Example Jobs at 16

TSR Wiki > Careers > Temping and Holiday Work > Part-Time Work > Example Jobs at 16

Here are a few case studies of people getting jobs at 16 (either part time or full time).

You can add your own experiences. Please add your company's name, your TSR nickname, and a brief description of your job, hours, pay, etc.

Fast Food Chains

Subway (sa05)

Everyone knows the American subway franchise, we make 'fresh' sandwiches etc. I've been working weekends for 3 months now, and its not so bad. I was 16 when I started, the pay at £5.05 an hour, which is what everyone gets. Tasks include making sandwiches (of course) but there is also a lot of food preparation, table cleaning, sweeping, and washing (trays and containers). Free drinks throughout the shift and a foot long sandwich for every shift, but that differs between every store. There is no contract, hours are arranged by the manager weekly so for example, I have exams for the next month, so I asked the manager not to give me any hours for a couple of weekends. Its good, but it also means that you don't have set hours each week, so one week you could be only working 8 hours a weekend but the next could be 16. Its not an easy job, everyone has to share and delegate tasks, and you will definitely be on your feet for hours on end. Customers are usually nice and friendly so the atmosphere is good as there is a lot of interaction as they choose their salad and some sales uprising techniques are involved.

McDonald's (Jacketpotato)

I've worked at McDonalds since I finished my GCSEs five years ago.

The starting pay depends on the restaurant, but expect to start on around £4.50 if you are 16 or around £5.50 if you are 18-21. However, your work gets reviewed after 2 weeks, your pay will then rise according to how you well you did. If you did very well, expect to see a fairly big jump in your pay after only 2 weeks, and at regular intervals after that. The benefits are also quite good: discounts on ipods, McDonalds, Dell etc. and private health insurance after 3 years. The hours are extremely flexible - much more so than any supermarket - and consequently you have the opportunity to work more hours at times more convenient to you.

The job is definitely more challenging than most other part-time jobs. You do sometimes deal with stroppy customers and there is a lot to juggle: there is more to the job than meets the eye, it is definitely not the easiest student job around. In terms of experience, its very much you get out what you put in. There is an enormous amount to be gained if you show yourself as capable and willing. I have got the opportunity to train people, deal with customer complaints, do cash control, am now a shift manager and have done all sorts of other things. Working for McDonald's is definitely one of the best things I have ever done and my experiences look great on the CV: it was a hot-topic for my Cambridge interview and was by far the most talked about topic in my interviews for jobs at top law firms. I can vouch for the fact that employers do recognise McDonalds as one of the best part-time jobs to have in terms of what you learn from it.

McDonald's (NickyP)

I started working at McDonald's as soon as I finished my GCSEs, which was nearly 2 years ago now. I know a lot of people look down on McDonald's, and it is often the butt of jokes, but I wouldn't want to work anywhere else.

In company owned stores at the moment, 16 year olds start on £4.25 an hour, over 18 year olds start on £4.65 and over 21s start on £5.55 (In franchised stores pay can vary). I agree that it's not th best pay in the world, and it's not really fair how people get paid different amounts for doing the same job, but after a 3 week probationary period there are regular opportunities for pay rises and there is the chance to be promoted to a Staff Trainer after 3 months or so, which can lead to an hourly rate starting at £5.55. The next step after this is Shift Manager, which usually takes about 3 years to reach but has a starting pay of about £7 an hour.

The hours are really flexible, to the extent where you can almost specify exactly when you want to work. All employees are employed under the same contract, so there aren't strictly part time and full time employees, which is good as everybody is treated equally, and even if you only work 8 hours a week you are treated the same as somebody who works 30 hours per week. Also, this means everybody has the opportunity to be trained in every position in the store, such as in the kitchen and on a till, for example. The job isn't as easy as it might seem, as there is a lot of hard work to do "behind the scenes", but the friendly atmosphere is great and everybody knows everybody. Another good point is that there are McDonald's stores everywhere, so you can transfer to other stores quite easily if you move away for university!

McDonald's (rt)

McDonalds as you probally already know is quite a big establishment, two thirds of our staff are between 16 and 20 years of age so you can probally guess it a popular job for young people to apply. You can apply online which is easy and accessible and this is the thing that pushed me to make the move as it didn't require the effort of going into the store and asking for an application form!

It's quite a good atmosphere among the majority of the staff and providing you're at the right store you will have a fun time. Some stores perform better than others and that's usually down to who is running the store. A lot of the staff at McDonalds only stay for a few months because it's only a part-time job and the wages are probally not good for some and some of you probally want to concentrate on your studies. It can get quite hectic at times and you have to be able to react quickly and serve customers and produce food fast and efficently, you will be trained to do this. If you aren't then make sure you nag for the training.

If you decide to stay on their is quite a good 'career' path lined up. Potentially, you could become a business manager one day who's on 45 grand a year and has a company car - a lot of responsibility and a good salary, eh!? Before that, you can become a staff trainer who will be on 5.55 an hour or a shift manager which basically is running a shift and making sure everything is running well, handling complaints and quite alot of other responsiblity too. I'd recommend this job to anyone as I am thinking of staying on full-time, just be confident, polite, fast and efficent and you'll do fine. Feel free to ask me any questions.

McDonald's (emilyystar)

If your looking for a part time job and need it quickly-McDonalds is probably your best option! Its easy and fast to apply online and if your application is successful, they get back to you in about two weeks after your application date. This is a plus point as many other employers dont get back to applicants!

Working in McDonalds is good fun. The work you'll have to do (cleaning, cooking, dealing with customers and having to be fast and efficient), is not difficult but can be demanding, but you will be trained for all situations which may arise! If you feel underconfident speak to your shift manager and they should give you a little bit more training if needs be! The other members of the crew are perhaps the best part of working in Mcdonalds! Due to a large amount of part time staff being aged 16-20 years old, your chances of having people to 'hang out' with on breaks is incredibly high. They can also give you some help and advice if you face any difficulties during your shift. And for those of you interested- they do make good Facebook friends!

McDonalds is perhaps the most flexible emploer in terms of shift times. You can decide on your availability- if you can only do one day a week then thats fine. If you can only do weekends thats fine too! And you can practically choose and set your own shift times! I've only been working there for nearly two months now, and they put me on the 7-3 shift Saturday and Sunday. If you have any difficulties with shift times speak to your manager who should be able to swap you around with another crew member.

And the final part of this is wages. Im not too sure about the over 18 rate of hourly pay but as someone who is under 18 I recieve £4.25 an hour and earn about £60 every weekend. Thats £240 a month! McDonalds pay every two weeks directly into your bank account and this again is another plus point to working in McDonalds as you dont have to wait until the end of the month to get paid! I

Supermarkets

Sainsbury's (davireland)

I have worked there for just over 18 months now on a Saturday and Sunday, I intend to stay with them throughout my time at uni. All recruitment is done online now at the sainsburys website, so this is where you need to apply. If you get an interview just be yourself, its the same format as every other supermarket, a what would you do if quiz and a role play. That was my interview anyway, my advice be confident, then you would normally get the job.

Induction is pretty boring and takes place over 2 days (for me anyway) it involved lots of watching videos and listening to health and safety regulations, then a tour of the shop finally working some shelves.

My checkout training took place over 3 hours and then followed by someone looking over my shoulder for another couple of hours. You are bound to get bored very quickly, but if you make an effort with customers it goes alot faster, I found when I asked customers how they were, they were more willing to talk. I got quite bored after 4 months after doing 12 hours a week.

I then asked to work on customer services, and I was then kiosk trained as well as desk trained. I worked on customer services for a few months until I turned 18 and now im starting my supervisor training. One good thing ive noticed at my branch and I think sainsbury's in general, they are very good at promoting people that do a good job and make at least half an effort. For the first 3 months (if your under 18) you earn £4.76 an hour. This then gradually rises to £5.35, when you reach 18 your pay goes up to 6.60 per hour, but this is really dependent on location (I live in south east england). You receive your colleague discount after 6 months which is generally 10% apart from holidays such as x mas when it is 15%.

Best bit (for me personally)= variety and meeting people, customers generally aren't bad. Worse bit = some jobs get very repetitive and boring.

Overall not a bad place to work, plenty of overtime if you want it as with promotion, if you dont mind working in a supermarket its generally ok.

Sainsburys (rotor)=

I started working at sainsburys as a part time job whilst studying at college and I 100% suggest it! Most people tend to work on checkouts, but I chose to work on the shop floor which I love. You fill out an application online and then your store replies to you (mine took a few weeks), then you go for your interview and hopefully you then get the job! Working at a supermarket is great, you get paid and get experience meeting people of all different ages and from all different places. I'd deffo reccomend it, its a great place to make mates and get paid :)

Tesco (Charlurr)

I've worked at Tesco for 2 years now! Started when I was 16. First thing to remember is that they will only employ you when you are 16 and once you've finished your exams. Application forms are either available at the customer service desk, or i do believe you can print them off from the internet. Once you've filled it in, just give it in the customer service desk.

Interview - You are asked questions on how you think you have been responsible in certain situations etc. Just try to be confident and things will be fine. Like JoJo has said, the best time to apply is Christmas as they need the temps. However, its also a good idea to apply at the end of summer as a lot of university students will be leaving then. My interview only lasted about 20 minutes, if that.

