens
- Word of mouth is always a good start. If it is for babysitting etc a simple shout out on Facebook to parents friends is often a great starting point. Working like this you will be asked your ratees. Decide this beforehand by asking others in your area what they charge.
- Cards in shop windows may seem very 1990’s but for local babysitting, cleaning and dog walking jobs it is still a great place to advertise your availability. Make sure you have a contact number on the card either phone number or email. You may want to include your rates too.
- If you are a student University or college often hold recruitment fairs for student jobs. It is now recognised that most students need to work alongside studying due to the ever rising cotss of continued studying.
- Looking directly in the shop windows is where vacancies are often listed. Head into town armed with a notepad and pens and ask. Some will be asking your to complete application forms otherss may direct you to online application forms. My tip when asking in store is to smile, be polite and look relatively smart. First impresssionss count so make a good impression.
- If regular work is not viable there are ways online to make money. Students could consider using apps like Roamler or doing mystery shopping It won’t make them rich but will provide some income.
I asked a range of bloggers what there first paid jobs were and the results were wide ranging. It also pointed out the other benfits in working. There were discouunted clothes and food for example. That can be ideal for students. It is worth noting too that you could ask bbe transferred to another local branch of the shop when going off to University. This saves you having to look for a new job. i know many of tthe ssupermarketss will do this.
My first job was waitressing in a cafe at 14, I then worked in a nursing home preparing teaa. I also worked for my mums friend in their garage business where I did basic admin tasks. When at University I worked in Sainsbury’s during the holidays.
- Hannah worked in a little DIY shop that was owned by her Nanna’s friends husband www.anewadditionblog.co.uk
- Emma worked on a strawberry farm, aged 14, manning the farm shop! http://themoneywhisperer.co.uk
- Claire was stuffing envelopes with leaflets and linoleum samples, followed shortly after by working as a kitchen porter (for £2 per hour) in the best pizza restaurant ever! Some of the best memories I have from my teenage years were from that place….www.mytunbridgewells.com
- Vicky had a Saturday job in Mothercare – she always ended up having to empty the nappy bins! It was pretty grim! LOL! ibeatdebt.com
- Tamara worked with her dad during the summer holidays where she used to pack up orders into boxes for £20 a week. She loved it! Theepilepticblogger.com
- Charlie at 13 had 2 paper rounds earning the grand total of 13 pounds a week. Her next job was at 16 as a chambermaid in the grottiest hotel in a rough part of the city. Www.onewagefamily.com
- Chammy also worked in hospitality and was a waitress in a hotel, her first 3 jobs were all waitresses. www.chammyirl.co.uk
- Lotty from Lotty Earns busked playing the trumpet, clarinet and singing. She claims theres loads of money in it – especially at Christmas.
- Jenni worked as a counter assistant at a local DIY and timber yard in the last 2 years of high school every Sunday. She earned £15 a day. Before that she had done a paper round. https://chillingwithlucas.com
- Faith had a Saturday job in Boots cookshop when she was 16, wearing a delightful bright orange polyester dress with cream tights. It involved standing up the whole time, manning the fiendishly complicated till, exchanging Soda Stream canisters and restocking the shelves with saucepans and Eternal Beau china. https://www.muchmorewithless.co.uk/
- Benny picked litter on a beach for the county council. It was absolute exploitation looking back at it he now believes! Www.daddypoppins.com
- Jennifer worked in a bookshop on a Sunday from just after my 16th birthday. She loved it but spent most of her wages on books! Http://www.mymummyspennies.com
- Jenny worked in a chip shop when she was 14 and says it was the absolute best! Mummysavermoneymaker.co.uk
- Delivering one of those free newspapers is how Victoria liked to earn – like hundreds of them! Took her about three evenings, broke her back and covered her in ink for around £7 a week when I was 14! lyliarose.com – She really solld it there didn’t she!!
- Bridget wrapped cutlery in napkins at the local pub when she was 14, and then helped glass collecting a little later. Bridiebythesea.com
- David’s first ever job was self made at 11 years old. He got a bucket, a sponge, wax and a rag, then went door to cleaning cars. he comfortably paid my way through the summer holidays and built up a client base for weekends during term time www.thinkingthrifty.uk
- Vanessa worked in WH Smith when she started my A Levels. They transferred her to the branch where my university was and she came back for the summer holidays. It meant I left university debt free but it was the days before tuition fees! http://www.jibberjabberuk.co.uk
- Lynn worked in Dorothy Perkins. She Loved it and got heavily discount clothes. Mrs Mummy Penny
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Singing at weddings as a cute early teen (and earlier) was how Adam made money. When he lost the cute factor he went in a call centre and called people requesting them to do a market research survey for me…4pm till 9pm straight from school. Better than min wage and could earn bonuses too Magical Penny.
I hope these examples give ideas of suitable weekend jobs for teens. There are many benefits to teens working and employerss now prefer well rounded candidates for graduates. So having experience of reall life working can only benfit you going forward..
EmmaB
Blogger, teacher and more importantly mum to 3. Emma shares money-saving and making tips around the web.
I so agree about the importance of having a job and learning a bit of independence and responsibility, as well as having extra cash to spend. I did a lot of jobs as a teenager, but my son hasn’t managed to find one just yet. He’s applied to a lot of places. I guess he’ll just have to keep trying!
Sarah MumofThree World recently posted…The new school – juggling
It’s crazy to think that I’ve been working for 16 years now. That’s already half my life! I think it is much easier for teens to get work now with the internet and mobile phone apps making everything more accessible. My first job was in the cake shop bit of Morrisons. It was quite lonely so I used to keep a few cookies aside so the shop floor people would come and visit me! Working from such an early age has really helped me work my way up the career ladder though as the experiences area great to re-tell at interviews.
I remember my Dad driving me round with my first CV to the local garden centre and local restaurants. I loved it when I had my first job on £3.60 minimum wage – independence!!!
I had cleaning jobs and delivered leaflets. I also did babysitting. My daughters all managed to get shop work and worked all through university, which gave them good work experience. I think it helps with confidence so the world of work isn’t such a shock when you have to do it full time.
Jane