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Best way for a 16 year old to gain money?

M

Merthyrboy

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 21, 2008
490
3
Hey I've been looking for a job the last few weeks but they all seem to be taken by kids returning from uni (I'm in the UK) I've been so desperate that I'm now trying to learn the argos Catalogue to try to get a job in argos. I don't need the money desperately but with so much cool stuff coming out from apple lately I'm going to try and take advantage of not having to pay bills and rent and try to get enough money together to buy some of them.

The point of this thread is to try and get some ideas of ways to get money by other ways than a job, like a good Internet survey site but I haven't found any or anything that could help me gain some money.

Thanks in advance, Math
 
I wouldn't try Internet for getting money, you usually need credit card or PayPal or something like that. Also, there are a LOT scammers etc out there plus there is no such a thing as "free money". You have to earn it. You may make a pound or two in the Internet but that's not what you want.

Ask from supermarkets, restaurants, offices etc, they can usually hire you to do some ****** work like cleaning :D Also, ask from warehouses, they often need an extra pair of hands. Seriously, don't expect to get a nice job. Summer jobs are usually cleaning and stuff that nobody else wants to do
 
Thanks for the advice about the Internet. Guess I was never expecting anything good but somethings better than nothing. I just don't know how they decide to hire kids like the only thing that's on my cv is my name and address and like hardly any results because they come out in august.
 
Merthyrboy said:
Thanks for the advice about the Internet. Guess I was never expecting anything good but somethings better than nothing. I just don't know how they decide to hire kids like the only thing that's on my cv is my name and address and like hardly any results because they come out in august.
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CV isn't that important in that age yet. List something like what clubs you are/have been into, old school results etc. It doesn't matter what results you got from school as the job you will likely be doing is something that anyone can do.

Be brave and don't be shy, just go and ask. Don't email or call if you can go there and ask live, it gives a better picture of you. I got my first summer job when I was eating a pizza. The cook seemed to be so busy and tired of doing the dishes etc so I just asked does he need an extra pair of hands as I'm workless and would like to do some work. 2 days later he called me and asked if I could come there to make the contract. I didn't even have any CVs and stuff. McDonalds is one place you should ask from. It's not a dream job but they always hire people
 
Most places are online applications only now though. Maybe local shops are the way to go. Hope there's still some left most are going out of business which sucks since you normally get better service.
 
Note that as a 16 year old there are loads of extra laws that apply to you that may make some jobs illegal for you to do (for example it would be difficult for you to get work cleaning offices or supermarkets overnight).
 
You could work in a construction equipment rental yard. Where you load, unload, clean, service and demonstrate operation of equipment to customers. Plus you will learn a great deal about different tools and there uses.

When I worked at one in high school I worked 70 to 80 hours a week during the summers.
 
Resign yourself to either working part time or working in something like cleaning cars or something equally ****. You have no experience, no qualifications and more importantly only 6 weeks to do some work. Unlikely you'll work in any sort of construction card because you're too young and don't have the necessary safety qualifications.
Ask friends and family to help and go around local businesses and ask.
 
There are so many ways, it all depends on what you're willing to do and how much initiative you're willing to put in.

On the low-effort, low-initiative end of the scale, apply at McDonald's or a supermarket or some other retail place. Maybe local restaurants could use dish washers or servers. (I was eating at a Red Lobster the other day, and the maitre'd was, I swear, about 13 years old. Dressed smartly and polite and all, but tiny.)

On the other end of the scale, run your own summer business. Offer to mow lawns and do weed-whacking, landscaping, painting, or whatever else you enjoy and are good at. Perhaps you're a whiz at graphic design and HTML, you could set up a website design service and see if you have friends, neighbors, charities nearby that would like to hire you.

(Aside: I recently bought a weed-whacker for my lawn. Before I bought, I went looking on YouTube. Most of the videos I found appeared to be recorded by 13-16 year-olds who have their own businesses doing lawn trimming work.)

I have a friend who did that when he was 12. He was hired by family friends and local businesses and charities to design and maintain websites for them. He would dress up in a little suit to meet with his clients to discuss requirements. It was cute, he got good money and good experience too.

More unusual methods of making money:

- Become a YouTube sensation, apply for partner, get money from ad clicks. :)
- eBay...
- Buy up iPads and iPhone 4's and sell them to countries where they're not released yet.

Good luck!
 
notjustjay said:
There are so many ways, it all depends on what you're willing to do and how much initiative you're willing to put in.

On the low-effort, low-initiative end of the scale, apply at McDonald's or a supermarket or some other retail place. Maybe local restaurants could use dish washers or servers. (I was eating at a Red Lobster the other day, and the maitre'd was, I swear, about 13 years old. Dressed smartly and polite and all, but tiny.)

On the other end of the scale, run your own summer business. Offer to mow lawns and do weed-whacking, landscaping, painting, or whatever else you enjoy and are good at. Perhaps you're a whiz at graphic design and HTML, you could set up a website design service and see if you have friends, neighbors, charities nearby that would like to hire you.

(Aside: I recently bought a weed-whacker for my lawn. Before I bought, I went looking on YouTube. Most of the videos I found appeared to be recorded by 13-16 year-olds who have their own businesses doing lawn trimming work.)

I have a friend who did that when he was 12. He was hired by family friends and local businesses and charities to design and maintain websites for them. He would dress up in a little suit to meet with his clients to discuss requirements. It was cute, he got good money and good experience too.