Induction - possibly the most boring period of your life, but you will get paid for it. You're just shown safety videos, get to know people and are given a quick tour around the store, and things such as fire exits are pointed out to you.

Training - can be confusing to begin with. I was only given a 1 hour training period without any customers, which personally was pap. Now that Im training people, the best thing to do is watch someone for a while and then have a go yourself, but make sure you are watched at all times if you need any help. You'll be scanning things in your sleep for a while ^_^ Checkouts isn't too bad once you get used to it but some people can be really stupid. Just ignore them :D Most people are nice and will give you a chance, just explain that you're new.

Pay - I think it starts at about £4.90 for 16 year olds (not completely sure, its probably gone up since my day). It goes up once you've been there 6 months and then a year, and you get the payrise every year to do with tax/inflation whatever. Once you're 18, it goes up A LOT, which is just lovely :D On Sundays, you get paid time + 1/3 (i think, though they're trying to abolish this soon).

Discount - 10% off once you've been working there 6 months. You also get clubcard points at the same time which can be useful (and are being used to buy my sexy iron for uni in August :D )

Best thing - I LOVE the people I work with. This'll probably be different in each store, but at my store I've made some solid friendships with the people there. The discount is awesome when you're planning getting drunk as well, haha. They also always honour your request of leave if you want study leave, whether paid holiday or unpaid. Theres ALWAYS overtime on Sunday if you want a bit of extra money as well :)

Also, our store manager is awesome and organises parties for us all. In the past 6 months or so, we've had two big bashes, both paid for by the store, the christmas party and the tesco birthday party (to celebrate our store being opened 21 years ago). I think a lot of the social side to tesco depends on your willingness to go out/organise things or the store manager and how in touch they are with their staff.

Worst thing - Some of the customers are bum heads. Seriously. But once you've been there for a while and know the job inside out, its easy to think up excuses etc. :D Also, at my store, its hard to get trained elsewhere, mostly because of the manager's reluctance to lose checkout staff (we're pretty short handed at the mo ^_^ ), but if you're persistant, then it will happen (for example, im meant to be getting trained on the petrol station this saturday after nagging for 2 months..). Also, if you work on a saturday, you're pretty much expected to work a 9 hour shift, but this goes quite quickly once you get used to it. If you can, never work when the store is about the close, its a killer [;

Overall - I'd thoroughly recommend working there, like I say, I've been there 2 years now and intend to stay there whilst I'm at uni. Theres been days when ive regretted working there, but overall i've really enjoyed it, mostly due to the awesome customers you can get some days (especially the regulars :)) and the people you meet. When you start, be outgoing and make friends, it'll make the whole process much nicer :D

Tesco (JoJo72)

I have worked for Tesco for 5 years almost, from 16 years of age all the way to the end of Uni!

Interview - pretty short and sweet - just speak clearly and you should be OK, best recruitment times are early summer and Christmas - they do generally keep Xmas temps on. During your interview they also make you go out into the shop floor and do something - perhaps pack someones shopping to see how you interact with people - my interviewer didn't seem bothered though. The one thing they love is people who are willing to work busy periods, these are Friday nights and any times on Saturday. (If you are willing to do these they will almost certainly take you on - bear in mind though they can be mega busy and sometimes stressful)

Induction - you get to do a group induction where they explain everything to you and give you books with company info etc. You also get a tour of the store and watch videos on safety etc.

Training - I started off on checkouts, you just getting someone watching over your shoulder and explaining - you get used to it after a few days. I found checkouts OK for a while, it does start getting boring, I wouldn't recommend shifts longer than 5 hours if you think you will get bored. Its not so bad if you don't like talking to customers because you don't have to but if you do time will probably pass quicker.

I have now moved onto the Grocery department and do all sorts from stacking shelves, helping customers find stuff, doing promotions etc etc - more physical but time goes quicker.

Pay goes up after 6 months and then after 1 year. My current pay at over 18 and over 1 years service is about £5.80 - you get more in London, not 100% sure what it is for under 18 though (its probably gone up a lot since my day)

You get a discount card after 6 months - 10% (its changed since the recent pay review :D )

The best thing is: you meet a lot of people - I met most of my best friends there, if you start when you are young you are bound to meet loads of similar aged people.

Customers SERIOUSLY start to annoy you after a while - and even when you have thousands of customers you start to notice all the regulars!

Store to store you will vary, when I started my store was a nice place to work, these days it is a LOT busier and therefore there is a lot more pressure on everyone as my own store have cut down on staff.

Management wise, we really have about 2 levels. Floor Managers and Senior managers, the quality of manager can make a difference to your job and they vary a lot.

Finally, I would recommend doing 2-3 days a week - overtime opportunities are generally very good over the holidays.

Morrison's (Noxid)

I have worked at Morrison's for 21 months now. I do 8 hours on a Saturday, working on Grocery (Drinks, Cereals, tins, etc). I have to pull trolleys out of the warehouse and load the food on to the shelves. I also have to clean floors and deal with customer requests. I have also worked for Toiletries, Cafe, Checkouts and Admin performing basic tasks, when they have not had enough staff.

The job is OK, and can be quite boring, especially if no customers are talking to you. Management tends to be quite poor in communicating with students, especially the high store level management. Staff on the other hand are mainly nice to chat with. And you will find experts ranging from cars through computers to high level religious debate.

All staff have to have an induction day at the beginning, which involves a few little tasks and watching a lot of videos on various things.

Pay starts at around £4 per hour (I am at a Yorkshire store, stores down south have a better wage) but rises to £4.50+ after the completion of training. At 18, this jumps to £5.16 although if you have secured a move to checkouts this is £5.21.

Morrison's is an OK employer, but others are much better.

Morrison's (Crisps)

I worked at Morrisons for around 18 months during my sixth form years. I was placed in FFPP [Fresh Food Pre-Pack, the chiller aisle[s] basically with the exceptions of fresh meat, fish, and chilled pizza] All bread and cakes not baked instore also come under FFPP.

The interview was one of the most basic I have ever sat, it was basically me and the personnel manager going through my application form. You go to an induction day, as Noxid says, it involves watching corporate videos and doing other various tasks.

The work itself is OK, but it can be very difficult, especially in the stifling hot Morrisons uniforms! It basically involved me going into the chiller [or warehouse if on bread and cakes] and packing up a trolley of whatever I was told to take out, then taking it out and putting it on the shelves. Management can be absolute slave-drivers, especially senior management who at my store seemed to just walk about picking faults. They will love you though if you are good at your job. General staffthough are OK, you can have a lot of fun working, especially in the chiller/warehouse where no customers can distract you ;)

As I was on evening shifts most of the time, my main task was working the just-arrived FFPP delivery [always came for when the students arrived!]. Sometimes however, I did overtime on a weekend, which would basically be topping up the shelves and keeping them tidy, as well as dealing with customers, who, more often than not, make you traipse across the store for them! [company policy was that you couldn't direct the customer to the product, you had to take them there and explain what the range of products are.].

Pay when I left was around £5.16 an hour, but you do get a little extra on checkouts.

Morrisons are OK, they have their good points, they have their bad points. Much better employers out there though.

Safeway/Morrisons (FadeToBlackout)

I started working for this company when I was 16 or thereabouts, doing about three and a bit hours one evening a week and Saturdays and Sundays. Certainly beat getting up at 5:30am for my paperround!

Initially I worked on checkouts, which really is as boring as it sounds. I used to wish the hours would move a LOT more quickly!

As well as checkouts, I tended to PorterPack also. This involved a lot of jobs, from collecting the trollies in the carpark to replenishing checkout supplies such as carrier bags and till rolls, and also inspecting and cleaning the toilets! In addition, I ended up manning a checkout during busy periods. I'd usually finish half an hour or more late, and was always running around being general dogsbody. It needed a lot of co-ordination to do the several jobs at once. I think the role is also present now in Morrisons stores, though it may be called something different. It tends to go to the young and keen members of staff!

After a year or so of that, I ended up moving around to many different departments, from Beers, Wines and Spirits, to Butcher and Fishmonger (needs special hygiene training) and various other roles. I finally ended up back on checkouts, often doing the job of the supervisors whilst they were busy, but for standard pay. Doubtlessly if I'd stayed around longer I'd've ended up a supervisor.

In terms of pay, it was the standard £4.something when I started (better than the £3.10 I got in my previous job!) Do bear in mind that, at 16, you can't directly sell alcohol without authorisation from someone over the age of 18. I'd imagine that cigarettes are the same now that the age limit has raised. You will be trained and tested on ID-ing people, but it's really for your own benefit.

In terms of interview, it was fairly basic; the usual "why do you want to work for this company?" and so on. Showing up in a shirt and tie was, apparently, impressive.

There were definate good points and bad points to the job. It was tiring and stressful, but very sociable at times and I do wish I'd made more of an effort sometimes. Nonetheless, as an employer you're likely to be working alongside other people of the same age, and older, and it is particularly sociable. There are better places to work, doubtlessly, but for me it was good enough. Certainly better than some jobs I've had since then!

Marks and Spencer (supernova2)

I worked for M and S for around 3 months over the Christmas period for about 21 hours a week. As I worked in foods, my job was mainly on the tills, stock replenishing and tidying the shelves. I found it to be a very tiring job but the pay was very good for my area; £6.22 for new people and £6.44 after the probation period (3 months). The store provides a lot of training especially due to them attempting to revitalize their image. Tills can be hard work sitting down a lot and getting back ache and sometimes you may be required to work a few hours on the standing up tills which isn't very nice.

