At what age did your teen get a weekend/holiday job?

podperson

I started at 12 which I guess is younger than most but a family member owned a shop so started doing a few hours on a Saturday afternoon then progressed to full day Saturdays and school holidays at probably 14/15. It was excellent experience, taught me responsibility and a decent work ethic and I loved having my 'own' money. I think having some experience to talk about as well helped me move into another job much easier.
That said I do appreciate it's probably harder for kids that age to find someone to take them on these days.

pulliptears

DS was 16, he actually worked voluntarily helping an old man in a local bookshop for a few hours on a Sunday. Old man would give him a few pounds here and there as a treat but more importantly when a part time paid job came up he got a glowing reference.

He went on to get the PT job, working in a local call center and he's still there now (he's 20). He was the youngest ever customer advisor in the building and is so well thought of there he can vary his hours (he's finished Uni for the summer now so will go to full time).

Most kids will turn their noses up at voluntary work but if your DS can be persuaded he might reap the rewards for it later on down the line.

balletshoes

WantToBeSE wrote: »

I am just wondering what age your teens got their first weekend or school holiday job? My son will be 14 soon, and i am thinking about encouraging him to get a job then, do you think this is too young?
What age is the 'norm'?

no I don't think thats too young, as long as he has the time to take on a job as well as schoolwork, extracurricular activities etc.

I had a job after school and on weekends when I was 13 nearly 14, I was just thinking about that this week, that apart from paper rounds I don't know many part-time jobs that youngsters under 16 do these days?

BitterAndTwisted

I started to look for paying work when I decided I wanted more disposable income than my parents were prepared to provide via pocket-money. I think I offered my services as a baby-sitter for neighbours at around 15 or so.

System

My children worked for me! :-)
My older daughter from around 14 years old (the skills she learned helped her get her holiday rep job) and the younger daughter started a few months before her 13th birthday.
I still have my youngest son to train up in a few years, but will be happy to give him a wee job when the time comes.
I didn't really fancy paper rounds and such like as there are too many dodgy characters about.
HTH
L x

j.e.j.

I was 15 but wouldn't recommend starting a job that early. We really got exploited, pay-wise, and it was hard doing the hours and studying for GCSEs. I'd say 16 or 17 is about right, maybe just a part-time job on a Saturday.

Triangle

My first job at 15 - four hours on a Saturday at a shoe shop for the grand sum of £2.10/hr

happy_to_be_here

My first job was at 13 (15 years ago!) and it was a paper round for the princely sum of £8 a week. I earned almost £200 tips at Xmas tho which helped an awful lot. At 15 I got a job in the local chippy which paid £2 an hour plus tea at the emd of the shift. I then progressed to the grocers at 16 and worked for £2.50 an hour until I was 18. I kept the grocers on until I was settled in my first full time job.

Somehow I was still always skint!!!

mumonashoestring

I grew up in a tiny rural village where it was difficult to find jobs for anyone, let alone a teenager! From about 13 onwards I was paid for lawn mowing at home, and I mucked out stables in return for cut price riding lessons. At 16 I took a part time job at a supermarket in the town where I went to school, a couple of days a week and either a Saturday or Sunday, and had a paper round. By 18 I was doing a couple of evenings a week in a local pub and working through the summer holidays at the supermarket, as well as doing Sundays there.

My parents ended up doing a lot of picking up and dropping off thanks to the lack of reliable buses but by the time I started Uni I had some work experience and I had a good idea of the value of money, which I think was more their intention than making me 'pay my own way' as such.

tooldle

Age 13, two hours a week shelf stacking in a local shop. At 14 my hours were increased to include a half day on Saturday. At 15 changed jobs for a Saturday job.