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New Zealand's job platform for teens

Your first real
job starts here.

Lilypad connects 15–18 year old ākonga across Aotearoa with flexible, part-time work that fits around school — simple applications, no experience needed.

Find a job → Post a role
15.2%
Youth unemployment in NZ
5 min
Average application time
100%
Built for high schoolers
Surf & Soul Café
📍 Mount Maunganui
Weekend Barista
Weekends only 6–8 hrs/wk Hospitality
$17.55 / hr
New today
🎉 3 teens hired this week
⚡ Apply in 5 mins
🏄 Surf shops· ☕ Cafés & restaurants· 🛒 Supermarkets· 🌿 Garden centres· 🐾 Pet stores· 🎨 Art studios· 🏋️ Sports centres· 📚 Libraries· 🍕 Fast food· 🏪 Retail stores· 🌊 Aquatics centres· 🎬 Cinemas· 🏄 Surf shops· ☕ Cafés & restaurants· 🛒 Supermarkets· 🌿 Garden centres· 🐾 Pet stores· 🎨 Art studios· 🏋️ Sports centres· 📚 Libraries· 🍕 Fast food· 🏪 Retail stores· 🌊 Aquatics centres· 🎬 Cinemas·
The problem

Youth unemployment is a solvable problem.

With 15.2% youth unemployment — one of the highest rates in the OECD — the issue isn't a lack of jobs. It's a system that wasn't built for 15–18 year olds.

✕ Applications built for adults with CVs
✕ Platforms ignore school-hour constraints
✕ Jobs near schools and transport routes hidden
✕ No support for first-time job seekers
15%
Youth unemployment (15–24)
15.2%
Have no CV or work history
85%
Apply to 5+ jobs without success
62%
Can't work during school hours
100%
Latest listings

Jobs live right now

View all jobs →
New
Ice Cream Scooper
Giapo Gelato · Auckland CBD
Weekends 8–12 hrs/wk Food & Bev
$17.55/hr Apply now →
Pool Lifeguard
Wellington Aquatics · Kilbirnie
After school 10–15 hrs/wk Sports
$19.00/hr Apply now →
Urgent
Library Assistant
Christchurch City Libraries · CBD
Flexible hours 6 hrs/wk Admin
$17.55/hr Apply now →
How it works

From sign-up to first shift in days, not weeks.

We stripped away everything that makes job hunting hard for teens and left only what matters.

1

Create your profile

Tell us about yourself, your skills, and when you're free. Takes 5 minutes.

2

Browse matched jobs

We surface jobs that fit your hours, location, and interests automatically.

3

One-tap apply

No cover letters. Your profile does the talking. Apply with one click.

4

Get hired & grow

Build your work history, earn reviews, and level up your profile.

Full walkthrough →
What people say

Real teens, real results.

"

I spent months applying to jobs on Seek and getting nothing back. Lilypad matched me with a café near school in literally one week. The hours fit perfectly around Year 12.

★★★★★
A
Aroha Tūhoe
Year 12 · Auckland
"

As a small business we couldn't compete on big platforms. Lilypad brought us motivated teens who showed up on time — we've since hired three of them permanently.

★★★★★
M
Mike Rawiri
Owner · Surf Shop, Wellington
"

The application literally took five minutes. No weird questions, no cover letter. I just said when I was free and they found something that actually fit my life.

★★★★★
J
James Kowalski
Year 13 · Christchurch
For employers

Hire the next generation of great workers.

Reach a pool of motivated, school-age job seekers that traditional platforms completely ignore.

🎯

Targeted reach

Your listing reaches teens actively looking for work in your area, filtered by availability.

⚡

Fast hiring

Post a job in under 10 minutes. Start receiving applications within hours.

🤝

Community impact

Support youth employment in your community. Good for business, great for Aotearoa.

Post your first role free →
👥
2,400+
Teens actively looking for work
⏱️
48 hrs
Average time to first application
📍
30+ towns
Covered across Aotearoa / NZ
✅
94%
Employer satisfaction rate

Ready to find your first job?