Benefits of the job: High basic salary for Saturday job. Nice staff facilities (free drinks machines, very cheap canteen). Buying food at end of day (food is 25% of original cost at the end of the day). Good reputation from other employers.

Drawbacks: Hard work. Lots of old people.

Marks and Spencer (Couldxbe)

I've worked for Marks and Spencer Simply Food for 6 months, and have genuinely enjoyed my time there so far. I mostly work on the shop floor doing waste (taking off out of date food from the shelves) and sometimes on till. After we close, I get out stock (crisps, wines and sweets). I work 16 hours per week, doing 3 evenings, and on a two week rota basis, Saturday evening/Saturday morning. It's a lot of work trying to keep a social life/ keep on top of my A Levels, but I seem to coping at the moment. I get paid £5.75 per hour, going up to £6.02 after I've finished training (training quite disorganised in my store lol!) which isn't bad for under 18.

Getting the Job: I got my job from the Marks and Spencer website, where you can do a job search. I filled out a questionnaire, and found a job which satisfied what I was looking for (temporary 12 hour contract) and was asked to attend the interview. The interview was a role play about a customer organising a party. Confidence is the key: make eye contact, smile, and you should be fine. I was unlucky in that my job had already been filled, so I just brushed it off as me being unsuccessful and found another job. My interview was in July, and I got a call back in September saying that they'd found a position for me! Once a position had been found, they got me straight into work on the following Sunday after my Friday induction!

Induction: the usual, health a safety videos etc. There were 3 of us starting in Sept. under temporary contracts, so the induction was quiet. We had a walk round the store, shown how to use the tills. Nothing special really.

Permanency: Most people start on a temporary contract, and the majority of those would like to be kept on permanently. The way to get kept of permanently is attendance. During your temp. contract try and be 100% punctual and 100% in! It makes a good impression and the management are more likely to go out of their way to make things happen for you (as in, holidays, over-time etc)

Pros: Good working hours for a student (my store is open til 9pm, so my working hours of an evening are 6-10pm), good pay (time and a half on Sundays, and Sundays are usually understaffed so there are overtime opportunities), meet a wide range of people, make really good friends (you work the same shifts every 2 weeks so you work with the same people all the time), 20% discount card for you and a member of your family, 75% off food at the end of the day, generally good reputation.

Cons: Not flexible at all (you HAVE to work your contracted shifts) but if you have a really important reason (as in Uni interview etc) that comes up suddenly they're generally okay, and swaps are allowed. It can be quite tiring because it's such physical work, and customers are irritating sometimes (mostly middle class old women!), Till work is repetitive but can sometimes be interesting if you get chatting to the customers. It's insanely busy at Christmas and Holidays (as in Mother's Day etc) which can be stressful. Holidays have to be put in AGES in advance in case you don't get them, and if you don't get them you will HAVE to take it unpaid and find people to cover your shifts.

On the whole it's a nice place to work. I would recommend it if you can keep up with school work (min. 12 hour contract)

Waitrose (Misteryom)

I currently work at Waitrose and I am 16, I started working there 3 months ago and introductory pay was £4.90 for an under 18, I have already had a raise to £5.03. I applied for the job online at the start of August, filling out a rather lengthy application with all the usual stuff plus a few odd questions like 'what do your friends think of you?' I didn't hear anything from them for quite a while, then near the end of August I had a call inviting me to a group interview. My group interview was me and 2 others and the personnel manager. We played small 'get to know you' games so that we became more confident and not worried, it also allowed the personnel manager to assess who would be best for the job. I was invited back for a second interview about 15 days later, so mid september, which basically consisted of a tour of the branch from my section manager. Although this was called an interview she spoke the whole time as if I was definitely to be employed and she just explained how everything worked. I was offered a job by telephone on the 20th of september, to start on the 27th. My first day consisted of getting my uniform sorted out and training. This consisted of the training videos on the computer with multiple choice questions. Also, the personnel manager printed off lots of sheets from the net for me to read through about using equipment and stuff. I then did a few hours on the shop floor. I really enjoy working here, most of the staff are students, or part time, and all of the managerial team are really friendly and I feel I'm really respected. The John Lewis partnership also have loads of benefits such as discount in waitrose and john lewis, susidised tickets and subsidised holidays at partnership locations.

Waitrose (artorscience?)

I worked for Waitrose for around 2 years before leaving to go to University. I only worked 8 hrs on a Saturday, stacking shelves in dry goods and occasionally being on the tills. For an under 18, pay is pretty poor (back in 2005 starting at £4.03 for the first 3 months raised to £4.43 in my area). My wage had raised to £4.85 by March 2007 (following reviews etc.). My equivalent 18+ wage was deemed to be £5.75. The work itself is not too hard for only a few hours but I feel any more time that my one day and it would be too draining as it really was quite numbing (at any point when I took 20hrs during holidays when it became available I found it bearable for the couple of weeks that it was happening but the thought of too much time spent there was a real negative - this is, I assume, the same for any supermarket work.

The Interview: I was invited to a group interview with 15 or so other individuals, we played team games including selling a product to others and a couple of word games. Later I was invited to an individual interview (which I have to say was the least threatening interview I have ever had) during which forms were filled out and simple standard questions were asked.

Before starting I had an induction where I was shown a number of training videos and talked at about expectations and policy. Throughout my time working at Waitrose, there was a principle of good training throughout using multimedia format and "mentorish" training. In practice, however, I found them to be very lax as a company and I didn't do a years worth of training in my time there as well as not having any review meetings and "mentorish" training at all. It is plausible that this was only my branch and due to me being part time.

The Bonuses: The big one being the (around) 20% bonus that every partner who had been working in the January of the year receives. In theory there are a lot of really good bonuses to being a part of the John Lewis partnership. A booklet is produced every year outlining and highlighting ways that the partnership could save its employers money. They offer reduced prices on holiday properties, heavily subsidised breaks away at their own retreat centres and refunds on leisure tickets, things like gigs and theatre tickets. Also employees should receive 12.5% off Waitrose and John Lewis after 3 months service (I never received this card) and after 1 year, 25% off in John Lewis (with the 12.5% off in Waitrose continuing). The cantine is supposed to have good food but the chef is never in on Saturdays so I never tried it (also orders have to be put in before 10.30, so it's not really very helpful for those starting shifts at 12 as I did). The main problem I had with all these bonuses was that no-one ever explain to me how things worked, and were always too busy to answer any questions I may have had.

I didn't feel that as a student I was particularly well respected. I know that my supervisors saw me as a hardworking individual who was very efficient but as a very part-time individual there was never any means for this to be acted upon. Despite this not being anyones' fault it left me frustrated at times with the company.

Waitrose (ObaMartins9)

Having worked for Waitrose for 6 months, it is actually not as bad as i thought it would be. At 18, i'm now earning £5.86 an hour and time and a half on a sunday (£4.70 starting at 16/17), which is due to rise thanks to the pay review that occurs every march and september to make sure everyone is payed in relation to their performance, and not their age or how long they've been there - unlike every other teenage employer.

On top of your wage, you earn a bonus, paid in March (this year it's 20%) on whatever you've earned to date - so if you've worked every saturday for a year - about £650. Not bad at all. The partnership is really supportive, subsidising gig tickets and having cheap food in the canteen (£1.50 for cooked hot meal with pudding) and managers look after you provided you work hard. From my experience, managers treat you varied on how you work, not how often you work there.

Working at Waitrose is better than working in any other supermarket based on the fact that the name carries clout. Going to an employer and saying that you have excellent customer service experience at say Tesco means not a lot, but thanks to Waitrose's standards and people's opinions of it, having worked at that level of service is something to add to your CV. Everyone is passionate about the company, and the brand loyalty is great, something you'll struggle to find amongst saturday staff at any other supermarket.

Waitrose(Leighthesim)

I have been working for waitrose (dorking- fresh foods) for just over a month as part of a temporary contract- which may be made permanent, I applied about a week before my 16th birthday, i then did not hear anything for a couple of weeks (untill the application deadline had passed) I then had a telephone interview which went over what hours i could work and the general stuff you would expect, a couple of days later i was then invited for a group interview with about 10 other people in which we had a nice relaxed gettin to know you session followed by a few games in small groups we then had a tour of the branch. i was then contacted a week later and was given a second interview. after that about 2 weeks later i was sent a letter telling me i had got the job- saturday night fill on fresh foods i had a paid induction in which my training was done and then the next day i started on the shop floor and under the supervission of another partner i was working normally.

Waitrose is great- we get dicounted food in the dining room and there is an area in our branch in which the staff get specially reduce stock (which in the stock room) after three months you also get a discount which is cool. I Currently earn £5.22 which is the under 18 base rate at my branch at the moment- but they review our pay every so often so it will go up, my section manager is also very nice and so are my ASM's and when there is extra hours on offer they do tell you which is nice. The only bad thing about working there is the uniform- the women blouse is horrible

Co-Op (teenage-monkey)

The Co-Op is normally looked down upon as a supermarket, especially compared to the likes of Tescos, Sainsburys or Waitrose. The stores now come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from small to medium and then to large. I worked at a medium sized store.