More unusual methods of making money:

- Become a YouTube sensation, apply for partner, get money from ad clicks. :)
- eBay...
- Buy up iPads and iPhone 4's and sell them to countries where they're not released yet.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

+1

Ideally, I would go around and ask for yard work or painting. This sounds small and crappy but it's really good experience. Looking back, I wish I had done something like this when I started working.

If not, McDonald's is actually a great choice. You learn a lot working for a company that is trying to pay you a little as possible while squeezing as much productivity out of you as possible. It was my first job and it made me realize I wasn't "above" certain jobs. There's no shame in feeding and sheltering yourself.
 
itcheroni said:
If not, McDonald's is actually a great choice. You learn a lot working for a company that is trying to pay you a little as possible while squeezing as much productivity out of you as possible. It was my first job and it made me realize I wasn't "above" certain jobs. There's no shame in feeding and sheltering yourself.
Click to expand...

My first job was a paper route. They paid pennies per house. I think I worked my butt off for like $50/month. If that doesn't teach you the value of a dollar...

My dad was recently laid off and one of the jobs he took, before he got another job in his field, was as a "paperboy" for the local newspaper. Delivery had to be complete before 7am each morning. One weekend he was out of town and my brother and I subbed in for him. It took two of us, two hours each morning, to get the route done, with my car idling almost the entire time. Worked out to about $10 per hour minus the wear and tear on my car. No way I'd ever do that on a full time basis.
 
Keniff said:
Post up some pics of yourself, and let me see if can pimp your rear out!

;)
Click to expand...

I think I'm more the type to be taking the photos not in them.

All good suggestions though thanks. Would sound really cool if I managed to set up my own website and my uncle does do web design so maybe he could give me a few pointers if I go there.

Not sure of any construction sites around here at the moment but I'll keep my eye out. Think I'd be the most useless person there as my brick laying probably isn't the best.

Dish washing I think I'd be able to handle but it's sort of a step up from doing them in the house sometimes.
 
I mowed yards when I was that age. I could make about $120 per week with a few yards. Those were long hard days.
 
belvdr said:
I mowed yards when I was that age. I could make about $120 per week with a few yards. Those were long hard days.
Click to expand...

That's a lot of money per week but probably hard work. In my town it's either no yard or little then you sort of pass a point then you get fields of grass with sheep.
 
Merthyrboy said:
That's a lot of money per week but probably hard work. In my town it's either no yard or little then you sort of pass a point then you get fields of grass with sheep.
Click to expand...

In the current economy a lot of people are looking for ANY type of job to feed them, their family and to pay bills and rent. You are looking for EASY work, to buy fancy Apple gadgets.... Something wrong here ?

Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to discourage you into looking for a job at an early age, but you should really look into actually EARNING the money rather than hoping for cash for just turning up.
 
I wasn't trying to say I don't want to do hard work, just that all the mowing must have been hard work. A lot of people though don't have big lawns/gardens around my town though so probably wouldn't be the best business to start as not much of that work around.

Is one of the worst times to get a job though but hopefully the situation will get better in the next few months.
 
I'm in the same boat. I'm 16, what I do for 'work' is design simple little sites for people. My dad has loads of connections with people because he owns an electrical contracting business. Most of these people want sites but don't have one so I save the day ;). Thats how I paid for my PS3, and iPhone 4. So.. I'll stick to it until I get a car then plan to work somewhere that qualifies as a actual job so I can get OJT in my high school.

Quick little rant.. Why can't high schoolers that work for themselves get OJT? Thats a huge pet peeve of mine.
 
The best possible outcome is that you find a job that pays you for something you already love doing. To use lawn mowing as an example: I hate it. I'd gladly pay someone to mow my lawn. But I know people who love doing it. To them it's relaxing and fun, so to get paid to do it is just gravy on top.

My sister likes to sew and make things with scrap fabrics. One day she put together a cute stuffed owl. Just for fun, she threw it onto Etsy.com (a marketplace for crafts). It sold quickly. She made more, and they sold just as quickly. Last summer she made thousands of dollars selling little stuffed owls all over the world. Unfortunately at one point the demand got so high that she was no longer enjoying the process -- she was working feverishly long hours just to make enough owls. Eventually she stopped making them, but it was a good gig while it lasted!

Good luck, whatever it is you end up doing.
 
RobertD63 said:
design simple little sites for people.
Click to expand...

Do you mind if I can see some of these sites please to see how much I would need to learn if I do go down that route. Also how much do you charge?

notjustjay said:
The best possible outcome is that you find a job that pays you for something you already love doing.
Click to expand...

Yeah so then it doesn't seem too much like work like being in a band. I don't think of it like work but we sometimes get paid and it's a cool feeling. Not too big yet though :(

Hope your sister didn't give up what she loved because she made too many of those owls though. Would have been a shame if that made her stop.
 
Merthyrboy said:
Hope your sister didn't give up what she loved because she made too many of those owls though. Would have been a shame if that made her stop.
Click to expand...

She still loves making crafts. That hasn't changed. She doesn't make so many of those owls anymore though. That was just one design that she came up with that had its 15 minutes of fame. In her case, she's still in it for fun, as a hobby, not for the money, so she decided to change her focus a bit. Which, I think, is good advice for anyone.
 
Glad to hear she's still enjoying making stuff. Those owls must have been pretty popular stuff to have then.
 
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