• Replies 46 replies
  • Subscribers 22 subscribers
  • Views 17917 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related

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

Paul Carter

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

Parents
  • 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.
  • 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.
Reply Children
No Data