The Co-Op I worked at were unorganised, and their procedure of employing me was terrible. I came in for one interview and it only turned out to be half an interview in the end, they said they'd call me to follow up. They never did. So, I had to phone them and I came for an interview and didn't hear anything for ages. I finally did, however, to my surprise. I trained with two other staff, one who was new like me, and another who had been there a few weeks but wasn't properly trained.

I began working two evenings a week, 5 hours per shift. They then put me on Saturdays as well, doing 9-5. The pay wasn't bad, starting off at 4.75 and before I left, working it's way up to 5.25. When I began working at the Co-Op, it wasn't the most enjoyable experience. I mostly did till work as the more experienced workers would put out stock, but as time went on, I did find myself doing stacking as well as tills.

It can be looked upon, in my experience, as a more laid back store in some areas. I did tend to get a surprise from time to time though. I always had the same store manageress but she tended to get pressure from her area manager from time to time, which would usually occur in workers having to push the work level up a bit.

One thing you will notice across the chain is that you don't get chairs at tills. This is to make sure that workers will clean up around the tills and push out stock when there are no customers to attend to. You are unlikely to get this at many other stores. In conclusion, is it a good supermarket to work for? It's OK, it has it's ups and downs. In some ways, Co-Op can be a nice place to work for, but in other ways, it kind of isn't.

Co-Op (Juno)

I know I'm not 16, but my experience of working at the Co-op is completely different to teenage-monkey's.

They do not put under 18's on the tills at my store, and they even try not to put the under 21s on tills unless they have to. This is because to serve alcohol/cigarettes you have to be over 18. And because of this they don't tend to hire many 16 year olds in the first place.

So, you'll start off with shelf stacking, and then get to do other things as you get older or more experienced. But you get to talk to people while you're there, and customers don't seem to ask anything other than "where are the eggs?" (it's always eggs!) or "where is *whatever product I'm standing right in front of *?"

The training is very much focused around you learn things when you need to. So you will only deal with things when they come up. This does sound awful because you'll realise there's so much you don't know, but has its advantages. You don't get bombarded with loads of information straight away and get confused and end up forgetting it all. Nobody shouts at you when you don't know things - well, I will if I've already told you 3 times that day. We have a tannoy system so you can easily call for a supervisor if you're on the till, but if you're elsewhere you can just wander round and find someone.

We do have chairs at our tills, and so do all the other Co-ops I've been in. The only exception to this is at the kiosk, and that's because it's the kiosk. Since you've got all the alcohol, cigarettes, and other commonly stolen items behind there the counter is higher, and if you had a chair you wouldn't reach. You also do need to move around a lot for the customers.

You get 10% discounts off most things after you've been there a few months, and you get 2 discount cards so you can give one to your mum and get in her good books. You can also join the membership scheme, and "share in the profits".

Co-Op (kizzers)

The first Co-Op i worked for was really badly organised, and even though I've now left there to move to a different Co-Op im still in an ongoing battle about my pay from 3 months ago, after they failed to send 2 months. After a letter of grievance they failed to follow the procedure (which is law) and am still waiting. My first place was a small convenience store, and even though it was in a prime holiday resort and the only store in the town, there only seemed to be at most 3 people working, and this prooved to be very stressful. They have a tendancy to have incorrect records and so underpay, and often "bully" younger staff members as they are easier to replace.

Because a store closer to me had better hours, I decided to ask to move there. I wish I hadn't because there was no information given to me and it was very stressful to do.

As I started at 16, the pay is £4.32 and doesnt go up until 18.

One different thing is that they expect you to know the principles and ethics of the Co-operative movement, but the store usually forgets that bit.

Also, check which Co-Op it is, im with The Co-Operative Group (CWS), and other Co ops may work differently.

Co-Op (DamnitJanet)

The Co-op I work at isn't the best place to work. There aren't any interviews for jobs, you fill in a tiny application form and then when someone quits, they call you (the staff turnover rate is insane- there's a new person every other week). Training consisted of a quick show around the tills and then being watched by another member of staff for a few hours. I mostly work on the tills, but sometimes end up stacking shelves as well (the oh-so-exciting pet section!)

I get paid £3.18 and hour, but I'm only fifteen. It goes up to £4.30 or something when you turn sixteen. Half the staff are from my school and we all work far more hours than we're legally supposed to- there's also no pay slips for junior workers, just and envelope full of money.

On the plus side, the managers and everyone are really nice, you can easily swap shifts with people and you get free baked goods at the end of the day.

Co-operative (Rainbowworld)

Firstly there are many diffrent types of co-op so work out which type your applying for before you apply as I think they treat staff very diffrently/ pay diffrently etc. I work for southern co-operative and they have like 100ish small stores in the south. I get 5.20 an hour and over 18's get like 5.70 something. The interview was fine - you have to do a maths test but thats easy.

The company dosent employ under 16's and employ few people under 18 as you can't sell alcohol and have to call for an over 18 which means they normally give under 18's weekend shifts instead of evening ones so less people are buying alcohol. They also treat them badly - make it really hard to take holiday, leave you on the till the whole time and give you the bad shifts (I start at 6am every Saturday).

The staff are usually nice and we have abit of a laugh but some arn't too great, also you get no seats so your legs kill and it gets boring/repetative. I don't really enjoy it but it's easy to get to and is an easy job. Training was okay - I went to a day of company training then did abit of till training. Everything else though you just have to learn as you go along as they tell you nothing. The worse thing about my store is management so I could imagen it being an alright job if the manager was good and you had a good shift. The 10% discount cards are ace though.

The worst bit is the alcohol checks - if you sell alcohol to an under 18 you get in serious trouble/sacked - once you turn 18 you can get a criminal record too but while your under 18 your supervisor gets it instead - you can still get fines etc tho which is stressful. You also find alot of rudeness and swearing from customers especially when you ID them.

Overall it's not bad pay but I think it's a not a great job personally.

Wilkinson (FireDeuce)

I started at Wilkinson on Saturdays just to earn a bit of extra money. I only work Saturdays, a 7 hour shift at £4.95 an hour which goes up to £6.00 when I reach 18.

Interview: It was an individual interview, and I had to go in after store closing hours. It only lasted about 10 minutes but the questions threw me slightly, starting off simply with "so tell me about yourself." but apparently I got through it fine.

Training: Top notch! I arrived on my first day scared as anything with 2 other new recruits, and they showed us a squillion videos which were very. very. VERY. boring. ..but then I found out it was paid and I stopped resenting it as much. Then the supervisor took us round the store to meet the main people who work there, and we spent like an hour in the security guards office telling us about all the wanted people etc...I actually found it interesting. Then the supervisor took us off and we grabbed a basket and went on a shopping spree of many many items so we could practice using the tills later. we all got a chance to scan through the items and then she gave a poor shop assistant the basket to take back all the goods...damn. Then we got paired up with a "till buddy" who firstly we watched on the tills as they just talked us through it some more, then we swapped places and they watched to make sure we were OK, and gradually throughout the day they stepped back and started packing...and then they left and I didn't even realise until like 30mins after they left haha!

The job now: I get to sit down all day which is a real relief because I hate standing up all day (laziness, backache etc). The days do go slowly but some well needed respite is given when I get my beloved lunch break. 30mins paid, which isn't that bad and I can help myself to bread/toast, butter, marmalade, jam, marmite, tea, coffee, squash, biscuits etc.

The overtime pay is immense (double pay on Sundays, double pay plus 1/5 on bank holidays).

What I like most about Wilkinson is that I feel if I've got a problem I can call my supervisor and he/she won't shout at me or act grumpy for me getting something wrong, which I've had in a few places. At first I made like 329432904320 mistakes a day, and there are always things going wrong, like people thinking stuff is buy 1 get 1 free then not wanting it when they find out it isn't and so I have to get a manager to void it, but its OK because they don't tut at me. Oh boy I've done stuff really really wrong before. the customers got pretty mad.

I give wilko 8/10, because its not a bad job at all.

High Street Chains

Department Store (Talya)

For one year I worked in a department store called Beales. The pay wasn't very good, £4 an hour with no rises at all. I initially worked Saturdays but then decided I'd also like to do Sundays, and a lot of overtime is available at Christmas.

In a department store you must be careful when applying because you could get put in any department (I've known boys end up in lingerie).

A department store may not be for you if you do not want to work around older (especially) ladies.

Other chains (I hear) pay better, such as John Lewis, but they can have a harder application process (involved interviews with role play, etc) and expect high dedication.

Fat Face (giambrone)

I've been working Sundays 11-3 since October 08 (Just after I started Sixth Form). It has been pretty good. At 17 (my friends were 16) my starting wage was 5.87 an hour - recently it went up to 6.05 (woohoo!). I get 75% discount on up to 120 worth of kit that I can wear for uniform, and 20% which I can use for friends/family and on accessories. In the first week of December this went up to 40%. You have to go through 13 weeks of probation (which is easy if you're good), and after that you get a day's holiday for every hour in your shift. The job mainly consists of serving customers and using the till, however it can be anything from getting supplies from the supermarket, cleaning the staff room/shop or doing the sacks of delivery (which takes AGES!).

The application process was a simple form you can get from the website, and they didn't require a CV.

It may not be the best paying job but it is certainly a lot higher than other stores.

