Jobs for under 16's

[_katnip_]

Hi, i'm a 15 year old girl who lives in the Walsall area, i have been searching for a job that's paid (i'm not expecting alot of pay) I can work during school holidays, and at weekends. I'm currently studying beauty therapy at college and will be starting level 1 NVQ soon (i'm hoping to study all the way up to level 2-3). I was wondering is there ANY jobs for people my age, such as waitressing or dog walking (maybe nail painting or something along that line?). My boyfriend works in a butchers and get paid, my other friend works in a hairdressers, but it seems impossible for me to find a job anywhere!

Please help,

Kathryn.

[acw]

Could you set up your own little business offering manicures to your friends' Mums and your Mum's friends etc?  Print leaflets off the computer at college and drop them through letter boxes.  Depends on how safe your parents think it would be for you to pop round to these ladies' houses and how much it would cost you in bus fares etc. 

Otherwise I think you'll just have to go round all the cafes etc in your local town and ask. 

Please don't let them make you have too many hours!!  What with studying hard at college as well, you don't want to end up with no time to spend with your boyfriend!!!

Good luck!

[Hermia]

I would be a bit careful about the manicure idea incase someone has an allergic reaction to the varnish etc. Health and safety law is rather stringent nowadays! If you are good at art and crafts you could make money from that. I've been making cards since I was in my teens and it was a useful way of earning some extra cash. I also did the dreaded washing up in a restaurant when I was that age. Once you turn 16 you might want to consider jobs in a library. I work in a library and we take on loads of 16 year olds in casual posts. They earn more than they would elsewhere and can work around their college hours.

[acw]

And of course at 16 you gain greater protection from employment law. 

If you do go ahead with the nail painting plan, I'd be happy to give you a quick run down of the relevant law and also to type out a disclaimer that you could get everyone to sign if this was going beyond friends.  My idea was actually just to do it for people you know, who'll maybe give you �4 for the job, and won't sue you if something goes wrong.  If you expand it to strangers though, you will need to take heed of Hermia's advice. 

[lilyfrog]

a shop wwould be your best bet I think. At that age I worked in a bakers shop which was lovely as at the end of the day i got to take leftover cakes and things home.

I found that if you just keep asking again and again then they will remember you. Put together a basic C.V. and just hand it in again and again, I have gained two jobs this way by annoying people till the interviewed me, and as an employer now, if a C.V. lands on my desk enough times I will interview them as being that keen has to have a lot of benifits!!

Good luck!