Anyone else feel like they have/will have no idea how to help their kids enter job market now?

I mean is it a parent’s role to help their 22 year old enter the job market? I didn’t know this was a thing.

I do think its different to eg 30 years ago, I had a weekend job because the ft staff didnt like working weekends, and most of them never worked Sundays. Now lots of retail jobs will require you to work any shift or any 5 days of 7.

DDs summer job was 4 hr shifts but not on set days so difficult to find something else to work round that, apart from babysitting or dog walking etc.

@Fearfulsaints what's the pre-recorded AI interview thing about please?

DS1 was lucky to get on a competitive graduate scheme last year. They weren’t the least bit interested in his degreee, but grilled him about his part time job of four years and qualifications and experience as a junior football referee.
DS2 is currently applying for a placement year as part of his Mchem. He had one summer internship interview this year for which there were 750 applicants and 23 interviewed. They took on two! He too in into the fourth year of a part time job which hopefully will hold some weight. One can only hope!

I think its really tough out there and also dont know what advice to give.
I can do normal things like help with a cv or help him think about how his work experience gives him examples of dealing with a difficult situation etc

But the AI filters can be tricky. I have zero advice for these situational analysis tests as I haven't done them. I dont know how to do those pre recorded ai interviews.

There's also not a lot of entry roles.

Advice for apprentiship is great but they are so competitive.

And steering to trades still involves finding people to take you on.

Well, you now have the internet with a hundred kinds of competing advice and a lot of crazy people!

My DD has applied for an admin job at the uni (6 hours/wk) and student ambassador work which is occassional. It's not a campus uni , there isnt a gym or a bar there.
Im hoping she has better luck now she at least has a bit of retail experience but its really competitive.

I’m not sure it’s any different now than when I was entering the job market. My parents still don’t really understand or have a clue what I actually do. There’s plenty of professional advice if needed.

Personally I’d be encouraging them into the trades.
I live in an average cost area and you can’t get a tradesperson for love nor money.
They are the ones living in the 5/6 bedroom detached houses and are unlikely to be replaced by AI

Agreed and also as you said to ensure you have done some voluntary work.

So if studying HE, if possible take roles of responsibility eg, in student welfare, sports clubs etc. to make your future CV stand out.

Also, due to AI, there will potentially be fewer entry level jobs. The Civil Service even has admitted this so no doubt many private firms will experience the same.

Gone are the days I fear where eg a working class person who wanted to do a creative but low paying job just set ff for a big city and wait tables inbetween job interviews, auditions etc. The job centre expectations are stricter and cost of living has made this difficult unless of course the parents are able to indefinitely fund the child - which is probably why so many of the recent British stars that make it to the top all seem to have cut glass accents and quite notable pedigrees!

I think it’s also about developing a work ethic, knowing that not doing anything isn’t an option be that education, training, volunteering. Being prepared to roll your sleeves up, be flexible in what you’re prepared to do, being cooperative and resilient are all important in today’s workforce and sorely lacking in some of the young professionals I come across.

I’d be advising them to get a trade behind them and that university isn’t the only option. Whenever you see lists of jobs that AI won’t replace there’s always trades such as plumbers, electricians etc.

I should clarify- late 90’s. Early 90’s was tough because of the recession.

One of the issues is that technology is narrowing the promotions funnel, so whereas somewhere like PWC might have needed 120 first year trainees for every 10 partners now they only need 60. There are fewer entry level graduate traineeships and increasing competition, particularly in v international sectors like tech and finance. Many more grads going into “non- grad”
roles to get a foot in the door. Also everyone says “get a degree apprenticeship” but that’s often harder than getting into a top tier uni. You generally need stellar grades. I’d say it’s tougher than the 90s for sure. When I graduated almost everyone I knew had secured their grad job during their last year and that seems much less common now. But also the general grad employment stats disguise big variations between Unis and courses.

...With several thousand others also trying to get those jobs. DD got a grand total of £250 last year from an ambassador role when she was on campus for 51 weeks. That was just over 1 week's rent.

I graduated in the early 90s, no jobs around then either.

For today’s dc, I advise to get them job savvy. If they don’t know how to use excel , then do an online course to get up to speed.

Get a job or do volunteering that gives them transferable skills, eg help coach a football team. - leadership etc.

Support your kids when applying for jobs. Read through cvs, job applications etc before they submit them.

Are there no jobs at the uni? We could do bar work at the union, student mentoring, student ambassador work (open days etc), work at the gym, the on campus shops etc.

They need work experience and to fill in the application as requested on the job ad. Having hobbies etc helps. That’s it really. If you mean helping them to choose jobs that won’t be replaced by AI, that’s a bit harder.

DS got a degree apprenticeship that should end in a job - they're very competitive but if there's something they're really interested in then I'd definitely recommend it.

If he hadn't got one then my advice to him would have been to not assume going to university and getting a degree was anywhere near enough to get you a job. Applying for degree apprenticeships showed him just how full on the interview process is and how you really need lots of experiences to draw on.

I said to him I'd recommend a part time job, summer work placements, some sort of volunteering, a high level of involvement/running a relevant society, some sort of portfolio (github account in his case) of his own work and some other relevant short courses on the side. He would definitely want to have good examples of team work and leadership skills.

I think a lot of kids have no idea that they won't walk out of uni with a decent degree and fall straight into a good job. I think it's really helpful for parents to point out that they have to be doing things that will make them to stand out from the crowd.

Tell her to apply for summer internships, visit her careers dept, they can point her in the right direction.

Yes thats a given too. I didnt think about the Christmas jobs. 😀

My Dd is in her second year at uni. She applied for more than 60 jobs in her first year (pt retail) and didnt get anything, they all wanted experience.
She got some casual work at a festival which was really long days for barely minimum wage, and then got a short term job at a chain over the summer.....and now we're back to square 1 in her uni city....

Haven't thought about how to help get into her chosen field....

OP I worry about this too, both mine are at uni now and have worked since age 16 or so but graduate jobs are so competitive and even non graduate jobs have so many applicants.

No it isn’t what the hell are you chatting about 🤣
Its just a descriptive word for the generation born in the mid century after WW2.