House of Fraser (supernova2)

Ive been working Saturdays at House Of Fraser for 3 months now. Its been much better than my past jobs as you're given a much greater sense or working towards something and helping the company. This is due to you being in control of small sections (mats), targets being set for sales and lots of reviews to make sure you're up to speed and improving. The pay is reasonable, £5.45 an hour and there are chances for a raise if you become a silver or gold sales advisor. The job mainly consists of serving customers and tidying up around your mat area. There will be a lot of time where you wont have much to do as its not very busy all the time so you get many chances to chat to your fellow employees and make lots of friends. Staff discounts work out to 20% on all items and 50% on 2 items(4 if your full time), 4 times a year that you'll use for work purposes, these may have to be black coloured though. I'm enjoying this job a lot and it provides much more satisfaction than my past ones.

WH Smith (teenage-monkey)

WH Smith is a chain dating back many years, starting off as a newsagents and stationers. It still has that, but has grown to include books, entertainment and more. Although I've only been working for the company a short while, I feel as though I know the place well enough.

The position is a temporary 3 month contract for the summer, finishing in August. I was very lucky to get the position as many people went for it, liking the chance of a summer job. It's perfect for myself as I'll be going to University in September. The main outline is covering staff around a busy holiday time period. Hours change each week, and can range from a large amount to a short one, depending on when I'm needed.

The interview went smoothly and I was updated up to the point of when I began my training and employment. The training system is very good, especially compared to my last job. I enjoy WH Smith due it's organisation and it's fairness. The store manager is new, having taken over from a previous boss who was there for 20 years. She works fairly, ensuring that everyone gets a fair trial. She gives good advice, without being critical.

I began my first week on main tills around the newspapers. When it wasn't busy, I would go and sort out the cards or clean up around the till area. The tills also have seats, ensuring the staff's comfort. The breaks are good as well, having worked 8:45-5:30pm for four days, I got one hour lunch and two fifteen minute breaks.

I am now specialising in downstairs, working for entertainment, doing delivery as well as serving on the tills. This is a more enjoyable approach for myself, being interested in DVDs and music.

The pay is good, depending on how you look at it. 5.05 p/h starting, with 40p extra an hour for location allowance. I would highly recommend that anyone apply for WH Smith.

New Look (tropicalcoconuts3)

I been working at New Look for a year and a half in one of the larger stores. For an under 18, the pay is great- 5.52 an hour. But it does not go up- equal rights and all that :S So everyone gets exactly the same. Even a 40 year old who's worked there 10 years. I do 4 hour shifts each staurday and sunday. Get no breaks, and they sometimes make you stay later until you finshing tidying for free (unless it goes over half an hour)

Interview: group interview (bout 6) where you have to style a celebrity you are given with the rail of new lok clothes, then do a presentation on why you chose this. Then if you pass that, a 1 to 1 interview asking about your personal style, customer service, experience and about the New Look brand.

Two 2 hour inductions, you get all basic training, till training and account card training. It's all very brief and I found I wasn't confident until I worked there about a month! I am on a department though so I usually just do replen and tidying.

Bonuses: no money bonuses what so ever. 50% off all stock (exc. sale)

Debenhams (The Pier Concession) (321beep)

I've been working at The Pier for about 5 months. I had a group interview, where I was given time to browse the store and then asked to present an item to the team, saying how it represented aspects of my personality. We then did a "speed dating" exercise, where we tried to find out as much as possible about each other, and again present this to the team. Finally, we were invited to plan a room's redecoration with Pier products and furniture, following a set budget, and present this. My advice would be stay calm, confident (they asked you there based on your CV, so they obviously see potential), and try and contribute as much as possible, without being domineering. Those who said very little, or came across too shy, were not offered a job.

Some things to consider if you're thinking about applying for a job: pay is not as good as you'd expect (£5.10 p/hour) and the staff discount is 20%, but can be combined with other in store sales for really good offers; The Pier mainly do four-hour shifts, so it can be difficult to accumulate worthwhile hours/pay; dress code is 'wear your own' black, white and grey clothes, with a hideous denim apron on top; compared to other shops/stores, the Pier concessions can become quiet, which can be either a calming benefit or just plain boring. There's also a fair amount of lifting, carrying and shifting of furniture required.

If you're working in a concession, you will have to deal with Debenhams staff/customers pretty often, and this can become annoying (explaining that nectar points aren't valid on your till; being watched by two sets of managers; the mess, hassle and arguments of megadays; etc.). The end of day procedures are also quite drawn-out.

On the plus side, I've made some really good friends with co-workers. The staff facilities are decent and clean. Admittedly, some of the items the Pier sells are over-priced, but others are really nice, and its a good place to pick up presents for family and older friends.

Woolworths (Crystal89)

I've been working at Woolworths for about ten months and started as a Christmas temp. Interview consisted of a ten minute shop survey thing where they give you a clipboard with questions on it and you have to go and 'find' the answers, stuff like finding out names and jobs of three members of staff, asking customers how customer service could be improved in store. Then I had a short one on one with the assistant manager, she asked all the obvious questions like why did I want to work there, how would I give good customer service etc. and she hired me on the spot. Training evening was watching loads of health and safety videos with laughably bad acting and one go on the tills (although I was 'shadowed' for my first shift so if I didn't know what to do someone would step in.)

My contract was 8 hours a week but this went up to about 12 hours nearer to Christmas. I also worked nearly all the of the bank holidays as all the temps are expected to. I was put on the entertainment section which meant I had to do all normal till work, plus stuff like lottery, getting games and DVDs etc people wanted from the drawers. After Christmas I was moved to front tills which is a lot easier. Starting pay was £4.45 although this has since risen to £4.95. No discount card for temps.

All in all it's not a bad place to work but is organised awfully (at least at my store). No official contract, constantly running out of bags and not enough people on the tills. They also do the scheduling quite cunningly, i.e giving you lots of 4 hour shifts on different days instead of 8 hour shifts so that you don't get a break. Expect to have to push extra sales as well which can be annoying. Also, no time and a half on Sundays, just bank holidays so work as many of these as you can. Basically it's average and boring but you could do a lot worse

HMV (lulu_dudette)

I've been at HMV since August 2006. It was my first job and I had no experience at 16. I work all day Saturday and Sunday and all Bank Holidays on Double time. At 16 I started on £5.25 an hour. I'm now on £6.30 after a year and a half. This rise has nothing to do with age only the time you have been with the company. My interview was very relaxed and was fantastic! The first part is a quiz about some of the products that the shop sells. So things like, what is the current number one album, single. Who won best actress at the last oscars and for which film? Things like that. It is simply for management to understand how good your product knowledge is.

Being a specialist shop you do need to have good product knowledge of films, music and games. It does get better with time. For example I knew pratically nothing about games but now I know a lot. You will also find that many of the people you work with will have some sort of specialism So there will be a games geek, a heavy metal fan or a major film buff. This means that even if you get asked something you don't know, someone in the shop probably will. Questions are something you have to get used to. You will get asked a lot!

General tasks will vary from shop to shop but main tasks for part timers is till work, floor walking and putting stock out. As you become more experinced you will be given more demanding tasks such as organising campaigns and new release.

Generally a great company to work for. Sales bonus at the end of each month reflective of how the shop has performed. Good incentives have included tickets for the Britt Awards and Glastonbury Tickets and 30% discount. Some dodgy customers and you will never see Christmas the same again but general its all good.

• n.b. i tried HMV, they say they are 18+ only O.o*

Matalan (scaryhair)

I first started working in Matalan in July 2007, when I was 16. I was job hunting and just handed in a CV and got a call a few weeks later inviting me for interview - which was more of a informal, friendly chat than an interrogation!

When I first started I was on £5.02 an hour but that has since risen to £5.18. You don't get a pay rise until you're 19 unfortunately. I work mainly Saturdays, 4 hours a week. I am on a 4 hour contract and as my availability is quite restricted, they don't tend to give me more than that - an 8 hour shift it something of a rarity! However, most of the people I work with have more time to be at work and generally if you ask for extra hours, you'll get given them.

Normal pay on Sundays and double pay on Bank Holidays. Four weeks holiday a year (how much you actually get is contracted on your hours) and after working there for 13 weeks you get a membership discount card for yourself and one to give someone else, allowing you to get 20% discount on your purchases.

The typical part timers duties are till work, being on the fitting rooms, clearing the fitting room rail, tidying the shop floor, helping out in the stock room (unpacking stock etc) and putting out stock. The customers can be as lovely as they are horrible, so you'll need to be fairly good with people and have the ability to forget about any bad encounters quickly and treat the next customer as if they're the first of the day! It's a good idea to have a good general knowledge of what's in stock and whereabouts everything is. This can be a difficult task if you work in a branch that likes to reshuffle it's layout as much as mine!

The negatives aspects of the job are the management can be pretty poor at times, but I should imagine this varies from store to store. You need to be careful about what you put on your availability because if you are given the shift, you are expected to work it if your sheet says you are available at that time. Shifts are allocated on a rolling rota, so you only find out a week (if you're lucky!) beforehand when you're going to work. This can be a pain if you want to organise something in advance the day you're working. The work itself can be pretty boring, and when the shop is quiet the minutes seem like hours. However, when the shop is busy (which I find is pretty often) the time flies by and your shift is over before you know it!

All in all, I would say working for Matalan is a decent part time job for students. The pay is fairly good compared to some other jobs for this age bracket, and although the work can get quite repetitive it is a valuable learning experience with those who have never had a job before.

