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

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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 companies name, your TSR nickname, brief description of your job, hours, etc.

Contents 1 Fast Food Chains 1.1 Subway (sa05) 1.2 McDonald's (NickyP) 2 Supermarkets 2.1 Sainsbury's (davireland) 2.2 Tesco (Charlurr) 2.3 Tesco (JoJo72) 2.4 Morrison's (Noxid) 2.5 Morrison's (Crisps) 2.6 Safeway/Morrisons (FadeToBlackout) 2.7 Marks and Spencer (supernova2) 2.8 Marks and Spencer (Couldxbe) 2.9 Waitrose (artorscience?) 2.10 Waitrose (ObaMartins9) 2.11 Co-Op (teenage-monkey) 2.12 Co-Op (Juno) 2.13 Co-Op (kizzers) 2.14 Co-Op (DamnitJanet) 2.15 Wilkinson (FireDeuce) 3 High Street Chains 3.1 Department Store (Talya) 3.2 House of Fraser (supernova2) 3.3 WH Smith (teenage-monkey) 3.4 New Look (tropicalcoconuts3) 3.5 Debenhams (The Pier Concession) (321beep) 3.6 Woolworths (Crystal89) 3.7 HMV (lulu_dudette) 4 Offices 4.1 ICM Research 4.2 Zenith Windows 5 Council Buildings 5.1 Library (brimstone) 5.2 Leisure Centres (lou76854) 6 Pubs, Restaurants and Hotels 6.1 Waitressing in a conference centre/hotel (beanie) 6.2 Glass Collecting in a Pub (grammar_king)

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 (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!

Supermarkets

Sainsbury's (davireland)

I have worked there for just over a year now on a Saturday and Sunday, I intend to stay with them throughout my time at uni. You normally just need to pick up an application form in store usually at the customer service desk but more stores are going online and quite soon every store will be processing applications online. 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. When they ask you when you can work give as much as possible because they will be more likely to select you and offer some hours.

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.

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 (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.

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.

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.

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*

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.

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!

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.