The Student Room Group

I'm 16 and I have no idea how to get a job

I have no idea how to get one or even what I need. It's only now that i realise my life skills are very very very limited. Please help me

Also, how in the hell do i get a debit card?
Original post by Cami.D
I have no idea how to get one or even what I need. It's only now that i realise my life skills are very very very limited. Please help me

Also, how in the hell do i get a debit card?

Which country do you live in, I can check the best bank to apply for a bebit card. I am 15 and have a debit card. With interest rate and no banking fee. It is child friendly.
Reply 2
Original post by Vanessa Peace
Which country do you live in, I can check the best bank to apply for a bebit card. I am 15 and have a debit card. With interest rate and no banking fee. It is child friendly.

I'm from the Uk
u walk in like u own the place and say im the manager with a pin that has a fake name on it
Reply 4
Original post by TalkTalkTalk...
u walk in like u own the place and say im the manager with a pin that has a fake name on it

Sounds like a good idea to be honest xD
Original post by Cami.D
Sounds like a good idea to be honest xD

Trust me on this. It works.
ANd if u really wanna, get a bunch of your friends with all the same clothes to wait at the store and greet you as the manager.
The rest of the actual workers will go along with it
IT wORkS
Reply 6
Original post by Cami.D
I have no idea how to get one or even what I need. It's only now that i realise my life skills are very very very limited. Please help me

Also, how in the hell do i get a debit card?


When I was 16 I drafted up a CV with my predicted/ GCSE grades.
Just put everything on there that you did throughout secondary school. Any lunchtime clubs, sports, if you did the Duke of Edinburgh award and things like First Aid Courses. I also did Air Cadets so was able to add a lot in reference to weapons handling/ training and gliding scholarships. In your personal statement mention your passions and how you wish to progress academically (if you do) but also professionally in a working environment. Be punctual, smart and well spoken.
Hobbies are also a great one to include, if you love to read or cook or be social, whack it on there! Include personal reference contact details, I did one from my school and another from a close family friend. Google some CV templates to help with layouts!
I’ve been working full time since I was 16. If you need any help, just message me. Retail and hospitality will probably be the safest bet for a guaranteed job, unless there’s something specialised you want to go into.

With regards to Debit card/ setting up an account. I made an appointment with the bank and went in person. You’ll need proof of address dated from the last 3 months and a form a photo ID. All the approved documents and ID will be online, best bet is just to have a look around. Tbh, unless you’re paying for a bank account (pretty sure you can’t until you’re 18 anyway) and getting benefits, all the basic accounts are pretty much the same. Just google it tbh! Best of luck with it all :smile:
Original post by Cami.D
I'm from the Uk


K, in the event of attempting to get a debit card, first get parental acceptance. You can open a seperate account under your parent/s account, using thier bank of which thier use. You can also Google UK's best bank for minor or students. Study well, some banks are silly and don't give interest. You can check banks like Lloyds and Natwest. Appretently thier are good banks in UK. You can also approach a bank teller and whether thier have students accounts. You can also go for a student savings account maybe. But just make sure that they allow you to have access to your money at any time. My brother is now 10 and has been given a debit card, he has not much is his bank account but he is loving the freedom. About the job part, I can't help you, sorry because I live in other continent from you. So what jobs are available here might not be there.
Reply 8
Original post by Vanessa Peace
K, in the event of attempting to get a debit card, first get parental acceptance. You can open a seperate account under your parent/s account, using thier bank of which thier use. You can also Google UK's best bank for minor or students. Study well, some banks are silly and don't give interest. You can check banks like Lloyds and Natwest. Appretently thier are good banks in UK. You can also approach a bank teller and whether thier have students accounts. You can also go for a student savings account maybe. But just make sure that they allow you to have access to your money at any time. My brother is now 10 and has been given a debit card, he has not much is his bank account but he is loving the freedom. About the job part, I can't help you, sorry because I live in other continent from you. So what jobs are available here might not be there.


