Did you have a job as a teenager?

Aongus Von Bismarck · 12-06-2020 11:47AM

Yes. I worked part-time in a department store/hardware shop from the age of 15. I also worked some weekend nights in a local pub to supplement my income. Started working on building sites during the summer between the ages of 18 and 20, while also working as a contract barman in pubs/venues around Dublin.

Risingshadoo · 12-06-2020 11:51AM

I worked in a poultry products factory. Two consecutive summers. First one was packaging. Easy peasy. Second one was on the line, pulling the guts out. First few days, i was sick as a dog. Yeah. Wouldn't do it again.

But i prefer factory work to retail. Jesus i hate dealing with the public. Thankfully in software now.

eviltwin · 12-06-2020 12:18PM

mariaalice wrote: »

The skills and confidence comes from dealing with it, its a conundrum. No one should be abused or taken advantage though.

I think younger staff are an easier target. I'm fairly sure the people who gave me grief would have dealt with it differently if it had been an older or more senior member of staff.

Neames · 12-06-2020 12:23PM

Now this was a long time ago.

I worked in a bar serving drinks from the age of 12. I worked Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. I needed the money and really appreciated the job and the things I was able to buy.

It also gave me a good insight into the way drink can affect you. So when the majority of my pals started under age drinking, I never touched a drop under age.

12-06-2020 12:29PM

eviltwin wrote: »

I think younger staff are an easier target. I'm fairly sure the people who gave me grief would have dealt with it differently if it had been an older or more senior member of staff.

But that is an argument for a place to be well run and good supportive supervision for the younger staff not an argument that they should not be working. That is where parents come in to it making sure that their teen is not being exploited, its not making sure that the teen never has to negotiate any obestical themselves before they are an adult.

Stone Deaf 4evr · 12-06-2020 12:48PM

mariaalice wrote: »

Does anyone think working as a teen did them some harm and they would have been better not working?

Absolutely not, I was practically counting down the days till I could get a part time job, which paid for mountain bikes, guitars and videogames (and later booze) that I hadn't a hope of getting at home. It sounds like desperate old fashioned tripe now, but I firmly believe that a part time job / learning the value of what stuff costs and where money comes from is a skill worth learning.

biko · 12-06-2020 01:36PM

Odd jobs during the summer. Mainly selling ice cream at a miniature golf place.
Good times.

Bobblehats · 12-06-2020 01:45PM

Painting & decorating / Labouring / picking strawberries.

theteal · 12-06-2020 01:54PM

Yes, chanced the arm and popped into a pub on the Long Mile Road on the way home from my last JC exam, started the following night. 15 years old although I did say I was 16. £2ph. I'm sure the smoke didn't do my lungs any favours.

Conor Bourke · 12-06-2020 01:58PM

Babysitting as an early teen
Odd jobs/housekeeping in a neighbours B&B at age 14/15
Was economical with the exact truth about my age at 15 and got a job for 6 months in the kitchen of a deli doing some light cooking/food prep and a lot of heavy duty cleaning. Hard work but I loved it.

Waitressing/Housekeeping the next summer, loved it even more.

The summer of my leaving I had three jobs at once- hotel, summer camp and the B&B. Jacked all three in then to work as a healthcare assistant just before starting college and kept that up at weekends/holidays for the next few years, it was great. Was making crazy money for a person of my age, kept me in the best of clothes, holidays, makeup, hairstyles and eventually got myself a wee car with my savings.

All of those jobs involved long hours, a lot of heavy physical work but I never minded too much and it gave me the impetus to put in the effort at college to do better for myself. I could see that there was nothing wrong with any of those jobs at the time but I didn’t want to be doing them for the rest of my life either.

Dial Hard · 12-06-2020 02:06PM

Yep. Babysat from 11 or so. First real job was in a hairdressers in Garfton St when I was 14; 10 hours a day on my feet for 45p an hour. I know that sounds like the start of a "When I were a lad" joke but it's the truth.

I worked every summer after that, answering phones in a cab company, lounge girl, Champion Sports.

I think all kids should work during the summer once they hit second year or so. I know it's a lot harder to get jobs at that age these days, though.

punisher5112 · 12-06-2020 02:07PM

Yes from 15 and was oy ever out of work for 3 months.