B&Q (DrDomDom)

Started working there in February 2007 on a checkout - applied online where you have to do a personality test (the whole "I strongly agree/ disagree" type of thing ) and give some referee details - sent it off and heard back within a couple of weeks. The personality test: they like their extremes apparently, so be inclined to take strong views on things. I know a couple of people who didnt get interviewed because their personality testing wasnt what B&Q wanted, and they both tended to opt for the "neutral" stance.

The interview was informal - basically just checking out what you were like; nothing that a civilised person couldnt endure.

I started working, 4 hours on a saturday and sunday, which was a hard shift to get, seeing as they want people to work 8 hours on a saturday and 6 on a sunday usually, and was taking home £5.44 an hour, time and a half on a sunday, and 20% discount after 3 months there. You also get a christmas bonus which is 6% of your half yearly wage. All in all I was making around £250pcm which isnt bad. Im now up to £5.69per hour due to inflation.

Strictly speaking, before youre 18 youre not allowed on the shop floor because of health and safety, but that never works out. Be prepared to, even if youre on a checkout, go on the shop floor and help people find stuff etc. If you're not DIY savvy, this may not be for you, 'cause working in a DIY store seems to give people the impression that you're an expert on everything. I have been asked questions about plumbing, to wiring lighting, to fitting tiles - this suits me okay since I've gotten a pretty good grasp of most things off my Dad, but it's not for everyone. Get used to having no clue about some things, and having to pass the problem on to someone else. The people you encounter can be as nice as they can be rotten; the majority of people are just their to get what they want and leave, which is fine.

Working the tills is not hard work, but it's extremely dull and time passes slowly. Very slowly. Administration and management seem to always be crawling down your back to update your health and safety but it cant be avoided. Working as early a shift as you can is good, because time passes quicker, and you serve less people. I start at 7 on a saturday, and wont do anything for the first two and a half hours.

All in all - its a mind numbingly boring and dull job, but the pay is comparatively good and at this point, I think thats all that matters.

Boots Pharmacy (xylophonefairy)

When I first started working here, it was in May 2008 and I had just finished my AS levels (I was still 16 at this point). At this time it was still an Alliance Pharmacy, but they merged with Boots and the shop recently had a refit to make it a Boots Pharmacy. It's a fairly small shop in a small complex with a hardware store and a bakery and a tesco metro etc.

The pay is, to be blunt, rubbish. I am 17 and currently get £3.92 an hour. Pay goes up when you turn 18, and when you complete what is known as your Sales of Medicine training, which consits of 13 modules to be completed while you work. The pay rises are pretty good, I think it goes up to £5.65 when I get the Sales of Medicine training which is pretty good, even though I have friends that earn more, despite their jobs being less demanding.

The work is a little bit more interesting as it does involve giving advice to the general public, generally advising about hayfever in the summer and coughs and colds in the winter, though this can get a bit repetitive when the sixieth person that day asks you which cough medicine you'd reccommend for a tickly cough and you urn around and discover that you're all out of medicines, though I can now randomly spout out the names of active ingredients in various OTC drugs. I also help with the filing of prescriptions, deal with the new stock as it comes in, racing to put it out on the shelves alongside the rush of people that usually come in at the same time. General sales skills with the tills and cashing up the money.

You get to wear the snazzy white uniform as well, which is surprisingly flattering actually, though if you're male you just get to wear a shirt and tie which is less exciting.

I acquired the job when it was advertised in the shop window, my Mum was in there and she picked up a form for me. Apparantely they'd had a lot of applications and I didn't even want a job that much, but I filled it in anyway and handed it in. Didn't hear for ages, then suddenly got a phone call out of the blue inviting me to an interview. The interview was pretty informal, though it was an Alliance Pharmacy one, and I have a feeling that the Boots ones would be a little more demanding. The manager basically told me about the shop and the duties and the forthcoming refit, and then he asked me to tell him a little bit about myself with I fumbled over. In all honesty I thought the interview went horribly, but a couple of weeks later I got offered the job, much to my surprise.

All in all, it's a good job, especially if you're considering a future career in a healthcare field, at my medicine interview my interviewers seemed pretty impressed by it. The pay is absolutely rubbish to begin with, I'll admit that but if you make the effort it goes up pretty quickly. Also, once you'e got the Sales of Medicine you'd be pretty desirable to any pharmacy job, so if you're ever in a tight spot it's a good fallback.

Offices

ICM Research

I have worked in a call centre known as ICM research doing market research for them for over a year now. As far as hours/flexibility and pay are concerned this is the best job in the world for anybody after those things. The job itself is monotonous and soul destroying, having said that the good and bad factors do cancel each other out so you are left somewhat in the middle in terms of job satisfaction. I would not recommended working in sales, they treat their workers very poorly and the bonuses are often unreachable, you will also be seen as the scum of the earth to many members of the public. If you can cope with being abused down the phone and can sit at a computer for hours on end without killing yourself then I would recommend this job. As part of this job you are required to ring hundreds of numbers per shift and guide them through surveys over the phone in order to reach your bonus. The basic rate of pay was 5.42 increasing to 8.10 if you reach your bonus. On average I was reaching my bonus two thirds of the time after working there for a few months, of course there are good spells and bad spells. If you do decide that working in a call center is for you then good luck, just make sure that you don't fall into the trap like many there for staying for too long and realising you're unhappy.

Applications (at ICM at least) work by you calling them, and if they are recruiting at that time, which is common with such a high labour turn over, they will invite you in for an 'interview'. This will involve reading a short script over the telephone, and answering a couple of questions. As long as you can read and answer coherently, you'll get the job, and be invited back for a training day. This is a long day in which you are shown how to use the computer system and conduct surveys, and at the end of the day you do one for real. They listen to this, it doesn't need to be perfect or particularly good, and unless you're completely hopeless, you'll get the job.

The way it works then, is they will take your bookings for the following week. You never book shifts more than one week in advance, and as long as you work at least three shifts, you can work any of; 17.30 until 21.00 Mon-Fri, 10.00 until 14.00 and 14.00 until 18.00 Saturday and Sunday. 14.00 until 17.00 is offered during the week if they are busy.

ICM Centers are found in Stevenage, Kentish Town and Bedford, but similar places exist throughout the country.

Zenith Windows

I worked in a call centre which sold double glazing windows called Zenith Windows. Pay was measly, 4.00 an hour basic and bonus' were very hard to achieve as its near impossible to make a sale. Plus you only get a 1 pound bonus for 1 sale a week, after that it increases exponentially. Pays rubbish, most the other people working there are low lifes or have been suckered in. Majority of management are idiots, they have a very very very bad work ethos and probably to break many industry guidelines. The only reason you might want to work for a place like this is you can literally walk in and get a job on the spot.

I also worked for Zenith Windows, £5 and hour, £12 if you persuaded someone they wanted a quote. Which if you can do it is very good money. Shifts are flexible and ANYONE can get a job there, I phoned them up, they said come in this afternoon you have a job. However, its high pressure work and if you aren't selling you will get fired. People are pretty horrible to you over the phone, and the managers can be horrible horrible people, although I suppose this will depend on the branch. The staff turnover is really high, but it isn't that bad a job really. If you're tough and persuasive you can make a lot of money, but it may well take your soul after a few months.

Trafficlink (CCK)

I secured this job prior to getting my GCSE results when I was 16. The aim of the job is to ensure that the public receive the latest up to date public transport information regarding unplanned and planned disruption/engineering works. Basically you have four computer screens in front of you, and you must use a variety of sources to gather this information, as well as picking up phone calls from the road authorities. You can also work on reporting road traffic incidents. Environment is a pleasant open office and the starting pay is £9 an hour for part timers, more for full timers. The office is based in Central London, although you can do the work from one of several offices around the country. I started off with an 8 hour shift on Sundays, there is usually overtime available during the week.

Council Buildings

Library (brimstone)

I work at my local central library. The pay is good, at £7.01 an hour, and I earn the same as full time library assistants. The work is easy, but not very wide ranging. My main duties are usually to shelve the returned books, and to tidy the shelves. However, each time I work, I usually have a couple of hours on the front counter, issuing and discharging books. Discharging is easy - it involves taking a book from a customer, scanning it, and dealing with any fines on the customer's card. Issuing involves stamping a book with the return date, and scanning it out to the customer. I also have to do an hour each time in the Junior Library. That's pretty easy - I just shelve books, deal with customer enquiries and book children onto the computer system. Sometimes, I am asked to work on the mobile library. I work every other Saturday from 9am to 4pm, with an hour unpaid lunch. I also regularly get casual work for after school or in the holidays.

Advantages : Good pay, easy job, nice staff, not much hard work, inside in the warm.

Disadvantages : Rude customers, out of touch managers, early Saturday mornings, bad heating/air con system in the building which dries you out, can be busy.

Overall : Worth working there, despite all the disadvantages. I'm only 16, and I'm earning £7.01 an hour :). Go for it!

Library (moody28028)

I work for Telford & Wrekin libraries which is a group of about 8 libraries, and as a casual library assistant I can work in any of them. I've done some casual work in 2 other libraries, but I have one main one, and I work most Saturday mornings 9:30 - 1 for £6.20 an hour. As its casual, you don't have to accept the work and they don't have to offer it which in reality means its not like other jobs where the boss gets angry if you keep booking time off. It's a small-average library which means mostly you do all duties at once, not just assigned to one (different from large libraries). Generally, I hang round on the front desk dealing with issueing/discharging, putting people on computers, answering the phone etc. While there, I get to use my initiative to see what needs doing e.g. some shelving, putting new date labels on books, dealing with requests from other libraries etc. The hardest part personally, is dealing with requests for books and I'm still trying to remember the lengthy proccess.

