Best paid job for 16/17 year old

Madmel

DDs both worked in the ice cream shop. DD1 started when she was 16 and worked every Sunday and any shifts she wanted in holidays until she went to uni. She was offered work in her holidays but found something more relevant to her degree (and better paid). She finished there on £7 per hour at just 18. DD2 started at 16 on £5 per hour but has had 3 pay rises in the last 18 months and is now on £6.50 at 17. She also works every Sunday for a minimum of 4 hours and again any holidays. However, it is seasonal and the shop will be shutting for the winter in the next couple of weeks, not reopening until late Feb/early March.

DD2's friends work in McDonalds & Tesco, both of which offer extra work to them in school holidays. Shifts there tend to be longer. Both DDs enjoyed the work and money but didn't want more hours due to A levels.

Towser

Any ideas on what job,sector, company pays decent or job with some good benefits?

Has anybody answered this? I am still none the wiser unless I have missed something.

I think starting off in an industry you are interested in is good advice as it gives experience. eg I wanted to eventually be a buyer so had a Saturday Sales Assistant job.

Local High streets always advertise jobs as well as your local town FaceBook page.

dawyldthing

If it’s for next summer look into the festival things. Often you can get a ticket in for clearing up after/ work round it if doing car parking.

There’s hospitality at most racecourses needed - depends how close you are. I used to work on the bars at the races for £55 a day at 18 (some were younger for hospitality I think), got a sandwich so wasn’t a bad number

Try your local small shops - they often have adverts on the window.

It is pure pot luck when it comes to getting more though. But it ain’t going to hurt trying

Savvy_Sue

lika_86 wrote: »

Next in advance of their summer sale? I have no idea if this is still as big a thing as it was when I was 17.

I believe it is but the hours .... Starting / finishing in the early hours! So transport might be an issue.

This might have to wait until they are 17 but my lads all worked at the local cinema. Not one of the large chains. I'd say it was the best job in the world at that age. Paid for the whole shift but when it was quiet they got to sit in the office and get on with homework!

michelle09

Catering is the way I'd always go. I worked in a kitchen when I finished GCSEs and it paid £5.50/hour 14 years ago. Not contracted hours, but the fulltime staff didn't want to work weekends or holidays if they could avoid it (most had children) and you were guaranteed meals on shift. During holidays I often did 7am-5pm and got breakfast, lunch and a sneaky dinner, definitely a bonus for my parents even if I didn't appreciate it.


When I hit a snag between jobs at 22 I went back to waitressing. If you are good and hit the right kind of area then it can be seriously well paid. I got £7/hour basic but sometimes tips outstripped that and it was more than I'd earned on a FT professional wage. There are loads of catering agencies around, particularly if you live near any form of venue/big city.

Red-Squirrel_2

hello007007 wrote: »

I guess what I am trying to say is - The NMW for a 16-17 year old is almost nothing - is there anyway they can earn a bit more?
Ie One full days work would be an hours driving lesson, if that.

Without any marketable skills, jobs that attract tips are probably the best way to earn more than NMW. They aren't old enough for bar work but cafes/coffee shops etc might be an option.

Fast food places don't pay well, but they do promote teenagers to be shift managers/trainers etc. so they can get a little bit of a pay rise if they want to do that. Hard work, but good on a CV and great experience for the harsher realities of the workplace.

Savvy_Sue

Another thought: if your city has a local paper, they may directly employ deliverers for after school. This can also lead to tips if the paperperson delivers a card at Christmas. Or see if the local newsagents need Sunday delivery people.

Towser

Yes, but can anybody answer this bit:

Any ideas on what job,sector, company pays decent or job with some good benefits?

Savvy_Sue

The cinema was always above NMW with 2 free passes each week. I don't know if the same would apply across the sector but it could be worth asking at local theatres as well.

onomatopoeia99

Towser wrote: »

Yes, but can anybody answer this bit:

I certainly can't - it's difficult to imagine a job for evenings / weekends that fits around homework / going out on the lash with mates / etc etc for an unskilled teenager that pays above the supermarket or fast food place and has "good benefits".

If there were such an opportunity, every 16-17 year old would be doing it, or trying to.