12-06-2020 02:15PM

Basically worked every summer from 2nd year in a school until college. Then I worked all year around

Got my first job with re-occuring hours when I was 14. Working in a stall in the amusements.
"Burst two balloons to win a prize, three darts for a pound"
I'll never forget that phrase

Worked that job over two summers, 2nd and 3rd year
Worked 12pm until 11pm every day, with a single 1hour break each day. Earned £3 an hour

Got a job working in a cafe when I was 16 over Christmas in 5th year. Decent money, but wasn't very good. Making sandwiches, washing dishes. Bit of everything.
Worked in a supermarket stocking shelves the following summer after 5th year. That was enjoyable. I turned 17 while I worked there, and was the only member of the summer staff who was allowed to drive the forklift. For whatever reason I was trusted by the owner, and no one else was.
After my Leaving, got a job lifeguarding, which I worked as for the next four years throughout college.

12-06-2020 02:18PM

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

Absolutely not, I was practically counting down the days till I could get a part time job, which paid for mountain bikes, guitars and videogames (and later booze) that I hadn't a hope of getting at home. It sounds like desperate old fashioned tripe now, but I firmly believe that a part time job / learning the value of what stuff costs and where money comes from is a skill worth learning.

I wonder what has happened culturally in our society, that you have to say 'It sounds like desperate old fashioned tripe now', when talking about earning your own money as a teenager.

Aisling(",) · 12-06-2020 03:03PM

I started working in retail at 17. Had applied to loads of places from turning 16 but didn't manage to get anything.

My niece is 15(16 in the autumn) and I can't think of anywhere that'd consider employing someone her age and none of her friends have part time jobs yet.

Beasty · 12-06-2020 03:07PM

Started off working at a petrol station at weekends - probably about 13/14. Earning something like 30p an hour (remember Graeme Souness coming in one Sunday doing a bit of window shopping the BMW's - he signed for Liverpool the next day)

Then got a job as a school cleaner - 2 hours every school evening at 50p (eventually 55p I think, but we are talking the 1970s) an hour (the adult cleaners were paid 80p). Was doing that at age 16/17, and was still working on the petrol pumps

Then added to that with a job on the farm during the summer holidays, and gave up the petrol station job then. Think I was getting about 80p an hour then, but time and a half on Saturdays and double time on Sundays. There was also overnight work which paid double time

So yes, had 3 jobs as a teenager

Flimsy_Boat · 12-06-2020 03:11PM

antimatterx wrote: »

I don't understand parents not funding their kids education, especially if they can't afford it. I feel it's the responsibility of a parent to get their kids through college. My parents paid for mine, and I will pay for my kids when the time comes.

Sometimes people are rich because they are miserly. There a few billionaires who have children and they are getting nothing. So I suppose it could be worse.

DubDani · 12-06-2020 03:54PM

Worked afternoon/early evening & weekend shifts as a Cashier at a Petrol Station from when I was about 15.

Loved the job. While my parents funded all the necessities of life it gave me the freedom to spend money on hobbies I probably other wise could not have afforded at the time (traveling, a 80cc bike at 16 etc.) and also allowed me to save a bit for when I went to study at University.

Gave me a good understanding of the value of money, the fact that it has to be earned and I certainly hope my daughters will do the same once they are old enough.

Better Than Christ · 12-06-2020 03:59PM

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Started working on building sites during the summer between the ages of 18 and 20, while also working as a contract barman in pubs/venues around Dublin.

Did you bond with your colleagues by mimicking their harsh working class accents and asking if they'd seen 'the match'?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NLXrpImBCQ

I didn't have a proper job until I was 18. I never needed one because my babysitting skills were in high demand and earned me a whopping £40 a week. My first proper job was in the parts department of a Daewoo dealership during the summer after my Leaving Cert. A fiver an hour - felt like a millionaire.

wally1990 · 12-06-2020 04:01PM

When I turned 16 I interviewed for Argos and Mc ds

I was still In school and was offered 6 hours at the weekend by Argos and 20 by McDs (4 on Fri, 8 sat, 8 Sunday)

I took the McDs job in a heartbeat (to me more money equals more pay whilst all my friends made jokes about me working in Mc Ds) (want fries with that........

Same friends were unemployment/school age

I must say it served me well.

It got me good experience and grounding in an organisation dealing with management and seeing how a business is operated whilst dealing with cash, the public, improving customer service skills, multi tasking, team working, and then having the responsibility of opening and closing the store plus helping to arrange deliveries etc

Whilst people 'laughed' that I worked there, I did learn valuable skills at a young age and don't regret it one bit

I was delighted to be earning and have my own money, albeit I did absolutely blow it

ArnoldJRimmer · 12-06-2020 04:07PM

Yep, mainly summer jobs which I loved doing. Stacking shelves in a supermarket, worked in a petrol station, gardening(well cutting back a massive amount of ivy and other weeds), was a cleaner for a month or so, basically anything I could find to keep myself active in the summer months.

