Unemployed - aged 17! & money problems

Oldernotwiser

jobbingmusician wrote: »

- I'm assuming you want to work in an office

Why would you assume this when all the jobs the OP has applied for are in retail? The days when bright kids worked in offices, middling ones worked in shops and the less bright ones worked in factories are long gone!

kezbabybabe

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Why would you assume this when all the jobs the OP has applied for are in retail? The days when bright kids worked in offices, middling ones worked in shops and the less bright ones worked in factories are long gone!

It could also be that office work has not been thought of.

G-G_4

I think you are doing great.. xx

Bunnie1982

Well done on getting the trial at Greggs, do let us know how you get on.

mum2one

Congratulations with the job at Greggs, keep fingers crossed for you.
(((((((((((Big hugs))))))))))))) x

leeniebaby21

thinking about you being fast at typing and good on the phone, i suggest you try call centres, they have excellent wages for you with you only being 17 as i know the minimum is around 4 an hour and where i live and have applied in call centres it is around 7 pound and hour.

i am just turned 18 so i sympathise with you as i know how hard it is to get a job when you have basically no experience as i did a year at college straight after school and struggled to get a job since. the downside about call centres is the hours, they are normally bad shifts like lates and weekends but once you get your foot through the door you can request a shift change.

hope this helps.

and good luck with greggs

jobbingmusician

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Why would you assume this when all the jobs the OP has applied for are in retail? The days when bright kids worked in offices, middling ones worked in shops and the less bright ones worked in factories are long gone!

I agree with your main point (I do mystery shopping, so am very aware of the high standards demanded of retail staff! ) but the OP says 'I'm very good with computers. Im a fast typer as im on t he net like 3 hours a day or more. And have had the net for 5 /6 years so im addicted and used to it also. And i like animals - dogs, cats, rabbits etc. Im good at talking on the phone, i never shut up lol. Im good at basic maths- like adding, taking away. Im friendly, can start jobs asap. I have also applied for a course for receptionist work 5 days a week, 1 day college 80 pounds a week, i applied for that 2 weeks ago.'

It was this paragraph that made me think the OP was very keen on office work, even though all the applications so far have been for retail. Sorry if I gave a snobbish impression unintentionally!

magic57

Hi there. Try not to worry too much about your parents problems. Just a thought as you like animals and are good at typing and telephone. Have you thought about asking at your local vet to see if they need any extra help. You sound like a really nice young person and I hope you do well.

Good luck.

boldaslove

hey that's a good idea - have you considered training as a vet nurse? i once applied for a vet nurse trainee and i got offered an interview despite me having no qualifications. they just picked me up on my interest in animals (i didn't take the job eventually as i knew i didn't want it as a career and somebody else would love to).
there's also local animal shelters you could try - it may be voluntary, but you could do that part time and get a part time call centre or admin job. voluntary work can lead to a paid position and (this is no insult to you) they're much more likely to take on someone who's willing to work for free as it shows commitment and a passion for what you're working with.

it's hard not to get disheartened jobhunting as it just feels like you get ignored. i had that at 17 and i still have it at 23 despite the years of work and training i've done! remember there's no rules that say you must go to college/uni at 17, i know lots of people who've gone back into education in their 20s and 30s and have got so much more out of it than doing it as a teenager. there's apprenticeships and learn to earn schemes. lots of jobs now offer management training and NVQs/C+G. have a look at learndirect's website, they're really good and you can phone them to ask for advice.

your parents can sort out their financial problems, it's important for you to be as financially independent as possible, not only will it lift the stress a little for them, but you'll gain so much by knowing you've earned your own money. also nobody will have the right to tell you you can't have yet another pair of shoes

good luck with your trial, and don't get too dishearted by it all. i think most of us encounter finanicial/employment/educational struggles at several points in our lives. i think my dad stopped paying CSA when i was about 12!

QueenDebbie

Congratulations on your new job, hope it all goes well.

Regarding disability benefits, you might be entitled to Disability Living Allowance (mobility). It's quite a long form, and there is a knack to filling them in, so if you are thinking about applying it's worth going along to CAB or another Welfare Rights advice organisation. For DLA they'll consider things such as whether you trip while you're walking, if you walk in an unusual way (e.g. staggering, on your toes), whether you need to rest after walking for a while, etc.

If you don't want to stay in the job you are in now in the longer term and are thinking about career options, as a few other people have said, I would recommend voluntary work. A lot of voluntary positions don't require you to have qualifications, it's a good way of finding out if you like that type of work, and there might be chances to paid employment through it. I did some voluntary work while I was at 16 and at college, got paid work with the company after a year and loved it so much I am still her five years later (and earning more than some of my friends who have got degrees). Most of our administration staff began as volunteers or trainees and a lot of them have got NVQs through the workplace too.

You're only young, and have a lot of options. You seem to have a decent job at the moment, and I'm sure at some point you'll figure out what you want to do next. And don't worry about your parents! They'll sort things out, and they'd probably be more worried if they knew you were feeling like that.