Where to Start
You cannot work full-time until after your official school leaving date that is, the last Friday in June, regardless of how old you are then. You will be entitled to the National Minimum Wage if you are aged 16 or 17 (and not in an Apprenticeship or other Government-sponsored training programme). Leaving full-time education does not mean finishing with learning and you need to think about a job that provides you with further learning opportunities and better prospects.
Once you have started work, you may have the chance to gain further qualifications. Your employer may give you time off for courses or offer a structured training programme that could lead to higher qualifications. The vast majority of jobs require you to develop and continually update your skills and knowledge in order to be effective at what you do, particularly if you wish to progress.
Starting the Search
Finding a full time or holiday Job or an apprenticeship should be seen as an exciting journey. A chance for you to try something new, test your skills, take on responsibility and earn some money.
First think about what you are looking to gain from a job. What is important to you? Experiences? Fun? Money? Responsibility?
Consider the following:
- Do you want to work inside or outside?
- How much money do you need to make? (remember travel and food!).
- How many days a week do you want to work? How many hours per day?
- Are you looking for long-term or short-term work?
- Location: is it possible to get to and from work for your start and finish times?
Where to Look
Take a bit of time to research all the companies that cover the area you are interested in. See what type of people they are looking for and if they are recruiting.
- The E4S website holds a variety of recruiters looking for students to fill part time and holiday jobs. www.e4s.co.uk
- The classified section of the local papers.
- Your parents, friends and family may be able to suggest contacts or openings.
- Jobcentre plus.
- Town Centre: are any shops or restaurants advertising for staff in their windows.
- Small businesses: they may not have full time openings but may be glad of some seasonal help. Consider sending out a prospective letter; it shows initiative– look at the yellow pages for ideas.
- Volunteering: if money is not your main objective, volunteering can be very rewarding. It looks great on your CV and you may even be able to find a role that is related to your future career aspirations. For further information and ideas take a look at: www.volunteering.org.uk or www.vso.org.uk.
- Self employment: want to be your own boss? Consider something easy to administer on your own. There are a few legal things you should be aware of before becoming self employed so make sure you contact the Citizens Advice Bureau www.citizensadvice.org.uk or www.hmrc.gov.uk.
Apprenticeships
If you are looking for an apprenticeship you will need to work really hard in being able to secure employment. All About Apprenticeships offer free advice and guidance to young people as well as hundreds of apprenticeships for you to choose from. You can search for apprenticeships by location, industry, and apprenticeship level; while our job descriptions and employer profiles will give in-depth detail of what they’re looking for and what training each apprenticeship offers.
For further information log on to:
If you would like any of your career related documentation to be checked over, pop in to the careers office or send an email: careers@paigntonacademy.org