to think a work experience should make the tea?

[LouiseD29]

I work in a large-ish agency in central London. It's fairly competitive and as a result we have a steady stream of youngsters all keen for a work experience placement. Some good, some not so good, but I am increasingly noticing that most of them NEVER offer to do a tea round for the team!

It's not like I'm expecting them to be churning out six rounds a day for 25 people, but AIBU to think that it shouldn't be beyond them to spot that 1. People here like tea; 2. If you do a nice thing for people it shows manners and team spirit and they're more likely to remember you and bear you in mind for future vacancies and 3. Everyone else has made a round today so GO AND PUT THE KETTLE ON!

When I was starting out I was constantly looking for opportunities to impress and wouldn't have dreamt of letting someone more senior make me a cup of tea.

AIBU and hopelessly old-fashioned, or do these youngsters have no clue?

With work experience kids you have to sit down and talk to them. Find out about their background. Often they don't have parents who are working in a professional environment. This is a huge gap for them and my job then becomes helping them to learn to work in that environment.

While these kids should be making the tea for everyone I would expect they either don't have parents who work in a professional office/ don't know this is the done thing or they they the work is below them. Determine which it is and then ditch the kids that they the work is below them. I have done this before (much to everyone's disgust) and brought anothers to give them the opportunity. After I did it word got around the following year I replaced only 2 of the group of 10. Sounds tough but I put a lot into setting things up for these work experience kids and if they are not going to benefit from it I will replace them with someone who will.

Instead of a teenager on work experience make it a grown woman. Her male boss tells her it's her job to make the tea for all the guys because she is the junior member.

Now tell me that she is being silly to object to being the the Char Walla (a TV cultural reference from the 70s) and that she is bring snooty to turn her nose up at such menial chores.

Good for you, Squoosh, and how fantastic for the students! If only the they knew just how thankful they should be!

I don't know of any job (have worked in several different areas and positions, both high and low in hierarchy) where the employer would have looked at your references going back to a 2 week work experience when you were 15, any more than they would be interested in a math exam result from that age. That is because at 15 you're still a child and learning about how the world works. But maybe there are some there that will scrutinise your tea making incentive at 15. A cafe, maybe?

I really don't care if they're thankful or not as long as they're pleasant enough when they're here.

Our WE get to see most of what goes on. There are some things that we don't show them if they involve serious sexual offences for example but the point is that they get to see a bit of real law being practised.

As for being right for a career that demands high academic standards, a long slog and is highly competitive then if you can't show a bit of enthusiasm at 15 then I would say that you probably won't last the course.

Offering WE in a professional environment, is not about getting a tea slave. It's about offering a young person an opportunity to experience what that job might involve for them. But sometimes when faced with yet another sulky teenager who doesn't really seem to want to be there then you do question why you are making the effort.

Ironically, most of my senior colleagues have no problem in making tea or doing something you might think was "menial".

How generous of you,Ssquoosh. Just pleasant doesn't hack it though, does it? If you don't offer to make the tea?

Very interesting to read everyone's perspectives, thank you.

However I'd just like to clear up an apparent misconception that I spend every day reclining in my corporate throne chuffing and sighing that downtrodden teenagers are not bringing me endless cuppas, fetching my lunch and sharpening my pencils for me, while keeping up a steady stream of flattery and thanks for 'the opportunity'.

I'm talking about educated 20+ year olds, trying to get into a competitive industry not having the nouse to think that the team they probably want a job with, might appreciate a cuppa a couple of times a week.

And for the record, quite a large number of our staff started as work experience and were offered permanent roles based on more than just their willingness to get a round in, but I bet it helped!

Several very good points though and definitely got me thinking.

Goodness, what exactly is your problem Toys, terribly passive aggressive aren't you?

I work in an office where everyone pitches in but no, for your information, I don't trail them to check they are boiling kettles and making coffee for everyone.

As far as I can tell students that have worked here seem to have enjoyed it. Some have even requested a second shot.

Squoosh: I only have a problem with the fact that taking the incentive to make tea (especially at the age of 15) is seen by some as some kind of mark of excellency and suitability for the job, when it clearly isn't. In some cases it could be seen as the opposite. I have a problem with that, as well. So many other things are miles more important than fecking tea and stupid office politics..

