Was your weekend job when you were young the best job you ever had? - General - Our Profession

43 Was your weekend job when you were young the best job you ever had?

27 Apr, 2025 14:46

Hello everyone,

I am Paul Carter, a CIPD member and HR professional. I love to write and record podcasts about the world of work. My next blog and podcast are taking a nostalgic look at how the weekend jobs we had when we were younger shaped us and our attitude to work. We were care free, earning just enough money to have fun, buy clothes and run a car. We developed our interpersonal skills through meeting new people, being part of a team, being managed for the first time and dealing with tricky customers. A small taste of financial independence and what work would be like when we left higher education. We were dazed and confused, loving and hating it but always going back for the next shift. It may have only lasted for a couple of years but you will always remember your favourite weekend job.

Was your favourite weekend job the best job you ever had? What did you learn from it? Do you still see people you worked with all those years ago?

Does your company employ weekend workers? A 2020 report by the Resolution Foundation indicated that the employment rate of 16- to 17-year-olds with weekend jobs had halved in a two-decade period. Should a weekend job be a rite of passage as a teenager? What are teenagers missing if they do not get this experience?

Please share your views and complete my short survey https://forms.office.com/r/VgPnf1mYLF?origin=lprLink

If you would like to contribute to my blog and podcast, let me know.

Thank you

Paul

6094 views

Paul Carter | 0 Posts

6 May, 2025 12:10

In reply to Sharon:
Hi Sharon, thank you for this fantastic contribution which I will use for my blog. Please let me know if you would like to contribute to my podcast.
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Hannah | 0 Posts

21 May, 2025 10:14

Quite honestly all I remember from my first jobs were being paid buttons and treated very poorly. Work experience as a teen was VERY questionable and not a safe space for a young person.

After my first initial taste of 'work', I got a weekend job in a bakery, the pay was horrendous and was spoken to awfully, despite working my bum off. After that I got an apprentice admin job in a law firm, again, paid horrendously but learnt a lot about myself and my ethic. All my early working experiences taught me a few things, mainly that i have a very good work ethic and that i learn by doing, i am not an academic, give me a challenge or a task and i will figure it out.

However, back to the original question .... Was my weekend job the best i ever had ... absolutely not !!
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Paul Carter | 0 Posts

4 Jun, 2025 18:09

In reply to Hannah:
Thank you, Hannah, for your contribution. This is my first article on the topic www.watchingworkingliving.co.uk/death-of-the-saturday-job. My second blog will be a nostalgic celebration or reflection of people's weekend jobs. I will then do the podcast.
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Hannah | 0 Posts

5 Jun, 2025 07:57

Wow you took me down memory lane My main weekend jobs were in retail (fashion and home improvement) but I particularly enjoyed the one with B&Q because I came away with more than I knew before joining and some important skills that helped shape my working life. I got paid well and learned very quickly. While I am not a salesy person, B&Q taught me how to sell products in my own way. I increased my "add-on" sales very quickly. They invest a lot in l&d across the teams which I found invaluable.
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Nicola Reed | 0 Posts

5 Jun, 2025 09:25

Hello Paul – and I echo everyone else’s comments, it’s a great question!

I had three jobs – two evening shifts at a local supermarket, and one covering supper at the local chippy. I loved the interaction and the chats, plus I learned I have asbestos fingers… and I still silently judge people when serving chips..

My favourite by far was my Saturday market stall job: selling M&S seconds knitwear to local ladies who loved a bargain. It kept me in Morrissey-style cardigans for a year or two, and really built my confidence in dealing with people. Batting back the "bants" from the butchers opposite definitely helped solidify that!

On reflection, I’ve mainly worked in male-dominated industries since – and I do wonder if that early Saturday job was my unofficial induction.

I've loved reading the comments on this thread, and finally - we don't offer weekend work but do offer work experience through local schools.
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Paul Carter | 0 Posts

5 Jun, 2025 17:03

In reply to Hannah:
Hi Hannah, thanks for your message and I do remember some teenagers earning lots of dosh from their weekend jobs. Please let me know if you would like to contribute to the podcast.
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Paul Carter | 0 Posts

5 Jun, 2025 17:09

In reply to Nicola Reed:
Hi Nicola, that's a great breadth of experience you gained at an early age. I hope you still cite those jobs and experiences in your application forms. Please let me know if you would like to contribute to the podcast.
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Paul Carter | 0 Posts

10 Jun, 2025 05:55

You can read the second blog of the 'Death of the Saturday Job' series www.watchingworkingliving.co.uk/teenage-jobs-nostalgia. The podcast will be next. Thank you for your contributions.
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Vicky | 0 Posts

11 Jun, 2025 07:16

My first ever weekend job was working in a fish and chip restaurant (waitressing). Was it the best job I ever had? No, but it helped me develop my confidence working with people, dealing with challenging customers and handling money. I remember looking at my first payslip and it was £323.00 and I thought wow - I have never had so much money!

One of the managers I worked with, I am still in touch with to this very day and has become one of my best friends, even though we live miles apart. It didn't put me off working in hospitality straight away as I went on to work for a well-known bakers after that, but then eventually decided retail was not the direction I wanted to take my career.
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Cathy | 0 Posts

11 Jun, 2025 08:26

Morning Paul

This is the first time I've ever commented on this blog! Similar to Robey's style, I'm not quite going to answer your question - my first full-time job (many years ago) was as a sponsored student at IBM in Havant at the age of 16. As to it shaping my attitude to work, I remember clearly my manager Patricia stating "Never hind behind L plates". Rather than stating "I don't know, I'm new here", it's more of a "Whilst I don't know the answer to that myself, let me find out for you". I've used that analogy throughout my career, also sharing it with others.

Cathy
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Steve Bridger | 0 Posts

Community Manager

11 Jun, 2025 09:05

In reply to Cathy:
Thanks for posting for the first time, Cathy :)
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Steve Bridger | 0 Posts

Community Manager

3 days ago

In reply to Paul Carter:
Very grateful you posted the question, Paul. It developed into a great read.
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Paul Carter | 0 Posts

2 days ago

In reply to Steve Bridger:
Thanks Steve, my pleasure. Recording a podcast takes a lot longer than writing an article. Once ready I will share the link. Thank you to everyone for your contributions.
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