Getting that first job...

[Bugz]

Something i'm a novice at.

I'm nearing my 16th birthday (already got my National Insurance Number :>) and I want to get a job. People are probably already thinking 'lollers, get a paper round - kids job' or whatever. I already have a paper round yet I yearn for more cash.

So I have a few questions:

Where is the best place to seek jobs for 16-17 y/os? Most adverts say 18+ yet I know a few 17 y/o's who earn £5 an hour constantly doing long hour shifts etc.

What sort of pay should I be expecting?

And any other general tips/hinters for getting a job at 16.

Do most shops seeking help put a notice outside? I've asked a handful of shops without a notice outside but they always said they didn't need anyone.

I'm completely new to this whole subject so any advice would be helpful.

 

[haarewin]

Something i'm a novice at.

I'm nearing my 16th birthday (already got my National Insurance Number :>) and I want to get a job. People are probably already thinking 'lollers, get a paper round - kids job' or whatever. I already have a paper round yet I yearn for more cash.

So I have a few questions:

Where is the best place to seek jobs for 16-17 y/os? Most adverts say 18+ yet I know a few 17 y/o's who earn £5 an hour constantly doing long hour shifts etc.

What sort of pay should I be expecting?

And any other general tips/hinters for getting a job at 16.

Do most shops seeking help put a notice outside? I've asked a handful of shops without a notice outside but they always said they didn't need anyone.

I'm completely new to this whole subject so any advice would be helpful.

heya. not sure what the pay is like for 16 y/o's, but Boots will be hiring for christmas people now, and they keep on the good ones.
not really got any tips, it was my first interview and the next day i had a phone call offering me the job. i was just myself, and evidently a little nervous.

 

[tris-]

depends what pay your going for, but at 16 beggars cant be choosers i suppose.

apply to any agencys in the area. then not only are you looking for a job, but other people are looking for you.

i assume you wil be going to college? then believe it or not but Mc Donalds is better than youd think. it is ofc minimum wage. but they are uber flexible on shifts if you have extra work or exams for example. and you can work as much or as little as you want. they do put your college/uni etc first, work second. i shall be starting to work here tonight (and no i dont have spots or drive a suped up punto )

make a CV and a covering letter then pop in town. drop a copy of each at as many different shops as possible. what shops did you goto? big shops, corner shops? you want to be going to places like woolworths, NEXT, etc. on the envelope put FAO: The Manager or something along those lines. at least then they have it incase some job does come up.

have a look here - www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk. can search jobs by area then you could phone and see if there is age restrictions.

pay wise, id say minimum wage and if your lucky upto £4/hour.

 

[Samaroon|Terracotta]

Just ask around in shops around you area, but not the likes off Off Licences etc

Shops like Asda, Tesco. big Superstores etc, seems pretty easy enough to get a job there. You could always so to Mcdonalds though, my cousin gets £5.50 an hour for working on the tills there and he's only 16 ^^

 

[tris-]

my cousin gets £5.50 an hour for working on the tills there and he's only 16 ^^

wtf? :/ my pay is starting on 4.10 and i shall be cooking all the god damn food aswell

 

[Mikah75]

generally supermarkets i'd presume, looking at around £4.00 an hour, my first job was at Wickes and i was getting £4.50 an hour, much more than my friends, STAY AWAY FROM JJB^^

 

[Jeremiah]

Well I'm guessing you are still at school - so you just need to watch out you dont get exploited by people who think its ok to pay you £2 an hour! Although, the minimum wage for under 18's is £3/hr I think (Soon to be £3.30!) - I wouldnt expect much more over that. And I think there's employment laws to cover what hours you arent allowed to work - so I'd imagine that "legally" you would be limited to early morning and weekend work.

Good luck getting your first job tho! My first job was at McDonalds... I wouldnt reccomend it

 

[Bugz]

I'm not overly fussed where I work - I just want cash.

And next year i'll be moving into yr 11 so I'll still be at school.

I'll look into the McDonalds, I never knew you could be a min. of 16 there ^^

Thanks so far for the advice all

 

[Ryuno]

Most places you can work from the age of 16, but it depends on what your gona be doing, and mostly insurance etc.

Some places put signs out saying they are LFP, but most don't.

I would write yourself a letter and CV and send it out to all the places you would like to work (as has already been suggested). Don't be surprised if it takes a while to get replies, if any. Consider it a rare occurance if someone replies saying they don't have any jobs atm. Also don't get too down if you don't find anything straight away, it takes time.

