Getting a job at my local waitrose

pgb2006

Hi,

I have just turned 16 and i went to my local waitrose to find out about getting a job for when i finish my gcse's. It was the second time that I had been because the first time i went and they told me to come back in a few weeks because they had run out of forms. When i went that time, i told them i was going to be 16 in a few weeks (the truth).

I went back again and all of a sudden, they had plenty of application forms (not really a suprise) but now you have to be 16 and 3 months to work at waitrose. She didn't give me a form and i had a little chat with her and after her giving me a rather funny look, she said this and i just said, thanks any way.

Does anyone know if this is true? or can any remeber back to their job when they were 16 and maybe suggest where else i could try (tesco not recuiting) or if anyone got a job at waitrose when they were 16?

Cheers.

Phil:D

jenny_f

marks and spencers take you once you've left school

lellie

I can't remember but I think the 16 and 3 months might be right.. At our waitrose they only employed AS level students and upwards - so they'd be 16/17..

annie-c

Do you look young for your age, Lellie? They may just be unsure about taking you on if they think you might be stretching the truth, and if they are worried about the hassle of taking you on then realising later if you're not old enough.

If so, it must be infuriating for you (though you'll love it later on, believe me!), but why not take your birth certificate with you when you next apply for a job. It'll help make you look super-organised too!

italiastar

My daughter had similar problems at Waitrose last year. She eventually applied and in her own words excelled at the group interview stage - some people who got the job had never even been into Waitrose before the interview and one thought it was a department store, not food store (obviously confused with John Lewis). At the end of it she didn't get the job, but lesser candidates did. I may sound biased, but my daugther could do a much better job than the ones they have in our local store. She tried to apply again this year, but they only have a manager post for an experienced person - odd as I would have thought they have a regular turnover of students and would have people leaving coming up. Like all things in life, it's not always fair. Just keep trying - good luck.

lellie

annie-c wrote:

Do you look young for your age, Lellie? They may just be unsure about taking you on if they think you might be stretching the truth, and if they are worried about the hassle of taking you on then realising later if you're not old enough.

If so, it must be infuriating for you (though you'll love it later on, believe me!), but why not take your birth certificate with you when you next apply for a job. It'll help make you look super-organised too!

hehe.. it's not me that's trying to get a job.. I'm 20 and look it! heh.

I was just saying that when I lived in a town with a waitrose a lot of my friends had jobs there but they were always 6th form students before they got a job there.

Somerfield take on 16 year olds if that's any help. I worked there a few months after turning 16..

annie-c

lellie wrote:

hehe.. it's not me that's trying to get a job.. I'm 20 and look it! heh.

I was just saying that when I lived in a town with a waitrose a lot of my friends had jobs there but they were always 6th form students before they got a job there.

Somerfield take on 16 year olds if that's any help. I worked there a few months after turning 16..

Sorry, my comments were intended for the OP!!!!

(Though, I must say, I'd love to look 20 again!!!) :rotfl:

HanSpan123

They are lying I think...unless things have changed since I was fifteen, which I doubt because irritating employment laws like that seem to be allowing 15 year olds to work more often than not. I definitely worked at Sainsbury's when I was fifteen and I switched to Waitrose so I'm pretty sure I was fifteen when I worked there too...I was definitely under 16 and three months anyway.

I know exactly how frustrating it is when you are under the legal age to work and yet still need to spend money if you want to have any kind of a life. I think the government got it wrong by imposing these age restrictions. I know they are supposed to protect children from being exploited, but all that needs to be done is to make sure there are enough laws in place to make sure this does not happen eg. only a certain amount of hours a week etc.

I never got any money from my mum as she was a single parent and couldn't afford it. I really do sympathise with you that irritating people tell you these lies because you are young, but don't worry about it, you'll get there.

someone

Normaly you have to have wait until the end of July (cant remeber the date, it is on the back of the letter with your NI card).

This is because you are still classed as been at school and there are tight restrictions on employment.

nomoneytoday

If Waitrose won't take you on, why not look somewhere else?
There are plenty of other shops and supermarkets

pgb2006

thanks for your advice everyone, i'll check the NI letter and go down to m&s to see if they have any jobs going