My First Job

Hi,

I'm 13 and 8 months years old and I would like to possibly get my first job. I have had a long hard think about this and have even listened to experience from fellow class mates.

I have 3 options in mind and I have listed them in priority:

  1. Woolworths (5min walk)
  2. McDonald's (10min walk)
  3. Dominos Pizza (10min walk)

I do understand that I'm not going to be earning more than $10 an hour. I have spoken to some of my teachers about this and they have given me some tips about the workforce.

My parents do know about this and so far are supporting it (I think), I just need a final Yes.

The reason I want to get a job is because I want to get some experience over the holidays, earn some money, and save it up for my future University fees or something like that. Plus it will give me some more things to do over the holidays.

So what are your thoughts and do you have any recommendations?

Update: All my local Woolies require you to be 14 and 10 months years old. Guess I'm going to have to go to Maccas.

Update 2: Applied for a job at Maccas and you need to be 14yrs old. So now applied at Dominos and will get a reply with 14 working days.

Poll Options expired

  • 214
    Woolworths
  • 18
    McDonald's
  • 2
    Domino's

Comments

  • +21

    Defiantly apply for woolies, and if you cant get into try and do some work experience, i believe schools do make this mandatory in year 10. But you can ring up and offer yourself for a week (holidays), and put in 110% effort, and ask for a job at the end.
    Ive never seen a happy McDonalds employee :P
    Good luck!

    • +3

      Thanks. ☺

    • +41

      Defiantly

      He's only 13, I think he should wait for his parent's approval.

      • +1

        Another swypo, I'm sure. :)

    • +3

      Woolies is good but you need to 14 9 months

      In General Woolworths Limited will employ staff from the age of 14 years and 9 months. The exception to this is Victoria & Tasmania, where the minimum age is 15yrs. The decision to hire any new staff under these ages is influenced by varying State legislation, a duty of care and factors such as; required working hours, work requirements of the role and parental / guardian permission. Some of our roles in the Liquor and Petrol brands require a minimum age of 18, this is in line with government legislation to sell alcohol and cigarettes.

      http://www.wowcareers.com.au/page/Questions__answers/

      • OK. But you never know what mood the manager is in.

        • I started at Woolworths when I was 14 and 6 months, but that was a decade ago. Just keep in mind that you will be paid around 40% of the adult wage at your age, so around $5.60 an hour ($6.50 after the 20% casual loading comes into effect).

        • +3

          doesn't matter what mood the manager is in. its in their policy.

        • @mrwillc: only people under 14 9month are boss own kid i know how was at woolworth where i worked.

  • +21

    I'd go for Woolies out of these options… I got my first job in the local Foodland at the same age (many moons ago, when the majority of supermarkets in my home town were locally owned). It was a great job, and they worked around school hours (I ended up working there regularly after school, there were a few of us, we'd do the restocking of shelves, bag customers' groceries and carry them out for them).

    Good luck with the idea of saving… that was my intention, but once I started seeing money, something in my head said, "Buy ALL the things!"

    • +2

      Thanks. Always happy to listin to experience.

  • +6

    Woolies, more variety of tasks. But what strange poll options. I think you intended one option for each employer. Maybe a mod can sort it out.

    • +2

      Yes, I ment to edit it but now can't… Oh well.

  • Woolies

  • +5

    Woolworths sounds like a good option but I don't know how old you have to be to apply.

    McDonalds take staff as young as they can get but you might be given the worst tasks when you first start.

    I suggest looking into the employment rules as to how old you need to be to hold a job. You may also need to look into things such as tax file number, tax return and superannuation rules for casual work.

    Good luck. You've got a really good attitude.

    • +1

      Thanks. In NSW there is currently no age limit.

  • +15

    Congrats on wanting to work mate, you will set yourself up well for the future.

    Fast food places will work you to the bone, however, you will learn valuable skills that will benefit you for the future i.e time management, team work etc….

    I would go with the supermarket option as it will be an easier job, pay could possible be a tad more and you will pick up valuable skills for the future.

    • +76

      I full well realize that, but, at least it's something. I wouldn't be expecting anything more than $10. Everybody needs to start somewhere. Plus I want to do this for experience as well…

      • +30

        Fantastic attitude there. In year 10 (if you remember), if you want some systems engineering internship, hit me up with a msg. I'd be more than glad to try and arrange for something.

        • +12

          Thanks, I'll try to remember. Anyway, when I'm finished uni, I want a job in IT anyway, possibly along the lines of a system administrator. Also, I hate to say this, but, I'm not the best person in math, I'm trying to improve though.