If you find you keep getting no replies/no jobs available, try and lower your standards a little. I say this in no way to be offensive. When I was first looking for a job I just applied to a couple of places I really wanted to work, but my standards were too high and I picked too few places. By sending out to lots of places, you increase the chances of finding a job.

Also, its ok to turn down a job if you get offers for more than one - don't feel bad about that. And the interview is also a chance for you to find out what the place is like, so if they offer you a job at the interview and your not sure, just say you'll let them know in a couple of days etc.

 

[fettoken]

I got a job when i was 17, through one of my contacts that i know. Got about 8 £ an hour, 8 hours a day. But the offer were only for 6 months. But it was a bit heavy lifting now and then. Packaging sausages etc

 

[Bahumat]

Ask yourself this

"Why do you think you would be good at this job"

tis a question they may ask you so its always good to have a suitable answer

 

[Himse]

Bugz! Make McDonalds your very LAST option, its a rather shit job =] have a few mates who work in there and walking in to see them with that little hat on makes me laugh.

Check out plenty of supermarkets... Big stores (PC World) etc... Call centers? Considered that? they pay quite well =]

 

[Jeremiah]

Just to reinforce - because it might save you....

Dont work in McDonalds, no matter how many people say "A job is a job!". Its really hard to keep a straight face when someone orders 3 large Big-Mac meals, with apple pies and ice-cream, but then order a diet coke... it happens all the time! Also, you want to avoid working drive-thru... drunk people spitting in your face isnt nice ;(

Supermarkets actually tend to both be better paying and much better work enviroment.

 

[tris-]

maybe it depends who you know in mc donalds. all the managers at the place im going are my mates and so are half the crew. ive been nicely put in to work in the kitchen

i heard nothing but fun and games in there. how many burgers you can eat in one bun, who can down a large cup of those little UHT cartons etc

 

[Jeremiah]

maybe it depends who you know in mc donalds. all the managers at the place im going are my mates and so are half the crew. ive been nicely put in to work in the kitchen

i heard nothing but fun and games in there. how many burgers you can eat in one bun, who can down a large cup of those little UHT cartons etc

In the McDonalds that I worked, there was an unwritten rule. All the nice looking people worked on front counter, all the ugly ones worked in the kitchen

And before you ask, I'm not telling you where I got stuck

 

[Krait]

Supermarkets actually tend to both be better paying and much better work enviroment.

Have to agree with this,supermarkets like Tesco,Sainsbury etc really look after their staff and the pay is always reasonable.

 

[Bahumat]

In the McDonalds that I worked, there was an unwritten rule. All the nice looking people worked on front counter, all the ugly ones worked in the kitchen

And before you ask, I'm not telling you where I got stuck

In the toilet with the 80 year old leather gimp?

 

[Dreamor]

Have to agree with this,supermarkets like Tesco,Sainsbury etc really look after their staff and the pay is always reasonable.

Totally agree, you would be better off applying for these and sitting there tests (piss easy) than working CrackDonalds

 

[Jeremiah]

In the toilet with the 80 year old leather gimp?

Not quite, but I had to clean the girls toilets once... that scared the crap outta me

 

[Lamp]

What sort of work do you want ?

1. Check what's available at your local job centre. Don't laugh - its not just for people on the dole or single mothers claiming benefits. They offer young folk like yourself excellent advice on what jobs are available in your area, the sort of money you can expect, and they can actually help you get interviews and give you advice on job applications, CV preparation, and interview advice. On a cynical (but true) perspective, the last thing the government wants is another person claiming benefit, so they will go out of their way to help you and keep you off the books.

2. Local newspapers

3. Libraries.

4. If you know what sort of work you want to do, try approaching employers directly. Either a visit or pop your CV in the post to them. If you're going door to door, dress smart. You NEVER get a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression.

5. Register with job agencies (eg. Reed, Adecco, Brook Street, Josline Rowe, Michael Page, Robert Walters, etc, etc). If you can get to London, every Monday at City stations (eg. Liverpool Street, Bank) they give out free magazines full of jobs and job agencies.

6. Use the internet. Register with monster.co.uk and get your CV uploaded. I've used it before and it REALLY works. Employers and agencies contact you directly. I would recommend that site to anyone looking for work. Also check out other sites like Fish for jobs. There are hundreds of job sites out there, but start with monster. Takes 5 mins to set an account up and its free.

7. Ask friends / family / people you know.

Looking for work isn't easy and you can get demoralised. But get yourself into a daily routine. Make looking for work your top priority. I know lots of people down the pub who moan about being out of work. When I ask them what they've done, they say nothing. I got no sympathy for them. However, if you get yourself motiviated and spend 3-4 hours every day looking for work, something WILL come up.