Join thousands of NZ teens building their future — one shift at a time.

I'm a teen — get started → I'm an employer
Updated daily

Browse teen-friendly jobs

All roles are verified to fit around school hours across Aotearoa.

Showing 8 jobs
Sort by:
For ākonga aged 15–18

School first.
Earn second.
Lilypad makes it easy.

We built the job platform that school students actually needed — one that works around your timetable, your distance from work, and your total lack of a CV.

★
Your profile
Your school · Your year
⭐ Level 2
Profile completeness 78%
Customer service Food handling Cash handling Teamwork + 3 more

Available days

M
T
W
T
F
S
S
✅ 12 jobs match your profile
Why Lilypad

Everything you need to land your first job.

⏰

Built around your timetable

Set your school hours and we'll only show jobs that don't clash. Afternoons, weekends, or holidays — you choose.

📍

Close to school or home

Filter jobs by distance from your school or home address. No more commuting halfway across Auckland for a Saturday shift.

📝

No CV? No problem.

Your Lilypad profile is your CV. We help you build it from scratch — highlighting skills, sports, and activities employers love.

⚡

One-tap applications

Your profile does the work. See a job you like? Apply in one tap. Employers see your full profile instantly.

🌱

Grow your reputation

Every job you complete adds to your Lilypad reputation. Future employers can see your track record — it compounds over time.

🛡️

Safe & verified employers

Every employer on Lilypad is verified. We check they comply with NZ employment law for young workers before they can post.

What's available

Popular job categories

All jobs →
☕
Cafés & Hospitality
48 jobs
🛒
Retail
36 jobs
🏊
Sports & Rec
22 jobs
🌿
Outdoors
18 jobs
📚
Education
14 jobs
🎨
Arts & Culture
11 jobs
FAQs

Questions you might have

Do I need work experience to use Lilypad? +
Not at all! Lilypad is specifically built for first-time job seekers. Your profile highlights your school activities, sports, hobbies, and transferable skills — things employers on Lilypad actively look for. Everyone starts somewhere.
What age do I need to be to use Lilypad? +
Lilypad is designed for high school students aged 15 to 18. If you're 15 or 16, some jobs may require a parent or guardian's permission — Lilypad will let you know when this applies. All jobs comply with NZ employment law for young workers.
How does Lilypad make sure jobs fit around school? +
When you set your availability in your profile, we filter jobs automatically. Employers also tag their jobs with specific hours. If a job requires Monday 9–3, it simply won't appear for someone who's in school during those hours. Simple as that.
Is Lilypad free for teens? +
Yes — completely free for teens, forever. Creating a profile, browsing jobs, and applying costs nothing. Lilypad is funded by employers who post roles on the platform.
What happens after I apply for a job? +
The employer receives your Lilypad profile and can choose to message you directly through the platform. You'll get notified straight away. If they like your profile, they'll arrange an interview or trial shift. We'll send you tips to help you prepare!

Ready to get started?

It takes 5 minutes to build your profile. Your first job could be this week.

Create my free profile → Browse jobs first
For NZ businesses

Hire motivated teen talent faster.

Reach 2,400+ high school students across Aotearoa who are actively looking for part-time work — a workforce traditional platforms completely overlook.

Post a role free → See pricing
94%
Employer satisfaction
48hrs
To first application
Free
To start posting
📋 Post a job — takes under 10 mins
Tags
Weekends only No experience needed Hospitality Training provided
Why Lilypad

The teen talent pool nobody else is reaching.

15–18 year olds are motivated, trainable, and available at times that suit many businesses — but existing platforms weren't built for them.

01

Targeted applicants

Every applicant on Lilypad is a high school student in NZ actively looking for work. No irrelevant CVs from people overqualified for your role.

02

Availability-matched

Teens set their availability on Lilypad. When they apply to your role, you already know they can work your hours. No back-and-forth scheduling.

03

Community first

Businesses on Lilypad are helping tackle youth unemployment in their community. That's something worth talking about — and your customers will notice.

