Where was your teenage Saturday job?

sammyjammy

I worked in a Jobcentre in Cornwall in the early 90s, no minimum wage, we regularly had care, labouring, retail jobs at £1 an hour, desperate times in recession so employers got away with it.

YorksLass

When I was 15 (1964) I worked in a small independent ladies fashion store, 9am to 5pm on Saturdays as a junior sales assistant for the princely sum of 15s (75p), with the opportunity to earn commission on sales.  There was a pecking order for sales though and I was bottom of the list so very rarely earned any commission.  In reality, my time was spent tidying the clothes rails, vacuuming round when it was quiet, going for lunchtime sandwiches, parcelling up items for posting to customers and taking the parcels to the Post Office at the end of the day.  I did get discount on anything I bought but that wasn't often as (a) it was an expensive shop and (b) the styles were a bit old fashioned for a 15 year old!  I remember being called in to see my school headmistress to explain why I was working when I should be concentrating on my studies for O levels. She said if my performance deteriorated she would see to it I couldn't continue in the job.  I stayed for a year until I left school and went on to college.  A different world back then.

Rosa_Damascena

I first secured a Friday and Saturday evening job in the local Chinese takeaway. They were looking for a grammar school student and I passed their maths test with flying colours! Alas it was not to be as my parents put their collective feet down, they weren't going to have me serving a bunch of drunks as a 15yo and so I had to pull out. They also made comments about coming home reeking of chip fat which I didn't get then but I completely understand now.

From there onwards it was telesales for the local newspaper and M&S retail.

Siebrie

I babysat the neighbours' twins from just after they were born and I was 13 until I was 23, every other Monday night. I started at NLG5 (about 1.50GBP), but in the beginning I just had to be present, because the babies were sleeping. As they got older I got paid more, and it included dinner, and after their move also a night's sleep and breakfast, which was perfect when I was a poor student.

In addition to that I had a Wednesday paper round, 5 hours for NLG30 (GBP 12) per week, when I was 15/16.

From 17-21 I had a Saturday morning cleaning job at one of the local hospitals, Trauma department; it was paid 1.5x the weekday rate, so I got NLG75 (GBP25) per morning. I was let go when I turned 22, because then I went from Youth Minimal Wage to Adult Minimal Wage .

The babysitting money and the cleaning money were what kept me alive as a student: 350NLG/150GBP paid for food, clothes, travel, gifts,...

Clive_Woody

First proper job after my paper-round was working on a fruit & veg stall on a market, then started working at my local Kwik Save stocking shelves and working tills, I did Thu/Fri evenings after college and all day saturday. Most of the stock lads were teenagers and I remember Saturday mornings the most hung over got sent to make tea for everyone while the rest of us started work. Fun days. I think wages were around £2/hr as a 16yr old, going up a bit each year, I could walk to work so everything was beer money 

FlorayG

I never had a Saturday job but my first full time job was in a bookshop and I got £28 a week
Saturday jobs can lead to bigger things - two of the 8 senior managers I work with started with our company as Saturday boys and are now on £60,000+

dp1

I was a Saturday girl in Woolworths too - I have no idea how much I was paid though. I didn't enjoy it....the manager was awful!
From age 13 I babysat for a family a few doors away - usually at least one night a week and then for another family who lived just round the corner every Saturday till late.  I remember the mum telling me not to disturb the baby , but he was very cute and what harm could it do to just give him a little cuddle?  I learnt my lesson though, it took all night to get him back to sleep! My mam was close enough if I needed to phone her, but I don't think I ever did. As for payment, I've no idea but they used to leave loads of snacks!

Floss

I used to babysit on Saturday nights until I was about 16, for a family around the corner. I also collected the milk money on our milkman round Thursday & Friday evenings for 18 months until I finished my A levels. My income paid for driving lessons, clothes, LPs and nights out!

alicef

Another Woolworths Saturday girl here, '70s. Then M&S.

twopenny

As soon as I wanted clothes I chose and such -

My mother got me a job serving and packing clotted cream and cheese and a counter for selling to the public when I was 13. Strictly not legal but meah. About £3 for Sat & Sun.

We had to be on time, stand behind the counter and be polite. The short break for a cup of tea you may have to sit in the window of the cafe to make the place look busy.

Never forget the end of the summer when I did choose my own clothes. Pale blue Jersey shift dress (Oh the bees knees) and immitation crocodile heeled shoes. She could do nothing about it  

I learned a lot about business from the guy who owned it that has stood me in good stead throught life.