        • +1

          @Dennis3003: Maths was my worst subject since I could remember. Currently a mechatronics engineer. If I can do it, anyone can.

          You sound pragmatic enough to make it, anyway.

          edit: Just realised you wanted to get into IT, not systems engineering. Maths won't be a problem at all.

        • Can I have an internship for systems engineering :P I'm currently 18 studying a bachelor of IT majoring in computer science. Also work 40hr weeks at the local Kmart.

    • +10

      It's a slave wage sure but when you are that young any income is going to be awesome, I remember when I was in high school $50 was a big deal.

      • +21

        it is still a big deal to me.

        • +4

          And that is why we are all on Oz bargains :)

      • +6

        I found $20 when I was younger and thought I was a millionaire.

    • +16

      He's a well known troll around these parts, ignore him. You know they say The devils smile gets kinder the more he deceives you ;)

      Working at a young age teaches you many things that college or uni cannot, things like teamwork, learning to put up with people or customers with poor attitudes, knowing how to work under pressure and most importantly, getting to know people (networking).

      The wage level is unimportant. You only worry about that stuff when your parents kick you out of the house and when you have years of experience under your belt.

    • There's people that learn through experience that working 'too hard' gets you taken advantage of…but most hold on to the false hope of promotion/career advancement or fear of losing their job and expect accolades for statements like "I WORKED 60 HOUR WEEKS blah blah blah!!!". Guess they're hinting that they want it written on their tombstone.

      I totally understand the sentiment of people that prefer staying at home punching bongs on the couch if that's what makes them happy…personally I'd rather take my dog to the beach than spend any more time than I have to at work.

      My advice. Be wary of woolies and scrutinise your payslip accordingly…you'll soon learn the value of your time. Ethereal has.

    • -8

      lol @ smoking cone part. Centrelink 4 lif3 m8

    • +3

      @etherreal88

      Pffft. I started work at a grand wage of $3.50 an hour and the longest days lasting 16 hours.
      Stop whinging about others earning more and comparing what others earn. There are loads of things to be learnt from any work and it all goes to build your abilities and pave your future. Suffice to say, i'm living a relatively comfortable life now because of my willingness to work.

      Stop living off the dole/my taxes you bum.

      • Suck on it. Work for me! Put those taxes into my benefits!

      • How much did things cost when you were working?

    • +2

      When you come to be that Adult age and start applying for jobs, you will be up against those willing to start work when they were 14-15 years of age. You will soon realise that having no experience vs 3-4 years experience, will be the decider in you getting the job (no matter what type of job it is).

      Ask yourself; as an employee do I want to start at zero training - or hire someone who has learnt the ropes?

    • +3

      Ozbargain feature request: It'd be nice to be able to mark certain users as "morons" and perhaps add a note so that when I read their posts/comments in the future I remember "oh that's the moron tried to demotivate an great-attitude teenager offering nothing but negativity"

  • +9

    Good Dennis - right attitude. remembered my mum used to ask me to get a holiday job and I never did because of pride.

    Definitely woolies - with staff discount, proper structure and training, ongoing part time job opportunities. with the other two, it is a franchise, more or less your treatment will depend on how good the owner is.

    Put wages aside. It is the experience in the real world that money cannot buy.

    • Its just a matter of getting the job or not, nobody knows if they would except me.

      • +4

        *accept

        • +1

          Thank you. Typing on a tablet so…

  • +9

    As good of an attitude it is to save, I would recommend not to. Any amount of money you earn now will be small fry compared to what you can earn later on when you are older. Use it to buy things that mean something to you and that you will use. One day, the $10,000 you saved up for 5 years will be worth nothing because you can make that in three months, you'll regret not buying things that made you happy when you were younger.

    • +3

      That's why I'm doing this mostly for experience, not just the money. :)

      • +2

        oh please… everyone was young before. It's for BOTH the experience AND the money. :P

        I know i blew most my earnings on a lot of stuff… but it was still worth it, cause i learnt to treasure my both the $$ and stuff that i bought more. And whilst i agree with paulsterio to a certain extent. I believe more in learning how to manage your finances, EG: save a % of your earnings to make it a habit. Say 30% ~50%, pick a number and stick with it.

    • I wish I'd saved more when I was younger to help with first car etc.

      If I was truly awesome, I would have LOCKED away a certain percentage of my wage, even 10-20%. This will help you learn life lessons on how to save/budget and the money itself will come in handy when you need it.