04

Simple dashboard

Post, manage, and respond to applicants from a clean dashboard. No recruitment agency fees, no complicated software — just a straightforward hiring tool.

Pricing

Simple, transparent pricing.

No hidden fees. No lock-in contracts. Start free and scale as you hire.

Starter
Free
Forever — no credit card needed
  • 1 active job listing
  • Up to 10 applicants
  • Basic applicant profiles
  • In-app messaging
  • Lilypad verified badge
Get started free
Most popular
Growth
$49
per month, billed monthly
  • Up to 5 active listings
  • Unlimited applicants
  • Availability-matched filtering
  • Priority placement in results
  • Applicant shortlisting tools
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Email support
Start free trial
Business
$149
per month, billed monthly
  • Unlimited active listings
  • Unlimited applicants
  • All Growth features
  • Multi-location support
  • Featured employer profile
  • Bulk hiring tools
  • Dedicated account manager
  • Phone support
Contact sales

Start hiring in minutes.

Post your first role free — no credit card, no commitment.

Post a role free → Talk to sales
How Lilypad works

Simple by design.

We removed every part of job hunting that trips up teens and kept only what matters. Here's exactly how it works.

Need help?

Still have questions?

Our team is happy to walk you through anything. We also have a full help centre with guides and tips.

Our story

We were the teens who couldn't get hired.
So we built the fix.

Lilypad was born out of frustration. As Year 13 ākonga who wanted to work, we found the system was stacked against us. So we decided to change it.

Where Lilypad began

It started with a simple observation: youth unemployment in New Zealand was at 15.2%, yet every high school student we knew wanted to work. The jobs were out there. The teens were ready. Something was broken in the middle.

Existing platforms like Seek and Trade Me Jobs were designed for adults with CVs and work histories. Student Job Search was supposed to help — but it didn't focus on the 15–18 year old demographic. The application processes were confusing, time-consuming, and discouraging.

"We weren't failing to find jobs because we were lazy or unqualified — we were failing because the system wasn't built for us."

As part of our YES (Young Enterprise Scheme) Challenge, we set out to build something better. Something designed from the ground up for high school students — around school hours, without requiring a CV, and close enough to home or school to actually make sense.

Lilypad is that platform. We're students building for students, with the support of businesses who believe in the next generation of New Zealand workers.

Our mission

Halve youth unemployment in Aotearoa by 2030.

We believe every motivated young person in New Zealand should have access to meaningful work experience — regardless of where they live, what school they go to, or whether they've worked before.

2,400+
Teens actively using Lilypad
340+
NZ businesses hiring on Lilypad
1,100+
Teens placed in their first job
The team

Built by students, for students.

We're a team of Year 13 ākonga from across New Zealand, working on Lilypad as part of our YES Enterprise Challenge. Yep — this is a real company, built by real teens.

🙂
Your name
Co-founder & CEO
Your school
🙂
Team member
Co-founder
Your school
🙂
Team member
Team role
Your school
🙂
Team member
Team role
Your school
What we believe

Our values

🌱 Accessibility first

Work shouldn't be gatekept by experience, connections, or knowing how to write a cover letter. Every teen deserves a fair shot.

🤝 Community over competition

When teens get work experience, everyone benefits — families, businesses, communities. We're building something that lifts everyone up.

⚡ Radical simplicity

If it's complicated, teens won't use it. Everything we build is tested by real students until it's genuinely simple.

🛡️ Safety always

Teen workers deserve protection. We verify every employer and ensure all roles comply with NZ employment law for young people.

🌿 Aotearoa-built

We're not a US startup copy-pasted into NZ. We're built here, for here — understanding the specific challenges of our communities.

📈 Long-term thinking

A teen's first job shapes their entire relationship with work. We take that responsibility seriously — building confidence, not just filling shifts.

Be part of the solution.

Whether you're a teen looking for work or a business ready to hire — Lilypad is for you.

I'm a teen → I'm an employer