Anyone else's teen struggling to find a job?

[Shortiepjs]

Mine is 16 and has recently left school. I helped him to do his CV. There wasn't much to go on it but he's done some volunteering with Scouts, plays sports, has done babysitting, won some awards at school. So we included all of that and tried to adapt it to the roles.

He's applied for probably 50 jobs. He got one interview and they said no, not enough experience, that they'd found someone with experience, but they are still advertising the role.

Do teens still go round handing out their CVs? I got him to go into a few small shops but they just took his CV and he never heard back.

I've got a 20yr old and 16yr old home this summer and neither have found jobs. Eldest does have a part time job whilst at uni in another city, but won't be back there until September. She's applied for 50+ jobs so far. Youngest can't find anything but has started a Vinted account and is emptying his wardrobe!

Do any of your neighbours need someone to look after pets, water the garden, house plants, mow the lawn while they are on holiday. They could offer to feed pets in their own homes twice a day, empty litter trays, water plants and garden daily. I would pay a responsible teen to do this and if he built up a reliable reputation then it could be year round business. You as the parent could act as the guarantor to ensure the jobs are done properly.

Mine got jobs just before their 16th birthday in the local ice cream shop. We live in a holiday area and DD1 asked the shop owner for a job when she was 8 as there was a card in the window. The owner old her to come back when she was 15, so DD did and luckily she remembered us - we had been quite good customers. DD1 started work 3 months before her 16th birthday doing 4 hours on a Sunday. Over the summer holidays, they had a sign up sheet for all the students to opt into shifts. In late June/early July, the uni students and y11/13s had the pick of the shifts but then the younger ones took over later. DD2 also asked to work there and started just before her 16th birthday. By the time she turned 18, she was running the place.

Go in and speak to smaller businesses. Be flexible and enthusiastic even if it's not what you/they want to do for a career. DD2 graduates tomorrow with a Masters and is currently looking for a "proper" job. She was interviewed last week and the feedback was that she was over-qualified, but her experience of dealing with members of the public since she was 16 was invaluable, and if they had something better suited to her skills, it was hers.

My eldest daughter worked in a cafe attached to a club she used to go to, and has also worked at Primark. She then progressed to bar work and barista. My second daughter has just got a job after doing work experience at a cafe. Both of them were 15/16. My son had trouble getting hold of his national insurance number due to a problem with their online system, so struggled to get anywhere that would take him, and he’s now competing with Uni students. He’s going to have to wait until they go back, I think.