      Unfortunately, there was always a party, road trip, 'toy', or event that beckoned my hard earned :-)

    • +1

      I disagree for a number of reasons:

      1) Developing a saving attitude when young means you will be more likely to continue saving
      2) When living with parents you are easily able to save a lot of money as you don't have living expenses
      3) The money you save when young is far more valuable per dollar than the money you save later in life due to compound interest.

      • +8

        Saving is overrated. Don't you think it's a funny concept? We work all our lives, we save up lots of money. So many people pass away because of illness or otherwise before they even get to use up any of their savings. The rest of us retire when we're like 70 and then we have a whole bunch of money, but not a lot of time left to use it.

        That's just a really weird concept to me. I'm all for saving up for particular things, but don't starve yourself of the things you deserve. If you want to save up for a nice car, good on you, if you want to save up for a house, good on you as well, but don't stop yourself from buying the car you want or the house you want and if there's no big purchases you need to buy, don't stop yourself from buying toys that will make you happy, going on a trip with your family or rewarding yourself for working hard.

        • +4

          Surely that's the point of saving… to save up for something that you want?

          I didn't work a lot as a teenager, but saved the majority of what I did earn. Ended up with a significant amount to put towards a house deposit when I was 19. Now in my mid-twenties, many of my friends working full-time jobs are struggling to save enough to buy a house.

          I also think you'll find that the majority of Australians DON'T retire with huge savings. Even those with super tend to get through it pretty quickly, and end up living off of at least a partial pension.

        • -1

          When you're 70 your body will be falling apart. You won't be able to eat large meals because your body won't handle it (never mind if you end up with medical restricitons - quite likely). There's a good chance dancing will hurt. You certainly won't be up for adventure sports etc. Your eyesight and hearing won't be as good. (Even those with very good sight and hearing can't fight the aging process which limits the range of sounds you can hear and how much your pupils dialate). And don't get me started on how unsustainable the whole super system is.

          Saving up for retirement is basically for @#$@ing idiots! IF your lucky you'll have children who get some benefit. Chances are they'll bring in an inheritance tax in the next 50 years and you'll be left having saved for nothing.

    • +1

      this has always been my mind set with part time work at a young age
      i would always spend my money as i pleased, and enjoyed it. i would save up for things that were realistically achievable. i always figured what's the point? i'm aspiring to be an engineer (2nd year now), in which case the money that i would have saved would become almost negligible once i start my career.
      there was another kid that worked at woolies with me, same age, and he put almost all his money aside. said he was saving up for a house. he never went out, never spent any money and was extremely boring.

      youve got a whole life ahead of you to save and budget - starting from the early teens is a waste

      • +3

        2 extreme ends. Pick the middle. Save a little, spend a little. Best of both worlds.

    • I severely disagree to this, any money helps and you appreciate the value when you do. I saved up over $10000 before I finished year 11. I have saved heaps over the years and already have a home deposit for when i find one and I'm 23 and studying, save up mate, it only helps!!!

  • +1

    Try fruit shops, become a soccer/afl/hockey/basketball/netball referee, and ask around family members for small jobs over the holidays. Everything helps. Read the book 'what colour is your parachute' which may be a little ahead of where you are now, but it will be an excellent help in the years to come. Borrow it from the library as there is a new edition every year.
    Great to see you have the right attitude, and you are looking for something convenient to the hours you can work and the location you want to work in. Attitude is the most important thing you need. Go hard or stay home

    • +1

      I'm going to try and put 101% in…

      • +3

        Good. Give 100% to everything, unless you are giving blood.

  • +4

    You have to be 14 and 9 months to get a job? I'd just wait until you're 16 as realistically, Maccas is the only one that will hire out out of those 3 at a legal working age.

  • +1

    Though I'm not too sure but doesn't McDonald's have a requirement that you be at least 14 and 9 months with parental consent to be able to work? That being said if possible, by all means go for Woolies. I used to work for McDonalds around 15 and you start with approximately $7.78/hr. Whilst I put my all in for about the first year.. that quickly changed but each person's experience varies. And from what my friends told me, Dominoes was roughly around $6/hr.

    However, if you are going for the experience, any of these options would be fine but I would either stick to Woolies or some sort of local job like the pharmacy, paper walking etc.

    • I would be happy with any of them…

  • +5

    Don't forget to post us special coupons and tips & tricks when you land one of these jobs.

