Latest news with #parttimejob
The Guardian
10-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
First jobs, first love and a serve of minimum chips
My first part-time job was in a small continental delicatessen at the Ringwood Market. I worked Friday nights and Saturday mornings and was paid $2.50 an hour. I was 14 and yearned for something more glamorous than slicing salami and cutting cheese – although I do remember my workmate and I regularly enjoying sharing the inch-thick end piece of chicken loaf that was too small to slice. I wore a blue shapeless uniform and was supposed to wear a hairnet but never did. There was an apron of sorts that we'd wipe our hands down after each customer had left, smearing meat stains and olive brine in patterns on the thick cotton. The two men who owned the stall were generous with their teenage staff, never minding if we scraped in a few minutes late for a shift or rearranged our hours because of some upcoming party. And at Christmas they'd always tuck an extra $20 note into our pay as a bonus. The day I forgot to put the guard down on the slicer and watched in shock as the front half of my finger dropped into the 100gram order of ham off the bone, they cleaned me up, bandaged my hand and sent me straight to the doctor for stitches. I must have been more of a liability than an asset. From there I graduated to a news agency in a major train station hub. Again, I had a blue uniform dress but this one had a Pilot Pen patch sewn on to the lapel. I worked with two other teenagers on Friday nights and we became fast friends, gossiping and chatting in between serving customers. We lived for the weekly piles of unsold magazines because we could rip off the covers to send back for a refund and take the rest home to read. This was how I kept up with all the latest from Hollywood, learned what hairstyles were in and studied pages of fashion that I could never afford to buy. My third part-time job as a teenager was in a bakery near my parent's house I rode my bike to on weekends. The shop was always warm by the time I arrived because the baker started early. At the end of each day, the unsold cakes and bread would be divvied up among the staff, and my favourite was the boston bun with the fake white icing. My boss drove a panel van and told vaguely inappropriate jokes, but he was as kind in his own way as the owners of the deli, spending hours educating me about the lyrical genius of AC/DC's Angus Young. I was always working weekends as a teenager. Trying to save for something or other. A new coat. A pair of skinny jeans. A boom box that still plays. When I wasn't out with my school friends, I was sweeping floors, scrubbing meat slicers, and learning how to count change. Serving customers was at first terrifying, but I slowly grew to enjoy it. My new children's book, Sonny & Tess, is a tribute to the part-time jobs of my teenage life and to the endless crushes that populated my diary. It's partly set in a suburban fish and chip shop where Tess and the shop owner's nephew Sonny work. Together they cry as they slice onions, argue over the correct salting of chips and learn to navigate all those awkward and exciting feelings of your first crush. Unfortunately, my teenage working years were not so romantically blessed. Instead of meeting cute boys, I had to be content with slicing off my finger, becoming an ardent AC/DC fan and learning which magazine featured the best star sign prediction for a Virgo. I did serve Guy Pearce fresh from his role in Neighbours once, prompting my friend and I to giggle so much that it took both of us to bag the loaf of bread. The beauty of writing Sonny & Tess is that I could finally invent the sort of gentle romance I longed for when I was 14 – complete with chicken salt, potato cakes and a generous serve of minimum chips. Nova Weetman is an award-winning children's author. Her latest children's book, Sonny & Tess, is published by UQP
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Aussie stuns over $300-an-hour side hustle: 'It keeps me busy'
A teenager has revealed how he can make as much as $300-an-hour after turning his modest high school gig into a part-time job. A street interviewer from jobs app GetAhead approached university student Angus Healy as he was walking four dogs together in Brisbane at the start of the week. The 19-year-old told the interviewer he started walking dogs for cash in high school and continued doing it after graduating for a fee of $50-an-hour. He said he walked three 'packs' of dogs a day, with anywhere between one and six dogs per pack. 