Keep out of it or send message?

[Wheredidchristmasgo]

Probably keep out of it but here goes...

DS15 noticed a cafe opening near us and messaged them via my Instagram (he doesn't really do social media) to ask them if they had any vacancies once open (very politely, he as asked me check it), they messaged back with a really enthusiastic email to say they'd love to meet him when they were a bit more organised. A little bit of time went past and he emailed them again and they replied again to say they definitely wanted to see him and they'd be in touch soon. Another couple of months went past and he heard nothing so I had a chat with him explaining these things sometimes happen, disappointing and annoying as they are.

Then about a month ago they emailed to say they were close to opening, would like to meet him and asked for his availability. He was really pleased and emailed them back and then no reply from them and we walked past the cafe yesterday and it's now open and obviously fully staffed. DS was gutted when he saw it.

Now, as an adult I totally understand that being ghosted professionally is an annoying fact of life but I think it's crappy to do it to a child and was also totally unnecessary to contact him again to ask her to come in and then ignore his replies. I am really tempted to message them to tell them, in a calm and tactful way, just this as it's really knocked his confidence and he thinks she's done something wrong.

So, wise mums netters - leave it or send them a message?

Move on. Next time he should pop into to a cafe ask if they need staff. Local FB pages often advertise for staff in cafes etc

I know it’s tempting to speak to them but you did the right thing by not saying anything. DD’s first p/t job was in a shop run by a complete arsehole who would shout at her and make fun of her accent and where she lived (we live in a naice area but she has no say in that) and then fired her. She worked hard and was a quiet, responsible girl who got glowing feedback from her next job, he was a jerk. Honestly, the rage I felt! It took me all my strength not to go in there and tell him exactly what I thought of him. We have also boycotted the shop - wouldn’t give them a penny if they can’t treat their staff properly and I boycott other shops where I know of people who have been treated poorly.

You did the right thing to buoy him up and hopefully he’ll get something soon. They sound quite disorganised - I know they have been busy getting the cafe opened but no need to get a youngster’s hopes up that that - and really, they should have sorted shifts out in advance of opening.

Leave it but I'm intrigued how you know it's fully staffed, obviously?

at that point they weren’t recruiting

they weren’t burning any bridges and were keeping their options open

sensible for a new local business

never clarified

time between their message and his response?

I don’t but they looked it. May be not but it’s still been 3 weeks since he responded to their email asking him to come in.

anyway thanks all for your advice. I’m signing off now.

for one shift

and you walked by 3 weeks ago and your son is still gutted and feeling very down about it? and still talking about it if he said he was pleased he got to lie in this morning because he wasn’t employed by them?

they’ve just started a new business…. replying to instagram messages might not be a top priority atm

no, they last emailed him 3 weeks ago to ask him to come in. Nothing since. We walked past yesterday.

I think this is wise advice from @VenusClapTrap, @Wheredidchristmasgo.

I was going to suggest that you help your son to write a basic CV that he could take with him to leave with the manager.

yes and in that 3 weeks probably flat out

and recruiting people who had come in person to the cafe with their CVs

when you say he’s very down about it, “gutted” and “wondering if he’s done anything wrong”

Is that not your concern? rather than a cafe start up not replying to an instagram messGe?

An awful lot of assumptions there @withthischoice. I think it’s more likely that they just didn’t bother getting back to him.

I’d have been shocked but organised to go back and breeze in saying “Hi I’ve had an email saying you’d be interested in recruiting me, who do I need to speak to now that you are open.”
The bigger picture is that they are flaky and probs not good employers.

what that a small local business would have been flat out in run up to opening? 😂

Maybe he could pop in with an application letter and a CV covering what he's studying and ask if they'd keep it in case any vacancies arise in the future?

I know there was a few emails back and fourth, but I can't see how a business is going to recruit a 15 year old child via there's Instagram.

He should've gone in, himself, with his CV.

Did he send a CV via email?

no

He used his mum’s social media account. to tell them he was 15 has no experience but would like to apply

They welcomes his enthusiasm and as they had not started the recruitment yet, didn’t want to burn any bridges

as soon as evident that no need to hire an inexperienced young teen, they no doubt forgot about him in the madness that is starting up a new business

i would wager the above!

Why didn't he walk IN yesterday?

He really doesn't want this job much does he?

as confirmed by fact this morning he said he relished his lie in

i suspect it’s not the DS (and i hope so!) who is “gutted” and “very down” about it…..

How hard would it have been to have set up his own instagram account? if anything to give the impression he’s a touch more independent than using his mum’s!

and really, they should have sorted shifts out in advance of opening.

Erm… they did. That’s kind of one of the key points of the thread. According to OP, they not only had enough staff for that shift, but enough staff full stop. If she’s right, they clearly have sorted the shifts out. They just sorted it without giving OP’s son a job!

OP, It isn‘t surprising they didn’t fall over themselves to ask your son
to come in, when he hadn’t the gumption to do this anyway,
besides, there are many restrictions on employing schoolchildren
before age 16, as someone here pointed out, try again post sixteen.

tbh he sounds lethargic, cv less, lacks initiative, mummy’s boy,
who is 15 and doesn’t have his own email? or stationery?
you do him no favours blaming the Cafe

@StockpotSoup what I meant was they had asked him for his availability a month ago, presumably to sort out his shifts out, then didn’t sort them out or tell them he wasn’t getting the job. They sound chaotic.