Adv: Good pay, don't have to work when its inconvenient, get to use your initiative, not always told what to do.

Disadv: Mornings, trying shelving books alphabetically when you've got a hangover/still slightly drunk!. Also, it's quite difficult to actually get the job. I was lucky as I did my year 10 work experience in the main library in telford and could use some connections. I had to have a formal interview with a panel of 3 people and you have to have an enhanced CRB check.

Overall: I enjoy it, and would recommend it if you like books (spend half the time reading), and if you'd like something a bit peaceful. It is quite different depending on the size of the library though, so take that into consideration.

Leisure Centres (lou76854)

I work at my local leisure centre as a lifeguard. The pay is very good at £6.87 and stays constant no matter your age or how long you've been working there. The only problem with being a lifeguard is that you have to go on a weeks training course which costs anywhere between £150-£200 and in some cases it is free if your instructor is training as an instructor themselves. The course is monday- sunday 9-4 with an exam on the last day so that you become qualified to become a lifeguard, this consists of theory work which is first aid and fire safety, then there's a practical which involves a timed swim which is 20 metre swim, 20 metre tow in under 75 seconds and a 20metre swim and 10 metre tow of an unconcious casualty for under 60 seconds so you have to be a fairly strong swimmer. You also have learn a varied amount of tows depending on the persons injury and also how to use a spinal board. Once you have your qualification you have to train once a month for 2 hours, but you get paid for it.

The job itself is fairly easy depending on how busy the pool is and what type of pool you work at, more is required than just sitting on poolside you also have to scrub the changing rooms at the end of the day, but this is only if you do an evening shift which if you're a student you will most likely be doing, scrubbing isn't that hard its just the heat in the changing rooms that make it quite tiring especially at the end of a long shift. You can also train to do dryside work which is setting up equipment in the sports hall for different classes, keeping things tidy, taking out the bins, doing stock checks, this can be quite tiring if its a busy day but when its quiet you usually find yourself sitting in the staff room with nothing to do or just wondering around.

Getting a contract at the leisure centre can be quite hard though as part time contracts are hard tyo come by so most students are usually casual life guards, which means you take shifts which are going free but are not obligated to do shifts. The plus side of this is that if you don't want to work alot of hours you don't have to and you choose what hours you do. The downside of this is that usually you're fighting over shifts with other casual lifeguards and in some cases can go about a month without a shift if there aren't many going. If you are lucky enough to get a weekend contract you work every other weekend and get paid time and a half on a saturday and double time on a sunday (casual lifeguards still get this pay if they work on weekends) you also get first choice of casual shifts, just don't be greedy as the casual lifeguards may get very angry with you.

Overall it is worth becoming a lifeguard as it is excellent pay, a fairly easy job and you make friends fast with the people you work with as you have to work as a team. I recommend it to anyone who can swim :)

Pubs, Restaurants and Hotels

Waitressing in a conference centre/hotel (beanie)

As a student, waitressing is ideal as its fairly relaxed and you can choose your own hours. I'm classed as a casual member of staff, meaning I don't have set working hours or days. Some weeks I can work 5 days out of 7, and other days I might only work Saturday, or not at all. This is great as I can say "I can't work on the 22nd", and they say OK! My employer is great; I've had loads of time off for exams and they really supportive to the students who work there as they let us fit work in around our educational commitments, not the other way around. As far as I know most waitressing work is like this.

I started 2 years ago when I'd finished my GCSEs and I was earning £3.40 an hour, which rose at various times, and now I'm 18 I get £5.05 which is average in my area. The pay isn't great, but due to the casual nature of my job I'm willing to compromise on the pay! Unfortunately, loads of customers seem to look down on you because you're waitressing, and think that you are doing it as a proper job and aren't in sixth form/uni. But you learn to accept it.

I get to take home whatever food I want at the end of the night, which is great for parties as I can provide fancy deserts as we always have loads left over. Staff meals are all provided too, we always have whatever the conference are having, meaning its of a really good quality.

Bad points- You will most probably end up working unsociable hours. At my work we have 2 shifts, morning and afternoons. Mornings work 7.30am-3pm, and afternoons (which I do) is 2-9.30pm. I've worked most Friday and Saturday nights for the past 2 years, however if you put your mind to it you can still go out after you've finished work.

Angry customers can be difficult to deal with too, especially when you're new. Customers always take it out on the serving staff if the food isn't of a good standard, so you have to be able to take the stick when the kitchens haven't done their job properly. Similarly, people can be really inconsiderate and leave your tables covered in food and junk, so you have to be ok with getting covered in food! Its stressful on busy nights, and you can end up getting really snappy with people you work with, but as you're all in the same boat its accepted.

Good points- As I've already said, the hours are really flexible which I love, that’s the main thing. You appreciate service in restaurants so much more- now I always stack/clear my plates when I've been somewhere, and it makes you more able to deal with difficult/demanding people. The people I work with are great, we have a little work gang and its so much fun. Its not really that hard work, you just need an eye for detail and be OK with laying up tables, then seeing customers destroy your perfectly arranged room! You are also pretty much guaranteed work even though you're a casual member of staff. In the summer I do as many hours as possible as I need the money and it coincides with our busy period. I've worked in the kitchen, on the bar, in the bedrooms and in the admin office, so hotels and conference centres are really good places to work if you're open minded and don't mind what you do, as even when you're waitressing you have to do jobs like mopping floors, cleaning windows/furniture and Hoovering :o)

Glass Collecting in a Pub (grammar_king)

Contrary to popular belief, it is perfectly legal to work behind a bar at 16, and has been for some time. What's strange now is that under the Licensing Act you can even serve alcohol, provided that each sale is approved by a supervisor. In any case you're much likely to get work if you apply as a glass collector instead.

I first started when I was 16 in what was officially a social club, collecting glasses during functions in the back room, which was pretty huge, but more and more now pubs are looking for glass collectors for busy nights, because when you're busy behind the bar you don't often have time to go around getting glasses. If there's only one glass collector working there, that pretty much means you're gonna work every Friday and Saturday.

Benefits: It's usually casual work and noone's too bothered if you can't work, you just won't get paid. Starting as a glass collector is a good way to become a proper member of the bar staff, and once you've got experience, getting a bar job is a piece of cake. Anywhere where there are people, there are pubs, so you can get a job literally anywhere, when you go to uni, for example. Since starting there (3 years ago) I've worked in a sports club, a biker pub, a nightclub and a folk music pub, all very interesting. Furthermore I got paid at the same rate as everyone else, minimum wage for a 21 year old, £4.85 an hour, which 3 years ago was very good for a 16 year old. In my current bar job I'm on £6 an hour, which is great. If you're strapped for cash it's easy to get more hours KPing if there's a kitchen, or cleaning or anything really.

Drawbacks: Like I said, you're working most Fridays and Saturdays, and as the youngest one there you're everyone else's bitch basically, so you get all the crappy jobs. Customers can also be very difficult (I sometimes used to get groped by middle-aged women... eugh), but at the same time it's a good way of meeting people. Late nights can also be a bit of a drawback.

Waitressing/Cooking in a Chain Pub/Restaurant (SpiritedAway)

Agreeably, waitressing is a great choice for a student. The pay isn’t great, minimum wage, but it is natural for such a job. One thing I have found is that the majority of the people that work there are all students, so when you are sat in the staffroom during your break doing homework/coursework/revision then it isn’t seen as a strange thing. Plus, especially in the restaurant where I work, because the oldest person (who is not a manager) is 20 years old, it’s fairly easy to make friends and relate with your co-workers. Cooking is also a good choice; the place where I work every chef baring the head-chef is a student. The pay is also a little better than waitressing, although granted, some places still only pay minimum wage.

Usually in large restaurants there are two waitressing departments. There are the people who work out on the floor, and they are the people who clean away the plates, glass collect and wipe down the tables, and then there are the people who work in the kitchen. They serve the food to the customer. Sometimes they might also make the desserts.

A great thing about working for a chain restaurant is that if you decide to go away for college/uni then you don’t need to worry about a job because you are practically guaranteed a job in one of the sister sites, and be allowed to come back for the holidays.

The hours are great; some people prefer to work weekdays, some only weekends, some evenings, some opening hours, so it allows you to choose which fits best around your studies. I decided that it would be best for my studies if I worked on weekends, and told my boss that I was unable to work weekdays (which was totally understood). Yet I am still allowed to work full-time during the holidays to gain some extra money. On Sundays I ALWAYS work 1-FINISH (which means when everyone has gone home and I have cleared up after them). On saturdays my hours change. Some weeks I may do a 12-5, sometimes a 5-FINISH, and then there are the random times like 3-8.

Benefits: for pub-restaurants you shift might not start till 12pm or even late-evening, allowing you a lie-in. Long breaks because we are on our feet all day, very sociable job, the tips can be amazing, the hours are pretty flexible Cons: long hours, my Sunday shift can be 9 hours long, chefs maybe required to come in early to prep, late finishes, sometimes it can be as late as 11pm for me, sometimes the customers can be very messy and awkward. The breaks aren’t paid, and aren’t (although it probably differs between places) given any free food. You may also be expected to work Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day. The weekly rota can change so you can’t really make any decisions in advance, expected that you work on their busiest day (usually a Sunday).