  • +3

    I used to work for McDonald's from 15-17,I was getting paid at 15.6 ish/ hour if I remember it correctly. I think you get $8-$10/ hour for the first 3 months. Working there opened my eyes to the real world, in both good and bad ways. Their training system is not bad, as long as they follow the correct procedure. I also managed to complete a few certificates, paid by the employer, while I was there. I can't speak for safeway and dominoes.

    However good luck with whatever you choose to do. Good on you Dennis!

    • Thanks for the info.

  • +7

    Since when are 13 year olds this switched on? Most 13 year olds I know of are screaming at everyone in call of duty

    • +7

      Most 13 year olds are crazy….

    • +4

      Hey.. Im almost 30 and still screaming in call of duty.. Those basbeeeprds

      • +6

        Well… I know 'some' people my age don't give ******** about school and just worry about their games. Still, I always got taught that "work hard, play hard" and I think that's fair enough.

  • +7

    Having the right attitude will help you go a long way - it sounds like you have a great, positive, can-do approach to life. Best of luck Dennis :)

  • Woolworths would highly likely be the best option. Better and more convenient working hours for some still at school and a much better image of a Woolworths employee over Maccas.
    Sometimes however you do just have to take what you can get and have to start at a place like Maccas and go from there.
    I started working at about your age, was a great start and helped heaps in getting future jobs while many others just coming out of school struggle to find anything.

    Good luck and enjoy the money and experience!

  • +11

    I started working at 15 years olds. One word of advice, if it is affecting your health, sleep or studies then stop, you can make money later on in life.

    If you're after experience then work during the holidays.

    I wish someone had told me its ok not have a phone, mp3 player, nice looking clothes back in the day and just enjoy your life then I would be in a better position at the moment. There's a lot of unnecessary pressure of growing up.

    • +2

      Couldnt have said it better myself. Getting a job early is a good start, but dont try to become adult because adults are boring, all they talk about is money. Like the old saying, grow old but don't grow up.

  • +11

    13 year old ozbargainer, this person is going places

    • +11

      Yes. Also a member of Whirlpool Forums….

  • +7

    Apply for both.

    Some employers give strong preference to McDonalds employees as they know the conditions are crap and think you will be less needy.

    McDonalds + other fast food chains can be quite social and can actually be fun, lots of parties and new friends.

    Do not , ever , let work interfere with with your family, social and personal life.

    Sports and friends and fun memories will serve you better later in life than a school job.

    • +2

      and also studying too… when you get to year 11/12 and studying for uni entrance exams (HSC etc…). You'll realise how valuable time is, if you need to take those 2 weeks off for study, dont be afraid to ask your manager.

    • +1

      In my opinion having McDonalds on your resume would be better than Woolworths. McDonalds are generally held in high regard for their training and development of staff. Woolworths will probably be slower paced and less stressful with more flexible hours

      • Well because more young people go to McDonald's.

      • -2

        Disagree, nothing you do when you're a teenager counts for anything in the real world.

        • -1

          Disagree with that. Some of my experiences during my teenage working life has given me the edge over some of my other colleagues.

          Obviously its related to what i do now, mainly managing servers/systems, safety critical and performance monitoring.

        • @zeomega: What I mean is working at McDonalds…etc.

          I've had countless people who have been through the workforce and employers and HR departments tell me that it counts for nothing and that what's most important is your ability to demonstrate that you can do the job.

          If you have crap grades, little knowledge of the relevant job area and you don't show a capacity and willingness to learn, your job at Maccas when you were 15 won't mean a thing.

          At the end of the day, it's about relevant experience, your grades (if you are a graduate) and your ability to demonstrate that you are passionate, willing to learn and are knowledgeable and interested in the field of work you are applying for.

          Focus on getting good grades, do some volunteering work over the summer, get involved with things at uni, do jobs that actually mean something (e.g. do some teaching in your final year of uni, do a research project, do a summer vacation internship…etc.) and you'll get the job you want. I'm living experience it worked.

          The fact that you worked at Maccas when you're 15 has next to no relevance compared with those other things.

        • +1

          This job at McDonalds/Woolies etc. will only matter for the next few years. If OP is planning to only work there for 2-3 years, thus quitting at 16-17yo, this job will help you get your next immediate job.

          But if you're thinking of quitting at 16-17 and not work till you've finished High School and graduate from Uni, then this job will be useless and irrelevant on your resume for when you're applying for a proper job, as you'll be in your 20s.