Toys - if you think that employers don't look at WE on a CV at entry level, you'd be wrong.

YANBU But... I think it's an age thing. None of my DDs drinks tea or would ever dream of making a cup for me. If I ask them, DD2 will, the other two say "Oh I don't know how to make it... "

Work experience is very much about learning how offices function. And the vast majority of offices funtion on either making a cup of tea every now and then, or having a communal trip to the coffee machine.

It's not about making the tea, it's about having a bit of a break, some social conversation, demonstrating good manners and respect for your elders and betters (more experienced).

I don't make or drink hot drinks either, I couldn't care less if the world ran out of tea and coffee tomorrow. Other people think this would be a Very Bad Thing.

I do think though a lot what makes people employable, beyond what is written on your CV, is your ability to read the mood of the office and rub along nicely with everyone. It seems basic but people like working with people they like.

A 20 something should have the common sense to make a pot of tea if that's what everyone else is doing, or join in with whatever other office rituals there are.

I was an office junior in a doctors. There were 10+ doctors, one of them used to ring my phone and say 'coffee' no please or thank you just 'coffee' Ignorant idiot!

I think if you want a tea/coffee make your own, their not waitresses!

I was going to ask Louise D29 which ones got the jobs.
Not surprised that the ones offering to make the tea and mucking in generally,were more likely to get the contracts.
If you want jobs in competitive industries,you need to compete, go the extra mile,stay late on occasion with maybe no extra pay yada yada.

I think a tea round is so old fashioned.
Why can't individuals go and make a cup of tea when they feel like a cup of tea, rather than waiting for someone to offer.
Does everybody always want one at exactly the same time.
I hate bloody tea anyway, I never drink the stuff and am not bothered about coffee either, except when I wake up.
I'm a bottle of water person.

I'm relatively senior at work but not "the boss". We have coffee / tea routinely twice a day at morning handover and then 11am.

Some students (our equivalent of Work Exp) chip in and make tea/ coffee IME others don't. Generalising it tends to be the "better" ones who chip in with tea /coffee making...

I don't drink tea or coffee but I do occasionally organise the brew - probably less frequently than those who actually partake of a hot drink but often enough for it not to be commented on.

I'm afraid I have very little truck with "I'm too X to do menial tasks. We all do them despite seniority but there are some tasks it makes much more sense for my junior to do as it frees me/ "the boss" up to do things outwith their competence and gives us time to teach them things to extend their competence. I get particularly frustrated by the ones who claim "oh, I don't need to learn that skill I'm going to specialise in Y area". IMO they are employed to do job X at present and if the skill in question is regarded in X area they should bloody well bother their backsides to learn it when the opportunities present themselves as it enhances their ability to do their current job.

In general we tend to be embarrassed when the boss makes the coffee and much prefer it if they go the shop and buy some biscuits!

I have worked in over two dozen offices, in admin roles for all types of organisations, in Central London. the "Tea" situation is always, always different from office to office. (sad useless observations gained!) but from what the OP is saying, Tea duty is carried out no matter who you are. If the teabags/coffee was replenished by the company or was in a kitty of some sort, I don't see any reason for the person NOT to offer (maybe embarrassed to ask for teabags?). As it shows good manners and the willingness to muck in and be considerate of colleagues. Especially considering the situation the economy is in now, you need to pull out all the stops to shine through the masses that are queuing in the door behind you. Don't Get me wrong. I will offer tea when those around me are doing it, I once told a boss to "Go F himself" due to his inability to walk 2 metres into the kitchen whilst expecting me to keep him hydrated. there's a difference between being a dogsbody and just offering. Would you stand in a pub and wait for everyone else to buy you a drink and then not buy one back? same principle.

But the point is its work experience. Chances are they are young and never been in that environment before. To expect them to instantly know when's an appropriate time to ask, who's likely to get hacked off with being bothered and who's cup is who's etc is unfair.

You have all Said yourselves that it differs from office to office. If they don't know the drill then that's your fault not theirs. It's a sodding mine field out there. " oh he's always skiving making tea for everyone" "he used my cup" " does she know we have to pay for that". You can't all expect them to be psychic and know.

People get pissed off if cups are wrong or sweeteners not used or its skimmed not ff milk. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Just take some time to explain things to them

Exactly, whereismycaffeinedrip!

lead by example.