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

We have the odd few students in our Tesco, just to cover while the regular staff are on their holiday, not including....None, or even the recent school leavers in the new Aldi that's just opened.

A lot of the regular full time staff that work in both stores are of the upper age now. IMO even the local school leavers can't step into their shoes so to speak, and as the retirement age gets pushed higher and higher there will be more and more young people out of work.

It is so tough. The opportunities just aren’t there as we have an ageing workforce who would previously have retired at 60/65 and opened up roles such as those in retail and hospitality to the younger generations. Word of mouth is your best bet here; tell everyone you know she’s looking for work. Your neighbours, friends, colleagues, her friends’ parents etc.

what about Care work - home care/ residential homes/ dementia homes etc. The sector is quite desperate for staff

would she consider care work beneath her?

The issue with this can be the length of the shifts.
I've been keeping an eye out for my DC and most places require 12 hour shifts (or massive flexibility) and that's hard to fit around school or uni life.

I personally found it worked excellently around uni life. I worked agency/ bank throughout my entire degree.

For the majority of my degree, I worked 1x Long shift 7am-7pm on average once per week, usually on a sat or sun. I would then have the remaining weekend day for study/ socialising. In many places I had the option of working a half day eg 7-1pm/ 1-7pm

At times, I picked up full time hours eg summer holidays or worked 4x 12hr shifts per week (I made quite a lot of money). At other times, i did no work(exams etc)

There is a lot of flexibility in healthcare - and some people work contracted hours whilst others work bank/ agency/ zero hours contracts. I always found i could pick up as much/ as little as I wanted and adjust my hours week by week if needed.

It can be quite physically hard work but then she’s young and presumably quite fit. There are some area of healthcare which would be less physically demanding eg mental health. I know people who have found very cushty roles eg been paid to sleep in a the same house as someone needing a live in carer and literally been paid to go to sleep but be present if needed.

Theres also nannying/ babysitting? working with disabled people. She could explore

This is interesting to know. I assumed you would need to do at least two shifts putting it out of reach of many part timers.

My dd had the same problem - she applied for scores of jobs and nothing. When I was her age, I could walk into a place and they would give me a job on the spot.

How times have changed…

My personal experience
— As an 18yr old, I had a full time contract role 37hrs per week: this was elderly care home helping with toileting/ personal care/ dressing/ feeding

— Whilst uni student: I had a zero hours contract at a dementia home. I was not obligated to work any hours. However every week i gave them my availability and then they would offer shifts according to my availability. In my experience, I was offered shifts for all majority of hours that i offered if that makes sense

-This led to NHS bank. I was approved as a bank healthcare assistant. Again this was zero hours which meant i didn’t have to work anything if i didn’t want to. NHS shifts are usually Early 7-1 / Late 1-7 or Night 7-7. Again I could literally choose what shift i wanted to work on medical wards/ surgical wards etc. On some weeks I would work nothing, on another week I would work 50 hours (maybe saving for a holiday/ really needing the money).

I was your daughter’s age (18-25). I managed to graduate with a 1st class degree from a good uni. I worked consistently 12hrs per week and most holidays and probably didn’t socialise so much compared to other students- this was the downside . However I didnt need to ask my parents for a penny as it enabled me to be financially independent throughout uni.

I really recommend she explores it. I also found it very personally rewarding as I enjoyed feeling i made a different to the patients - it felt meaningful despite it been repetitive/ boring sometimes. but it was maturing and i feel it made me more grown up. It could also lead to other careers eg medicine/ nursing if she thrived in it and wanted to progress

I think it’s more meaningful than stacking shelves/ serving cocktails which I also did a bit of as a teen!

Good luck :)

Do you have a football club near by?

And has she checked nhs jobs for domestic or housekeeping roles? We have a large mh trust near us and they are always looking for part time dom/hk and even catering assistant roles.

If hes getting interviews and your using chatgpt...load up the chat which helped you tailor the application and say to it something like:

"I have now been offered an interview. Can you act as the interviewer and ask me the 10 most likely interview questions. Ask me one question, then I will answer, then provide me feedback, then move onto the next question."

Get your son to try answering the questions and see if it helps him.

That's because generally older workers in supermarkets tend to have been there for years and the new starts if lucky enough to get a start tend to be younger.
The supermarkets are not replacing staff as they used to when folks left.

The British heart foundation have volunteer jobs targeted at teens. I know it’s not paid but might be a stepping stone.

My DDs have both found that with the more attractive volunteering options. We found the smaller local charities were better, and applying to those in less attractive areas (all the 16 year olds want to work in the large Oxfam in the town centre, not so much in the less visible parts of town).

ETA: Another vote for parkrun, DD1 volunteered as a marshall for her DoE and parkrun are well set up for that. Doesn't take much time each week but lots of interacting with the public.

Its challenging at the moment with the minimum wage being very high pricing a lot of young people out of the market for unskilled work.

The easiest way to get jobs are if they have a skill which narrows the competition - like can coach a sport or do a very sporty / physical job which others may not be fit enough to do. My DD is 20 and has got jobs easily but she started at 16 and travelled to the nearest city which is popular with tourists so they look for seasonal workers. She has got sporty jobs often on zero hour contracts but they pay well - rowing coaching think she gets £25 an hour, river tours about £150-£200 a day with tips.

She also has a non-verbal autistic brother and has got another job looking after an autistic child who is too anxious to attend school one and a half days a week. Not sure how she got that but its very hard to get help with asd children. The child is very easy to look after for her.

Years ago when I was at uni I did care work in a dare home. It was a little more than basic pay and you could get shifts quite easily. It’s one of the few jobs I see regularly advertised here so perhaps she could look into that if she thinks she would do it.