All the very best of luck getting a job. Whatever you get, its experience, and nothing beats experience. In 10 years time who knows ? You could be flying a commercial airline, or being a company director, or have your own business.

Let us know how you get on. If you'd like any help, just PM me m8y

 

[Dorimor1]

Don't supermarkets take 16 year olds? I think they do and you get around £4 an hour to start then you end up earning around £5.50 if you've been there for a year or so.

 

[DavidH]

Haha, I gotta laugh when I see the minimum wages in England. Damn.
Its like 8 quid~ or so in Norway, and thats like if you have the worst position ever at McDonalds or something.

 

[Lamp]

Marks & Spencer & John Lewis / Waitrose are very good to their staff. Get in there and you're laughing.

 

[Gamah]

In the McDonalds that I worked, there was an unwritten rule. All the nice looking people worked on front counter, all the ugly ones worked in the kitchen

And before you ask, I'm not telling you where I got stuck

lol they are the good looking ones? I would hate to see the kitchen ;d

 

[Lamp]

The one's that don't make the grade in the kitchen end up in the burgers

Why do you think the sauce is called "special" ...

 

[- English -]

worked at mc ds before i got a new job and to say its ok for a little part time job which i did 2 days a week as i was at college, but i would never, ever, never, eveerrrr work tehre full time.

the managers are thick as pig shit. they dont know how to manage. they are power hungry. did i mention they are thick?. its a boring job, tills are shit, 60% of people there are shit, customers are *****.

all the rumors etc arent usually true. Yes on closes you were allowed to eat left over food at 11oclock, and you are allowed to have breakfast on an open, but you just get fat if you do, and eating mc donalds on every break isnt nice tbh ^^

the money is shit aswell. 4.50 for a manager starting pay. LOL. 4.40 is new minimum wage in october for 18-21 year olds (4.25 now). Oh yeh, you also get shit reviews, max raise of 20p a year. such bollocks.

depending on which manager is in the kitchen u can also have chicken nugguts, drinks etc, as long as you dont take advantage. But the power humping, money scrounging managers make it hard work. They always understaff and leave you with too much work.

im so glad i left.

 

[Bugz]

Thinking of a supermarket since we have loads near us.

Brother has sent me his CV with all the different sections and i'll be perfecting it ready for when I turn 16.

Thanks for all the help guys. Much appreciated

The OT Forum can be a highly helpful place

 

[Jeremiah]

worked at mc ds before i got a new job and to say its ok for a little part time job which i did 2 days a week as i was at college, but i would never, ever, never, eveerrrr work tehre full time.

the managers are thick as pig shit. they dont know how to manage. they are power hungry. did i mention they are thick?. its a boring job, tills are shit, 60% of people there are shit, customers are *****.

all the rumors etc arent usually true. Yes on closes you were allowed to eat left over food at 11oclock, and you are allowed to have breakfast on an open, but you just get fat if you do, and eating mc donalds on every break isnt nice tbh ^^

the money is shit aswell. 4.50 for a manager starting pay. LOL. 4.40 is new minimum wage in october for 18-21 year olds (4.25 now). Oh yeh, you also get shit reviews, max raise of 20p a year. such bollocks.

depending on which manager is in the kitchen u can also have chicken nugguts, drinks etc, as long as you dont take advantage. But the power humping, money scrounging managers make it hard work. They always understaff and leave you with too much work.

im so glad i left.

This man speaks the truth :worthy:

 

[Lamp]

Thinking of a supermarket since we have loads near us.

Brother has sent me his CV with all the different sections and i'll be perfecting it ready for when I turn 16.

Thanks for all the help guys. Much appreciated

The OT Forum can be a highly helpful place

Don't underestimate how important the CV is. If it looks messy, or untidy, or confusing, or in some fucked up font / font size, or printed on toilet paper, the employer won't even bother reading it. Spead LOADS - and I mean LOADS - of time perfecting it. My CV is 8 pages long - but its set out so that its very easy to read, very clear, and has all the information an employer needs so that they don't need to ask it from you.

Oh - a word of advice - if you plan to upload your CV to monster.co.uk (and I do recommend this), don't put your National Insurance Number on it.

GL !

 

[Ryuno]

If a cv 8 pages long came on my desk, I would proberly think twice about reading it.

IMO cv's should be detailed enough but not too long. Employers dont always have hours to read your CV, especially when they have lots to look at. First page is important. I don't want to know that you live with your mum and dad in xraod new island. I want todo know what you can do, where you got your expereince from, and anything else relevant to the job.

No offense to you lamp, i havent seen your cv so obviously cant comment on it, but just speaking from my experience