Short messages on Employment and jobs from Respect Yourself, the guidance site for young people to help make good decisions in life.
If you need motivation to improve your work in a job, speak to your actual customers and ask them what you have done that has really helped them or changed their life. Their gratitude and feedback will help you understand what a great effect you have.
During term time 13-16 year olds may work a maximum of 12 hours per week: a maximum of two hours on school days and Sundays, and a maximum of five hours on Saturdays for 13 to 14 year olds, or eight hours for 15 to 16 year olds.
Almost half of employers have rejected a potential worker after finding incriminating material on their Facebook pages.
The youngest age you can work part-time is 13 years old, unless you are working in television, theatre or modelling for which you will need to get a performance licence.
When job-hunting, you can apply for many different jobs at other companies at the same time. Sitting and waiting for the result of one application before starting another will reduce the opportunities available to you and greatly extend the time of your unemployment.
Find what you are passionate about, then find how to make money from it. You will get great enjoyment from it and that will reflect in the quality of work and your output.
If you are unemployed and have too much time on your hands, use it by learning a new, employable skill. Work at it for a few hours each day, and soon you will become proficient.
Working as part of a team helps your project benefit from other people’s skills that you don’t have. Teamworking is a learnable skill in itself.
When you have a job, tax and National Insurance are deducted from your wage to pay into your State Pension and other benefits. NI is 12% of your wage or more.
If you are unemployed and have too much time on your hands, try volunteering. Not only does it increase your skillset, it creates opportunity and makes you feel better about yourself.