In the UK you need to be over 18 to open an adult account; however, many banks offer “mini” accounts for 16-17 year olds. You do not need parental approval to open these and can do so fully independently. I did mine with Santander at 16. Then, when I turned 18 it transitioned automatically into a basic account rather than a mini. Honestly, there were no difference between the account usage! Just how they categorise them I guess.
At the age of 16, your best bet is to open one of these accounts. Student accounts only really apply to university students and will not be what your looking for at 16. You’ll be after just a basic/ mini account for your wages to be paid into, not student financing or loans which is what student accounts are designed for. You wouldn’t be accepted for one of these right now anyway.
Unfortunately, for a while now and also due to the current climate, a very small amount of mini/ basic accounts offer interest. When they do, it’s pretty bad! The only time I have obtained interest with an account was when I banked with Nationwide and I had their premium account that cost me around £10 a month. (You have to be over 18 for these kind of accounts). These kind of accounts offer benefits like phone insurance and interest ect... However, I personally found it not to be worth it.
The only other alternative to paid accounts for interest are certain savings accounts, these are subject to the banks policies but some, do provide a decent-ish interest if you deposit a certain amount each month.
Again these are all down to the banks individual policies, but in my experience I have never obtained interest from a basic account. Unfortunately, it doesn’t pay to be loyal anymore! Especially with High Street Banks which is why I believe the rise of online based banks like Monzo and Sterling are happening.

Very valid point about accessibility to your money. Make sure you confirm this and also obtain a debit card. Double check withdrawal limits ect... This should be pretty easy to find out online when looking at different banks.

Your best bet is to just google “opening bank account at 16 uk” or something along those lines. Just have a read at what different banking society’s have to offer you. All the information you need will be there and when you’ve decided just make an appointment.

Honestly I made my appointment with Santander, we selected my account. Went over my ID and proof of address (I used my NI number letter). Discussed what the account would be used for, I said I was looking for a job so would be wages. It was set up. I received 3 letters, 2 containing online banking details and 1 containing my debit card. I activated my card at a cash point and changed my pin and it was done!
Very straight forward!

I am in no way an expert at this and this information is based on my personal experience. It does sound like the UK differs from where Vanessa is from so I just wanted to go over my experience in a bit more detail, hope this helps :smile:
Original post by TalkTalkTalk...
Trust me on this. It works.
ANd if u really wanna, get a bunch of your friends with all the same clothes to wait at the store and greet you as the manager.
The rest of the actual workers will go along with it
IT wORkS

**** I wish I had friends to try this with, this sounds like a good bit of fun.
Original post by Shvxw
In the UK you need to be over 18 to open an adult account; however, many banks offer “mini” accounts for 16-17 year olds. You do not need parental approval to open these and can do so fully independently. I did mine with Santander at 16. Then, when I turned 18 it transitioned automatically into a basic account rather than a mini. Honestly, there were no difference between the account usage! Just how they categorise them I guess.
At the age of 16, your best bet is to open one of these accounts. Student accounts only really apply to university students and will not be what your looking for at 16. You’ll be after just a basic/ mini account for your wages to be paid into, not student financing or loans which is what student accounts are designed for. You wouldn’t be accepted for one of these right now anyway.
Unfortunately, for a while now and also due to the current climate, a very small amount of mini/ basic accounts offer interest. When they do, it’s pretty bad! The only time I have obtained interest with an account was when I banked with Nationwide and I had their premium account that cost me around £10 a month. (You have to be over 18 for these kind of accounts). These kind of accounts offer benefits like phone insurance and interest ect... However, I personally found it not to be worth it.
The only other alternative to paid accounts for interest are certain savings accounts, these are subject to the banks policies but some, do provide a decent-ish interest if you deposit a certain amount each month.
Again these are all down to the banks individual policies, but in my experience I have never obtained interest from a basic account. Unfortunately, it doesn’t pay to be loyal anymore! Especially with High Street Banks which is why I believe the rise of online based banks like Monzo and Sterling are happening.

Very valid point about accessibility to your money. Make sure you confirm this and also obtain a debit card. Double check withdrawal limits ect... This should be pretty easy to find out online when looking at different banks.

Your best bet is to just google “opening bank account at 16 uk” or something along those lines. Just have a read at what different banking society’s have to offer you. All the information you need will be there and when you’ve decided just make an appointment.

Honestly I made my appointment with Santander, we selected my account. Went over my ID and proof of address (I used my NI number letter). Discussed what the account would be used for, I said I was looking for a job so would be wages. It was set up. I received 3 letters, 2 containing online banking details and 1 containing my debit card. I activated my card at a cash point and changed my pin and it was done!
Very straight forward!

I am in no way an expert at this and this information is based on my personal experience. It does sound like the UK differs from where Vanessa is from so I just wanted to go over my experience in a bit more detail, hope this helps :smile:

Well written!👏 Where do you come from?

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