          Relevant experience is preferable, but lots of skills from places like McDonalds can be transferred. You can always use examples of how you worked in teams effectively, how you handled customer complaints etc employers can see what type of person you are from your answers, even if the new job won't involve handling customers. But as above, has to be recent experiences. So what you did 6 years ago as a teenager wont matter.

          Different story if you're an adult who have successfully managed a number of huge companies over 30 years though.

        • @JLove:

          It all depends on what job OP wants to aim for when he's older. I imagine starting young if applying for a store manager's role would be considered impressive. On the other hand if you're applying for a career in IT I can tell you working at a supermarket only gives you a very slight advantage.

          If gunning for a professional role, best thing OP can do for his career at the moment is get the absolute best grades he can. Not because anyone will give a damn what his grades were in year 8 or 9, but because it keeps your options to do relevant courses open, and what you do at Uni and what grades you get there absolutely do matter.

          Relevant experience, and the right attitude are also vital. I am amazed by the number of people I've seen who have completed an IT degree but can't draw a simple diagram on a board at an interview, or worse stick their foot squarely in their mouth and saying something that puts them out of contention without ever realising they've just blown it.

        • +1

          @syousef: Completely agree with what you're saying. It's only a slight advantage at best.

  • +1

    everything tonka said, Id also add that woollies you'll get different tasks ect like filling in for different departments ect. However Mcdonolds could be more fun however I think that would suit the 16-17 employees more. IMO you are still young and I think interacting through sports, meet-ups, clubs friends is a better option to fill time.

  • +1

    I think Woolies requires you to be at least 16.

  • +2

    Wow good on ya! I wish I was half as motivated as you when I was your age. Best of luck whichever you choose!

  • +2

    If you want to do anything such as computer programming, writing, designing (things that are about ability, not age/location/pieces of paper): start now.

    I know some people who started even younger, 12-13 and suddenly they're 15 with 3 years of experience. You can be billing at say $25/hr and undercutting others by a large margin, whilst still raking it in given you've got next to no expenses until you move out in a few years time.

    By 18 you can have been involved in business for 5 years… it's a huge head start.

    Of course this doesn't work for doctors, engineers and things you must do uni for; or if you're unsure which you want to do (which most people are at that age! Heck, even getting older doesn't make it clearer)

    • Thanks as mentioned before, I do want to go into IT, maybe management and looking after IT at a company. But as you say to start now, my question is how?

      • Odd jobs on Airtasker maybe.

      • +1

        Depends on the field, generally management is a different skillset to those actually doing the work. And IT at a company is different again the management, it'd be more "the printer doesn't work again" etc.

        Online is much easier then physical, because physical = they know how old you are, has to be in your area.
        Plenty of ways to learn, depends on what you want to do, my recommendation would be:
        - Practice and follow tutorials
        - When component enough to finish it (even if takes a long time), do some cheap client work under a name you don't want to use in future. If something goes bad at least your real name isn't tarnished. Less focus on money, more focus on improving skills and speed. Even if you take a long time, $5/hr isn't bad given what traineeship and apprenticeships pay and you're stuck for 4 years. You want maybe a year of bad pay, working hard at improving and then jumping up into the $20/hr+ range.
        - Once you're get better make a real portfolio and chase some "real" work. Can start charging much better

        And really, if that all works out, you'll know what to do from there. Age is on your side so use it. 4 years until your 18, that is a long time, there's no reason you couldn't be on very decent money by then, that's 4 years of freelance work which would also have a nice client base established. You have no risk at all, not like you have a mortgage and kids to feed.
        Worst case, you're 18 and have been semi-successfully freelancing for the past 4 years. Compare that resume with the guy who's stacked shelves at Woolies…

        And btw, ignore the "you must be 18yrs…". You could pretty much rob a store and get away with it at your age, they aren't throwing people in jail for using fiverr.com when under 18.

        • Looks like a great offer but, I'm not sure a person would like a 13yr old show up at there door, even if they now what they're doing.

          Personally I know what I'm doing. I setup our Modem Router at home, moved computers around at primary and etc.

        • @Dennis3003: How are you with HTML and PHP? That would be a good place to start. Then move on to Java and C.

          Once you are a bit more confident with coding you could set up websites for businesses. That sort of thing pays well.

          Check out this kid

        • @knick007:

          I'm only just starting. I believe at my school they teach you C#. We did have an assessment task to create a website in Adobe Flash, everyone was slacking and the teachers part time contract finished so it was all scraped. I think the school learnt it's lesson and now we have to do app design (both written planning and graphical) in photoshop.

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