How on earth do I persuade my DS aged 21 that this is a terrible idea ?

[Wordsfailmeeverytime]

He’s just graduated from Uni with a first class degree. Applied for 30 odd jobs, mainly NMW as there’s nothing going in the field his degree is in. Has had a couple of interviews with no success.
‘A friend’ from uni has told him about an opening working as a cycle delivery person. Essentially delivering parcels around our local city on an electric bike. Pay is apparently £13ph. It will take him 1hr 20 to get to the job to start with. He doesn’t know the city at all. He’s not ridden a bike for 10 years and certainly not on busy city roads. He can’t drive yet (has just started lessons). He’s not the most confident, in fact I suspect there may be some undiagnosed autism going on but he’s resistant to take it further. I think it’s mad.
Appreciate I may be overreacting, what do others think ? There’s no pressure on him to start paying rent, we appreciate how hard it is to find employment but this just seems so foolish.

That’s a lot of time and money to spend on something to do nothing with it. He can clearly apply himself.

what did he plan to do with it?

Is there a reason he isn’t applying for graduate jobs? Management training schemes etc often don’t require a specific degree. If he’s applying for NMW jobs then he’s competing with a huge number of people and potential employers probably assume he won’t stay.

https://www.castingcollective.co.uk/artistes/urgent-casting-calls

If you want an alternative suggestion, The Casting Collective are currently advertising for film extras in Manchester. Disclaimer: I have no experience of working for this agency. My son applied for some work with them a few years ago and did get offered work, but couldn't accept due to other commitments on the days in question.

Wow.

My husband is in IT. A company he works with is pretty much always looking for first line support bods. DH gave a friend’s son work this week at £12 an hour setting racks in a data centre. He’s 18 and just done A levels and is planning on studying computer science at uni. He may well do some first line support over the summer off the back of 2 days work with DH.

Is there anyone can coach your son to have a bit more gumption around looking for opportunities? Would be a shame to leave his skills lingering for too long. He needs to find his place in the world.

There is work out there.

I'm a middle-aged bloke, cycle almost daily around my suburban town - with a helmet - and would not fancy being a delivery biker round central Manchester. I am with the OP on this one. The whole 'get on your bike and look for work' ethos doesn't have to be taken literally!

Has he signed up with Reed for temping jobs, or for hospitality jobs round those parts? I mean, if he could commute to Manchester and do one of those jobs, that's one thing. Not decrying being a cyclist delivery person, but you sense it's safer for those who are a bit more grounded. Not sure students are, really, not at that age and when life is yet to pan out for them.

This is really good advice.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) there's a lot of value in connections and networking over traditional job applications. Does your DS (or you) know anyone working in these fields that he could talk to to learn more about how he could find a job?

If you suspect neurodivergence in your DS this might feel scary for him to start with, but could well pay off in the long run...

Any good?

uk.indeed.com/m/jobs?q=1st+line+support&l=Manchester&from=searchOnSerp&sameQ=1&vjk=6d41e86a3c0e76e3

Pay for him to do CBT at the local motorbike training center. He needs all the gear and a provisional license but not a bike. At least then he'll have some road safety. Some electric bikes can do 30+ mph easily so they're more similar to a moped than a bicycle really.

A very inexperienced cyclist on roads he doesn't know in an area he doesn't know sounds like a recipe for disaster. I'd be concerned for his safety and the safety of other road users.

Encourage him to go for the graduate schemes OP. My partner had in the past been involved in the assessment days and scoring for these (IT in very large companies) and it's not just the super confident ones that get noticed. My partner got a few of the quieter ones talking and was thoroughly impressed by them.

Yeah, that's a good point 'it's not just about you, motorists never recover from an accident like that where someone gets killed'

Can he sign up with some job agencies as they have short term roles in all sorts of job sectors?

He’s an adult - it’s none of your business. And mad he hasn’t ridden a bike for 10 years.

Make him watch the Youtube channel London Eats so he has some insight in what the job involves. It's basically real-time vlogs of a cycle courier during his shift, oddly fascinating to watch. He can see exactly how much money is possible and whether the overall vibe appeals to him. The courier sometimes takes on very late night shifts which are arguably safer because there is much less traffic.

People prefer to employ people who are already in a job !
inthink it’s great for him, better than sitting around all day

OP, Mumsnet has a specific talk board entitled "Work". I suggest you start a thread on there entitled "DS has graduated with computer science degree - advice wanted". Then put as much information as you're comfortable disclosing, eg the fact that your DS got a first, but not from a top ranked university; the fact that he lacks confidence; the fact that you live within commuting distance of Manchester. Ask for any job hunting advice. I think you're likely to get more constructive advice there rather than silly comments about it being none of your business that your 21-year-old is considering taking an obviously high risk job.

Foot in the door NHS IT role in your neck of the woods I think?beta.jobs.nhs.uk/candidate/jobadvert/C9245-24-0386

@MadridMadridMadrid thanks that’s helpful ! I wasn’t aware there was a ‘work’ board

I got that wrong. He used to do junior triathlons up until he was about 14, sounds more advanced than it was tbh. Mainly on a track.

He does sound like a prime candidate for a more specialised MSc, actually.

With a 1st he can get into a better Uni than he attended for UG. He can specialise, and you're near at least one knot of unis.

Haven't read the thread, but can't understand why taking a job is a bad idea

Couldn't agree more...

I don't see the problem with him at least trying the job. Also our place has just hired an NHS admin, no previous admin experience but she does have a masters in something totally unrelated. No harm in applying for anything. Has he tried an agency?

Sometimes you need to do a variety of jobs you end up hating in order to figure out what you want to do.

I agree, i think some of the previous posters are completely missing the point with all the ‘if he doesn’t like it, he can quit’ - it’s probably just about the most dangerous job that someone who doesn’t really cycle (or drive) can do. Why risk his whole future (and life) for a crappy job like that!

Is he definitely an employee and not self employed? A lot of delivery jobs are self employed (went through all this with my 18 year old DS earlier this year when he was looking for a job). Self employed means no sick pay, have to submit tax returns etc.