Top jobs for your teenager these summer holidays: Hospitality, retail giants share tips for getting a gig
Looking for something to keep your teenager or school-leaver busy during the summer holidays? Here are some of the top jobs still on offer – and tips to land one.
Lifestyle
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The countdown to the gloriously long, hot summer school holidays is on, heralding the ideal time for enterprising teenagers and school-leavers to gain some extra cash and all-important work experience.
From swimming pool gigs to “Christmas casuals” in retail and pubs, waitstaff and leisure centre support, there is plenty on offer – with some regional areas emerging as hot spots for summer jobs.
Today, the Advertiser speaks to some of the state’s major employers to find out what roles are most suitable for teenagers, the training they’ll get and some helpful hints for kids – and their parents – to help get them in the door.
Top tips for first-time young job keepers include being positive and well-mannered, presenting “neatly groomed” in person and highlighting relatable skills, including things such as being part of a sports team or school community group on a resume, they say.
Some positions will have special requirements, such as a minimum age of 18, or qualifications such as Responsible Serving of Alcohol, but many don’t.
Current positions being advertised – pop “summer jobs” in the search – include a range of pool-based positions from swimming instructors and lifeguards to front desk staff, kitchen staff, front-of-house and wait staff, fast food workers and party hire set-up staff, most paying from $20 to $32 an hour.
Included is an advertisement for “hospitality attendants” at the Oval Hotel.
“Leading into the cricket season our Oval Hotel food and beverage team has a number of exciting casual opportunities available,” it reads.
Stephen Tuffley is sales and service director at online employment marketplace SEEK and saysthe traditional retail and hospitality roles remain the most common first part-time jobs, despite being a bit flat in 2023 compared with previous years.
“There are usually a vast number of these jobs available, particularly leading into Christmas, making students with time on their hands over the summer holidays ideal candidates … the shifts also work well alongside school, TAFE or university hours,” he says.
Australian Hotels Association’s SA chief executive Anna Moeller says there are “huge opportunities” for young people looking for casual and part-time work during the summer break in her industry.
“It’s predicted to be a long, hot summer and I think our pubs will be heaving … the opportunities abound,” she says. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve previous experience, it is absolutely not too late to try to get a summer job these holidays.
“There are a range of different things people can do, depending on their age – if under 18, there are still plenty of jobs to do in a pub, including waiting tables, being a glassy or a kitchen hand … it is a fantastic opportunity for these kids to try out the industry and see if they like it as a long-term career.
“(Hospitality roles) aren’t always just a second job or part-time job while you are at school or university, they can lead to a long-term career in the industry … and for some people even eventually owning and operating a pub.”
Hospitality in the holidays
The Hurley Group’s Anna Hurley agrees, saying there are plenty of jobs in pubs and hotels suitable for high school students and school leavers.
“A lot of places are still looking for staff as they gear up to Christmas,” the publican says.
“We’ve 10 hotels in total and our regional hotels in particular – Port Lincoln Hotel and the Pretoria Hotel at Mannum – are very, very busy over summer and we are always looking for good, keen young staff and are very happy to provide lots of training to anyone with the right attitude.
“The great thing about hospitality is there are a lot of different options suitable to a diverse range of people with different preferences and different experience levels which can lead to really good jobs down the track.
“The obvious and most common role for young workers who are aged under 18 with no experience is running meals … as a ‘food runner’ you’ll run meals to tables, clear tables and get exposure to a little bit of customer service.
“There are also plenty of roles for glassies if you are happy to work later hours which are also a good lead in to bar work once you turn 18.
“Our youngest team members can stock shelves in bottle shops and bars and be assigned yard work. Housekeeping can also be a good job for people starting out – it is hard work but is great experience.”
Ms Hurley said an added bonus to gaining experience – and getting paid – was the chance to make new friends.
“I’ve seen a lot of people make lifelong friendships … many make some of their best friends in their early jobs,” she says.
Hotel industry chief Anne Moeller adds pub work from an early age can open plenty of doors.
“Pubs in South Australia are predominantly family-owned and operated businesses with many of those families having a number of hotels across metropolitan Adelaide as well as in the regions,” she says.
“This means there are opportunities for people to move between venues and stay working with the same employer … that’s something you don’t get in a lot of other industries.
“The other good thing about hospitality is the skills you learn are transferable, whether you are working in pub in Adelaide or Noosa, you are working in a pub, it’s something you can pack up and take with you … you can arrive in another state, or country, or holiday resort and walk into a job, in a pub, accommodation hotel or big international hotel.”
Active and outdoor options
SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre group manager Adam Luscombe says leisure centres are also a great place to look for summer holiday jobs.
“Many leisure centres and programs need more casual staff particularly over the holiday period to support the extra demand from members and visitors … these jobs are a great fit for young people starting out or on uni break,” he says.
“If you are over 16 years of age and keen to be a swim teacher, check out centres like SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre that offer paid training for eligible applicants, so you can start earning straight away.”
While the state’s biggest school holiday swimming lesson program, VacSwim, administered by Surf Life Saving SA, is also worth considering, for appropriately trained young people aged 15 and older.
“With VacSwim being offered at over 130 beach, pool, lake and river locations around regional and metro South Australia, there are plenty of opportunities for all high school kids across the state to get involved,” SLSSA community programs manager Natasha Hudoba says.