The first couple of jobs I mentioned really helped me come out of my shell as a painfully shy and awkward teenager, and of course the few quid at the end of the week was great. Which went on tapes, concert tickets, and later on, pints

Jenneke87 · 12-06-2020 04:34PM

I delivered newspapers and was a check out girl in a supermarket

12-06-2020 04:38PM

Worked on my uncle's farm as a kid, weekends and school holidays, could drive a tractor at nine years old.

Started giving my dad a hand on building/carpentry jobs at eleven and then started doing security when I was fifteen, but still helped out my dad and uncle as needed.

Really enjoyed all of it, having my own money etc when I was a kid and as decidedly dodgy as it could be at times enjoyed doing security when I did, but ended up in a management position and it wasn't for me due to the company I was working for.

SusieBlue · 12-06-2020 04:52PM

I got my first job when I was 14, minding three children. I minded them 9-5 Monday to Friday for the whole summer holidays and got paid €80 per week, which felt like a massive amount of money to me. I handed up some to my parents and blew the rest, probably in Penney’s & on dominos.
This was about 15 year’s ago or so and I think the parents got a really good deal :pac:

I did that for two summers before going into the world of retail/bar work. I enjoyed minding the kids a lot more than I liked dealing with the public, though.

jos28 · 12-06-2020 05:25PM

Started work at 14 and I've been working ever since. Worked part-time and summer holidays in a hairdressers from the age of 14. I also did a bit of babysitting to earn money. Had various other part time jobs after that including retail and restaurant work until I started full time work after LC. Certainly didn't do me any harm. Learned the value of money and lots of life skills.
Both of my adult children had part time jobs from the age of 14 and again it has served them well. They're both good with money and managed to buy their own houses by the time they were 30.

RedXIV · 12-06-2020 05:26PM

I got a job in a chinese restaurant thanks to asking one of the other waiters who was in my year in school and he got me in at 15. Then got into a caravan park as part of childrens entertainment, followed by pub work (lounge boy to the doors) and there was some work in the local tesco there too.

Definitely think it did me the world of good and was able to fund my rather boring lifestyle of books and games (and eventually drink too).

Would love to see my kids do it as well but as mentioned above, it's devilishly hard to get kids work and they don't even get a look in under 16

billyhead · 12-06-2020 05:51PM

Sold scratch cards at 16. It was a door to door house job. Worked in a deli in a supermarket at 17 and from 18 to 19 worked in a petrol station as a cashier. Prefered earning my own money then getting hands outs from parents.

12-06-2020 06:23PM

From 14, I was pumping petrol - My choice as it got me near cars.

Like Beasty above the pay wasn't the best (a flat £2 for a 5 hour shift so 40p an hour when petrol was 32.9p per GALLON for Esso Extra/BP Super or 29.9p for 'Regular'. (Decimal prices so post Feb 1971)

However, it changed my life come the 1973 Oil crisis (And the young 'uns go "Crisis? What crisis...?"). Petrol deliveries were rationed so petrol stations started limiting the amount you could buy and then generally to regular customers only. The queues for petrol were monumental (If anyone is feeling sentimental).

One day one of the teachers in my school rolled up. Yes, there was a story that he desperately needed petrol but I can’t remember what he said now. It didn’t matter, if he was looking he needed; he was that sort of person so the answer was ‘Pull in around the corner of the building, out of sight'.

I went out to the kiosk in the centre of the pump island and slyly pumped 5 gallons into a clean oil drum from the nearest pump. We siphoned the petrol into the car and filled it (Mini, a 5 gallon or so tank).

He was so grateful he was offering me a red folding note but I refused. I can only assume he had an idea of my Maths results so he suggested free grinds - I accepted. He was by far the best regarded teacher in the school but I never had a class with him.

Between then and doing the Leaving Cert a year and a bit later he took my grade from the usual D to a high B and that opened the way to third level for me...

I was sorry to find out a few years ago he passed in 2014 so God Bless, Paul R, most who knew you considered you a gentleman. To me, you're a Saint. RIP.

talla10 · 13-06-2020 04:51PM

I worked in a few places as a teenager

Factory
Dunnes (seasonal)
Argos (seasonal)
McDonalds
Labourer building Site (Summers)

Kinda regretted giving up most of summers to work now I look back but If i wanted money I had to earn it. Didn't do any harm in the long run

Your Face · 13-06-2020 04:56PM

I parked cars down at the cab-stand.

Did you have a job as a teenager?

Comments