No more part time jobs for teens?

[PinkChaires]

My 18 year old has been applying for jobs since her year 12 summer last year and has gotten no where. She really started to ramp it up when her A Level summer started, but still isnt even getting interviews? She tailors her CV to each role,puts effort into each application and applies directly on the company website but no luck. Shes also staying home for Uni, and specifically says this on her applications meaning that they know she would be committed long term. Shes even tried handing in her CV in person, but we live in a major city where most places are either chains (who tell her to apply online) or family owned independents who would obviously rather hire their own. Is there something she can do to improve? I usually dont get involved in these things, but shes getting really down about it as money is becoming an issue

Have any of her friends got jobs and they can recommend her to their managers direct?

Has she tried all the supermarkets and hospitality place? Sorry if i'm stating the obvious. She has to put that she's available week-ends though.

Yep shes applied to all supermarket and hospitality listing she sees and has received rejection.
most of her friends also dont have jobs, we live in quite a deprived area so none really have the connections

There's always care jobs going - is that something she'd consider? They will train people up if they're going to carry on after Uni starts, even one day a week.

Could she set herself up as self employed cleaning/dog walking/babysitting?

Have a look at agencies in your area, supermarkets always need people to pack orders, Royal Mail advertises for parcel sorters and local farms need pickers.

if you're in a major city then sign up to the temp agencies, i did all sorts of random odd jobs during my student years!

Retail is impossible to get into now due to everywhere cutting staff and closing. Where in a deprived area and the only jobs you see advertised now are delivery drivers and carers.

My neighbour’s son got a job working in the laundry of a local care home.

Cities are easier to get jobs.

it’s really tough right now trying to get anything.

care work often wants a car and going round to people’s homes.

My council has just advertised all the school cleaning roles to start in September, there are loads, start after 3pm and all open to part time.

Agree with asking friends, small employers don't have the time and energy to do recr but if they get a recommendation they quite often take them on. Also ask whenever buying from a local business, several friends have asked whilst getting a takeaway and been told to start tomorrow.

My ds got a job at 16, having qualified as a pool lifeguard. His mate qualified as a tractor driver and has plenty of casual work with local farms.

If your dd is targeting cafes and bars, has she thought of getting her food hygiene certificate. It would mean she had an immediate advantage over other applicants, and it doesn’t cost much.

With the government changes to national insurance it costs businesses more to employ people and the young are taking the hit. We just can't afford it now.

If she asks to volunteer for a few hours she may get paid work but it is govt to blame

I hope she gets something soon

Also look into seasonal work - any places around you do Halloween or Christmas events? Once you're on their list they'll ask you to do more.

You'd think but one of my children has tried applying to Tesco and Aldi and had no luck
Do you know the way to get the packing order jobs? Applying through their websites has been successful, are we missing a trick?

When my DH has a vacancy for a Saturday/Sunday person he can get hundreds of applicants. Far more than he could ever possibly go through. I think that is going to be the main problem. Too many applicants. However, the ones he employs are ones which come in with their cv looking smart, well spoken and enthusiastic. He will also have a nosey at their social media, if he can find it, to get a bit of a gauge as to the kind of person they are. I think a lot of employers probably do this.

places my friend's teens work:
Dominos, local chippy, lifeguarding, leisure centre attendant (checking changing rooms etc), bar work once they're 18, McDonald's, one of those security agencies that staffs concerts & sporting events etc, summer holiday camps, waitressing at premier league football ground in corporate hospitality, garden centre cafe......
our local waitrose seems to have a number of college/uni aged staff but I don't see many younger folk in the other supermarkets these days.
Next used to take on a lot of additional temp staff ahead of their summer and Christmas sales but I'm not sure if that's as big a thing as it used to be.

It’s really difficult for them to find work nowadays. One thing we’ve found is if looking on Indeed, go to the actual website of the company who is advertising and find the advert there to apply directly to them, as applying on Indeed didn’t seem to get mine anywhere. In the city I’m in there seems to be quite a few housekeeping jobs in hotels so that might be something to look for.

My daughter’s birth stayed for uni. They have worked and do work in primark, pubs and next. Call all pubs in the local area see if she can get some waitressing or bar work

Can she do some voluntary work to get some experience?

It’s really hard but if you look around in the supermarkets & restaurants the workers aren’t young.

I yhink shes literally tried everything on this list. Most arent hiring and those that are she doesnt hear back from

Shes applied to volunteer in a few charity shops but many state they target older people rather than students

My dd was lucky enough to get a job at 16, but on top of that she also now does Serve Legal, where you get paid to go to shops to buy things that need an ID check and report back on whether they did the check or not. Has she tried that? Its really flexible and all travel expenses get paid.

DD works in a local farm shop. Has done since she was 16. It was a pain initially as we had to give her a lift, but she drives now, so its a bit easier. Her friends (a mixture of 17 and 18) work in the local garden centre cafe, the local outdoor play centre (within cycling distance), as chambermaids at the hotels in the next town along which is a bit of a seaside resort (bus journey), shop assistant in bakery, waitressing for large hotel that hosts lots of weddings (again needs transport). Most of them have found jobs, but it does seem to vary a lot, I know around Glasgow there seems to be very few weekend/summer jobs for students.