“This also includes three new locations in the Riverland – Sturt Reserve, Lake Bonney and Renmark River.
“The VacSwim team is always looking for more instructors so it’s a fantastic opportunity to jump onboard an iconic program and one that parents and families can get on board with.”
At 18, Piper Window is looking forward to a supervisory role as “instructor in charge” at one of the metropolitan sites after previously working as a school holiday swim instructor.
Supermarket roles
While many retailers have filled roles ahead of the Christmas rush, there are still positions being advertised, including at discount warehouse chain, Costcowhich is advertising for “Christmas casuals”.
Drakes Supermarkets’ human resources manager Jon Tamm says it has “multiple positions” on offer, now advertised on its website.
“The type of roles we have are working in the deli, bakery, fruit & veg, customer service and (doing) day/nightfill … these roles are a great entry (to) a career in retail,” he says.
“Although ‘schoolies’ roles for Christmas are ramping down, Drakes are constantly advertising new opportunities through our career page.
“Drakes prides itself on ‘growing our own’ … starting on the shop floor can give you the business knowledge to progress your career in whichever field your passion is.
“Starting on the shop floor can open endless opportunities … if your passion is operations, logistics, marketing, warehousing, finance, IT or even human resources; we have multiple executives who started on the shop floor.”
South Australian Independent Retailers’ Colin Shearing says August is typically the time to start looking out for work as a Christmas casual.
While retail positions can be harder to come by in January, the upside is employers generally have more time to invest in training, he says.
Meanwhile a Coles spokeswoman says the supermarket giant is constantly looking for “people with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to build a workplace that reflects the diverse communities we serve”.
“In the lead-up to this year’s festive season, the focus is on roles in regional areas such as Mount Gambier, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln and Port Pirie,” she says.
“The Coles Murray Bridge store is also currently recruiting roles that are suitable for individuals who are at or recently finished school.”
Adelaide Economic Development Agency executive manager Andrew White, who oversees Rundle Mall, says the retail sector offers young people the chance to develop important skills.
“Whether you’re on check-outs, at a sales counter, filling shelves or making smoothies and sandwiches, the retail sector offers a wide range of first job opportunities for many young people,” he says.
“A retail job builds lots of tangible skills, from customer service and sales to understanding profit and loss, team work, problem solving and identifying trends, which will be beneficial for many other careers too.”
Young achievers
Ella Whiteway, 22, is proof of what having a good attitude and work ethic can achieve.
Despite her young age, she has the impressive title of training manager at Hurley Hotel Group, where her role involves visiting the group’s 10 SA properties to provide training to staff in everything from customer service to bar work.
“It covers pretty much everything you need to know to work in the hospitality industry … I love that everyday is different, there is always something new to do and something fun to learn; the industry is forever changing and you get to grow with it,” she says.
Ella, who has a Certificate III in hospitality, has been working in the space since she was 13, first working for a family friend who operated a “kids’ play cafe”.
“It was a great place to learn as I did absolutely everything … I learned how to cook, how to make coffee and decorate cupcakes, to answering the phone, booking parties and hosting children’s birthday parties,” she says.
“I also got very good at cleaning … my boss was big on cleaning and would send me up the slide to clean it.”
She held other part-time jobs while at school at cafes and restaurants in the Adelaide Hills and metropolitan Adelaide before getting a full-time traineeship at her current employer in 2020.
Her secret to success as a young person?
“Have a ‘can-do’ attitude, always be willing to do the work and put in the hard yards … be prompt, at work on time and reliable,” she says.
After two years at Drakes, Jayden Luu, 19, is readying to transfer into the independent retail chain’s finance team, after beginning as a 17-year-old as a casual nightfill assistant.
“I’ve always dreamt of working in finance … I never expected so much opportunity and growth,” he says.
“(The thing I love most) is the opportunity to learn everything about the business and how it all works … the variety and opportunities Drakes have given me has made me a stronger person.”
Think about volunteering
SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre group manager Adam Luscombe urges, “be open to volunteering”.
“Through volunteering and meeting people, you can gain experience in customer service and make connections with people who could link you with paid employment.
“Check out local not-for-profits, like the Y,” he says.
SEEK’s Stephen Tuffley agrees – his platform has a space to share volunteer roles.
“Volunteering is a fantastic way to gain experience ahead of your first job,” he says.
“Organisations that take on volunteers tend to have good onboarding processes and are often good at teaching those with little to no experience within the given cause.
“Volunteering doesn’t pay in salary, obviously, but the experience and life lessons gained from helping an important cause cannot be underestimated, and look great on future CVs and applications.”
What bosses want
Hurley Group publican Anna Hurley says a “good attitude” is everything.
“We absolutely love taking on new people with a good attitude, even if they don’t have experience … many of our best team members are those who started with us when they were young, often in casual roles,” she says.
“I think having a job throughout school is always really beneficial in terms of learning about the world of work … it is something I always look for as an employer; it gives you a really good understanding of what employers expect – dress code, coming into work on time, responsibility.”
SEEK’s Stephen Tuffley adds: “Regardless if you are applying for a volunteer position, or a paid first time job, we know from our surveys of hirers that there are three key characteristics hirers are looking for in a candidate.
“(These are) one, an ability to communicate, two, being a team player, threes, someone who can problem-solve.
“So if you are looking for your first job and can demonstrate through examples that you have these three characteristics, you will put yourself in a great position to get the role – even without experience.”
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