'It keeps me busy, which is good. I mean, walking along here each day, can't complain,' he said. Mr Healy was walking four dogs at the time, earning $200 in that hour alone. He said the most he had done was six dogs at the same time, worth $300. Mr Healy admitted the number of dogs he walked during the week could change across the day and the week. According to his numbers, he could pull in as much as $750-a-week, or $36,000 per year only walking just one dog in each of his sessions. If he walked a group of six dogs in those same sessions, he would net $216,000 each year. 'I love it, it's good,' Mr Healy said. 'But, I mean, it's like any business, you have expenses and stuff.' The amount of dogs he could walk each time depended on their nature. Mr Healy said he had to take more difficult animals on solo walks. He added he got into dog walking because his parents did not let him have one as a pet when he was younger. People starting out dog walking typically charge $20 to $25 per hour. More experienced walkers can charge more for their work, between $30 and $50. The job does not require any additional qualifications in Australia. Some social media users were impressed and said it was 'actually a lot of money'. 'Free money, how do I get in?' one joked. 'So smart,' another said. Others did not believe the 19-year-old could have many expenses. 'Expenses? Bro is just walking, hardly any expenses - fair play though!' one said. 'Insurance, petrol for the car, dog food, harnesses, leashes,' another viewer answered. One person said the trick to the job was 'getting the business' in the first place. 'People in Brisbane clearly have too much money,' another wrote.
Independent Singapore
22-05-2025
- General
- Independent Singapore
'Is this normal?': Student says she feels financially burdened by father who keeps asking for money
SINGAPORE: A full-time student has taken to social media to express her concerns about feeling financially burdened by her father, who frequently asks her for money despite knowing that she does not have a steady source of income. In a post on Reddit's 'Ask Singapore' forum on Tuesday (May 20), the student explained that her father, who is not working due to health issues, began borrowing money from her after she took on a part-time job. 'I did a [part-time job] for a while. That's why he started asking for money from me. At times, I told him I don't have money, but he gets angry, saying that I am 'gatekeeping' money,' she said. 'I'm also feeling a bit frustrated since he doesn't return the money he owes me sometimes.' She also mentioned that she has been covering all of her daily expenses on her own, as her parents have never given her an allowance. Seeking advice from other Reddit users, she asked, 'Is it normal for parents to ask for money? What should I do?' 'Focus on finishing your studies; don't let this affect you.' In the discussion thread, some users said it's not unusual for parents to ask their kids for money once in a while, but they felt it was unfair in this case since the student doesn't have a steady income and is still studying. One user said, 'Selfish parents. Inconsiderate and unreasonable to be asking money from someone who is still a student. This is the ultimate nightmare: boomers with no retirement plans. Honestly, if it were me, I would firmly say no and let him scold all he wants. 'Even if I'm working full time, parents should consider their kids' own futures and lives. I do not wish to be born just to serve my parents forever. I would only give what I am comfortable with, depending on the stage of my life.' Another commented, 'You are a full-time student; in most family situations, they will be providing support and seeing you through schooling life. So, I don't think it's normal.' Additionally, others suggested that she should talk to her dad and let him know that she's not in a position to keep lending him money. One wrote, 'Perhaps you could let him know that you don't have enough money for yourself and you can't lend it to him?' Another suggested, 'Open your wallet and show him no money? Keep a separate bank account with $25 left inside and show him.' A third added, 'Jiayou! We can't choose our parents, so you need to get used to managing your dad's requests. Focus on finishing your studies; don't let this affect you.' In other news, a frustrated man took to social media to share how his Singaporean father-in-law asked his wife and her brother to each give him S$100,000 'as a gesture of filial piety.' In his post on a local forum, the man explained that this surprising request came not long after the father-in-law underwent heart surgery. They had received an email from him asking if they could set up a conference call to talk about inheritance matters. Naturally, the couple grew concerned. Given the timing, they feared that something had gone wrong with the surgery or that he might be seriously unwell. Read more: Father demands S$200K 'filial piety' payment from his son and daughter for the 'sacrifices he had made raising them' Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