Kitchen Porting at a Football Stadium (Atrixa)

I started at SAFC Conference and Banqueting when I was 17. It's a very basic job, and I was paid £4.70 ph, £5.05 at age 18. Work involves washing up, either by hand or with machines, and cleaning down kitchens. It's pretty simple, as long as you don't mind emptying bins and carrying heavy/hot things. There were several different kitchens, all different which was hard to get used to at first. Shift times can vary- maybe 12-8pm on a match day, 5pm-11pm for a function etc.

Pros: match day work means that you aren't in very often- a plus around exams. High turnover of staff means that you can become one of the more respected staff in a matter of months. You can get loads of shifts at christmas because of the parties, which is great for spending money for January sales. It's also pretty easy to switch kitchens if you'd prefer a different pace/amount of staff.

Cons: Chefs can be annoying to work with, as are under-trained waitresses. The unrealiable rota can mean that you're never sure when you're going to be called on for a shift. If you're in a busy kitchen with a broken down potwash machine it can be the definition of misery. A huge staff count and irregular hours can mean that it takes longer to make friends.

Starbucks (pinstriped.flower)

I got a job at Starbucks last summer when a new store opened in my town.

The interview process was really quick and easy, as it was a sort of open day where you filled in the forms and were asked a few preliminary questions then interviewed there and then. The interview was really friendly and I was just asked a few basic questions and was pretty much told by my interviewer that I had done really well. The next stage is doing three hours unpaid work at a nearby store, when you are thrown straight into working as a member of the team to see how you would fit in.

I really enjoy my work for many reasons, mostly because Starbucks only employ friendly personable people and so everyone I work with is lovely. I work an 8 hour contract, but as it is very flexible then I can pick up more hours during holidays easily and can change shifts literally the day before if I need to. The majority of people are students, and I am the only person at my store under 18 but I can honestly say that it does not make a difference. I am paid the same amount (£5.90 an hour, going up to £6.25 when fully trained) and am entrusted with the same responsibility as those older than me.

The work consists of working on the till, on the bar (making the drinks) and cafe (clearing tables etc) and everyone spends an equal amount of time doing every job. It can be tiring, but only because the ethos of the organisation is to use every minute doing something, whether it be cleaning or tidying or going the extra mile for a customer.

The benefits are numerous, perhaps the nicest thing is developing relationships with customers and getting to feel like part of a team. My discount is 30% off everything all the time, but free drinks and half price food when on shift (and if my colleagues get their way then free drinks all the time). I genuinely can't think of many disadvantages to working with Starbucks. Perhaps if you are the kind of person that cuts corners and wants to do the least possible till the end of the shift then it is not the place for you, but the opportunities for me as a budding university student are great as there is the chance to maintain my job at home during the holidays, and in a store near my uni during term time. Lastly - all my friends are jealous of my cool job :)

Garden Centre Café Assistant (Longorefisher)

I started as a Garden centre Café Assistant a few months before I turned 16 (so whilst I was in Year 10) and continued until the GCSE exam period.

The pay rate was ok when I was 15 (£4 hourly) and whilst I was 16 and under the compulsory school leaving age but I wouldn't reccomend it if you are over the age as you can find higher paid jobs much more readily. I worked a Sunday shift and the work was very intensive - sometimes sapping me out in four hours even though I had six to work. However, you take a LOT less stick in this role than you would in a larger restaurant or chain from the customers. Often, I found they were very talkative and made the intensiveness of job not seem as bad. Overtime opportunites were good as we were a small team but this may not be the case in a larger garden centre, especially if the catering is out-sourced (ours wasn't so a bigger team was out of the question). In addition, being a small team was good for cohesion but it meant that one stressed person (often the team leader) could grate on the others, leading to increased tension. I would recommend this type of job as a stop over if nothing else is really available or if you are under the compulsory age and nowhere else will take you. It's very bearable in the short term and pays very reasonably (especially with overtime as these jobs aren't always that popular) but any more than short term and I would look for something else.

Other

School Cleaner (madsporkmurderer)

This is a job that often got laughs when I mentioned it, but it paid reasonably well and wasn't difficult (but without being mind-numbingly boring). I started with just a morning shift (7-8), was close enough that I could work that then come home for shower and breakfast before college. After a while I got an afternoon shift (3.15-5.15 but flexible if I finished college late) as well; In addition there was holiday work (really thorough cleaning). It paid about £6ph so you won't be a millionaire but better than a lot of shops etc.

Would definitely recommend it- try phoning schools and asking if they're looking for cleaners as the one I worked at was nearly always short but refused to spend money advertising for more.

Restaurant Cleaner (Atrixa)

I started working as a cleaner at Toby Carvery when I was 17, not the most glamourous of jobs, but it fit well around my college hours when I had later lessons. The hours weren't great- the max possible was 14 hours a week, if you came in every morning. I did 8 hours per week, which was great for extra cash. The pay for a 16/17 year old was £4.25 an hour. Not great, and goes up to £5.10 at 18. There was only two hour shifts available, which works out at £8.50 per shift. Pros: If you prove to be reliable, you can get jobs at other parts of the restaurant that offer more hours, such as glass collecting or potwashing. Shifts can be very easily swapped, as long as the other cleaners are ok with it.

Cons: £8.50 a shift is not enough for some of the filth you are occassionally stuck with clearing up in the morning. If there is only three cleaners, and one person wants a five-day holiday, then this could mean you being in for 12 days without a break, depending when your days off fall. Since the shift times are quite rigid, if you're late, problems can arise if you can't get the work done in time.

Customer Service Assistant (Don John)

I've worked at Bridgemere Garden World since September 2007 when i started college, and i work one day a week, saturday or sunday, usually 8am til 6pm. I get £3.74 (terrible) which will go up to £4.77 when i turn 18. the job is easy, and is much like working in a supermarket to be honest. the day drags and the pittence of a wage is depressing, but it is less than 5 minutes from my house in the car, and they are generally good with offering overtime.

Babysitter (Angelil)

I babysat from when I was 14 (in 2000) until I was 18 (2004), mostly for children aged 2 to 10. I mainly babysat in my area and many of the neighbours had known me while I was growing up and so trusted me to look after their own children. If you don't have this advantage then you could try advertising in local schools or local newspapers. I started at 14 mainly because this is the guideline given by the NSPCC, and started at £3 an hour. As I got older this gradually went up, depending on the family, and by the time I was 18 I was on a minimum of £5 an hour, but was mostly charging more like £6-£10 an hour (though this said it is reasonable to up your hourly rate by a couple of pounds after midnight). Keep your rates low when you are first starting, especially if you have no prior experience with children. Sometimes jobs could start quite early (5-6pm) and end reasonably (at 10-11pm) but at other times it was occasionally more extreme (such as starting at 8 and finishing at 12 or 1, or starting at 10 and finishing at 2 or 3). You do have to be good with children in terms of entertaining and occasionally disciplining them, meaning that a sense of humour as well as firmness will stand you in good stead, as will knowledge of basic first aid, just in case. This is an enjoyable job that can be lucrative and fun, as well as being relatively easy to obtain even if the work is not always regular, although it can at times be boring, challenging and tiring.

Kids Holiday club playworker assistant (Rainbowworld)

I started working at a local holiday club during school holidays when I tuned 16 after volunteering there for a while. I love kids so it was a great job and I get to work with mainstream and special needs children. The staff are great and are all young and mainly at uni as it makes a great holiday job for them. We often go on staff trips bowling etc!

It's good pay at £6ph going up to £6.17ph when i'm 18. The best thing is it's really flexible - you sign up for days you can do and your given shifts on those days when they need you. Your needed less when your under 18 as you can only do certain jobs as you can't be alone with children. Due to them deciding when they need you/ some holidays being short some long and having holidays every 6 weeks pay is really unreliable. You get paid after the month you work in but some months you get nothing if there was no holiday in the previous month and sometime you get loads (like in september after the summer holidays) but you never know how much work you'll get/how much money so I needed to have a more reliable job too.

Working with kids is really fun and challenging but is a great job and is really enjoyable with the staff and management being lovely people. It's stressful when ofstead come round but otherwise it's chilled out and relaxed. I wouldn't leave this job for the world and it's great as I can carry on doing I through uni etc and its very versitile. I would recomend the job to anyone if you like kids but it's hard to get into as you do need some experience with children.

You have to change some children and deal with some bad behaviour and disipline them a bit but it's totally worth it!

I'd give the job 10/10 - the main downside being it's hard to get into and you may need another job with hours that are set so you don't run out of money sometimes, but it's a super job - much better than working in a shop for sure.

I would advise anyone looking for jobs with children to look at childcare jobs instead of lesuire jobs - e.g working with kids at a play centre would be lesuire as their parents are still there but afterschool clubs etc is child care. You normally need more experience for childcare but many places will train you up etc as long as you show enthusiasm. Basically though childcare is alot better paid and you get to spend more time actually with the kids. I spoke to a manager of a play centre about a job and they could only offer 4 hours a week at £4ph due to it being lesuire and not childcare and being weather dependent as the centre was inside and only got business whe it rained. Defiantly go for jobs looking after children if you like children and don't mind washing/tidying up abit as you will love it.

Last Edited : 7th August 2009