To wonder how some students expect to get jobs!

[A1980]

I'm putting my flame resistant jacket on here and my padded jacket (to deal with knives)!

But, following on from the thread about how the "hell" some people get into university and the current employment crisis for young people, most bizarre experience.

I am an associate solicitor as a good well known law firm. Someone I vaguely know (youngster, aged about 20 who lives near me) asked me if they could put me in touch with their friend who is a law student and looking for some experience. I don't mind at all, you have to start somewhere and happily handed over my details with absoultely no promises (as it's not up to me to hire, the decision rests with department heads but I an certainly put in a good word with something to go on). I said to tell his friend that I would need a good CV from him and to know what he's looking for.

What I got baffled me. Bear in mind I am:

1. A stranger
2. He knows I am a solicitor
3. He is looking to gain expereince by getting in contact with me.

I got an email from him. It started "Hi ya Aleson" [I think he meant Alison]. That is already way too informal IMO. Then the body of the email has virtually no puncuation and consists of about 2 sentences even though it's several lines long. It refers to his "mate" giving him my details. Then it goes on to say he has no clue waht area of law I practice in but wants to arrange something with me for experience.

There is absolutely no information whatsoever about him and what he wants. No CV attached. In short sod all about him.

When I used contacts or made enquiries as a student, my emails and letters were as follows:

"Dear Mr / Ms, I was given your details by XYZ regarding the possibility of arranging work experience at your firm. Please find attached my CV for your kind perusal. I am currently a student at XYZ and will graduate in XYZ. I am interested in XYZ areas of law, etc, etc. I have had the following experience: [list it and the dates.] I look forward to hearing from you, Kind regards, XYZ"

The above you can't go wrong with and that's what I would expect.

Please tell me, is this standard these days or AIBU and unkind? I fail to see how his email is meant to impress anyone and have me or anyone else think him serious coontender for experience in a firm of solicitor.

('eg', even, not 'ie'. I do know the difference, honest. Just not right now ...)

Ps... and at the risk of going all 'Four Yorkshiremen", my teenaged 1982 pre- email efforts were handwritten, so the superfical appearance was judged too!
No excuse now for someone who also has internet access to advice on letter writing.

I don't think photographs on CVs are a good idea.

^ Me either sooty. It adds nothing.

I have no idea why you have been somewhat flamed on this thread, A1980, I totally agree with you. I probably would have deleted the email.

It is completely inappropriate to write an email like that when you are writing in a professional capacity. It is not (or shouldn't be) hard to construct a professional sounding and concise letter/email.

Re CVs, I would never include a photo (they are rather sneered at imo, and certainly add nothing) and think an email as a covering letter, with your CV as an attachment (in .pdf if poss) is fine. I haven't sent a hard copy CV in an application for over 10 years, and haven't recieved hard copies from people applying to work with me either.

FWIW my dd (16 this week) has been applying for jobs left, right and centre. She looks on websites to find out appropriate contacts/email addresses and sends a brief introductory email which is written formally. If a perfectly normal teenage GCSE student can do this, a graduate should be able to.

Maryz i read on another thread about your dd volunteering to work with special needs children in her summer holidays, she sounds brilliant all round, you must be very prpud.

I think the problem is at least partly cultural, and is going to scupper a generation if it's not addressed.

My dad is an academic lawyer, and like many academics, extremely generous with his time. He has an open-door policy, and told me recently that without exception every student who'd come to him for extra work or help in the past year was Chinese or Indian.

An acquaintance who is a nanny for a very right-on, relaxed couple was shocked to see me tell my three-year-old who'd just presented me with a scribble that I knew she could do better and I wanted her to re-do her drawing properly. If I don't nip any sign of sloppiness or laziness in the bud, in 17 years she'll be firing off "Hi ya Aleson" emails and will be killed in a competitive global marketplace.

Someone asked about whether to send a letter or email, personally I prefer an approach by a polite, correctly addressed email, explaining in a few sentences who the person is and what they hope to achieve by contacting me, plus an attached CV. Crucially, I would expect them to have some knowledge of my specialism, and be able to say in a sentence or two, why working with me would be appropriate to their interests/topic.

I don't want a whole essay, but sometimes I just get one line 'Dear Dr Hardgoing, I would like to work with you at your university'. Not really enough to get me out seeking tens of thousands of pounds in bursaries to keep them.

It's a bit worrying that at 20 he still can't word a formal letter properly.

I'd absolutely send the email back and say what he could improve. If he has any sense, he'll listen to your advice.

YANBU, lazy student

This email shows an extreme lack of care. It would take 10 minutes to google advice on how to get work experience and to follow this.

I would always be worried about taking on someone who was so sloppy tbh.