To be terribly afraid that that was it?

[entropynow]

DS about to reach a year unemployed. So was that it, that 19 months of postgraduate temporary contracts, and now all he has to look forward to at 24 is the dole for the next 40 plus years?

All I hear is "new graduates win over old ones, no employer will look at you with a year's gap" and to make it worse he ignored my advice to do voluntary work, convinced he'd get a "proper job" if he only tried hard enough. But with a 2:2 even from a good Uni, no-one wants him.
Can't read my FB with all my friends' children's wild A level and Oxbridge successes right now. Can't go to friends, can't admit how I feel.

Feeling like the worst parent in the Universe. If I'd done better at mothering he'd have a job, and nothing will convince me otherwise.

Yes, I know, it's not about me. I have no right.

Sobbing

Software testing?

But really he needs to be prepared to move, sorry.

At least two posters on here have said to PM you as they are in the area with relevant jobs. I think that's an amazing result and can only encourage you to contact them and then pass the details on to your son. It is very very hard to get so many rejections and keep getting up again, I graduated in the early 90's recession and one of my friends made over 200 applications before getting a foot in the door (through personal contacts off someone my father met on a train!) Please take these opportunities, personal contacts and a good CV will get him where he wants to go.

I would also say don't think after one year on the dole you are unemployable, I've certainly had 8 months without a 'proper' job, my husband has had a year, and many of my friends partners have recently- especially in IT where the market has contracted dramatically. However, my husband worked as a tutor/took other work and carried on working on his own IT projects during this time. Sitting just applying for the really big jobs is not the way to win during this time.

And- yes to being able to move. My husband works away, we have children, lots of dads at my children's school work away, from building work up north to oil rigs to army to whatever. You have to do what you have to do. We live apart so we can both sustain our careers. It's not ideal but plenty of families do it and they will dramatically limit their careers if they have to be in the same location all the time in their twenties/early thirties.

Entropy I dont know where you live but in London if you have techie skills, now the recession is receding the contract work is ramping back up to nearly as good as pre recession again (2 techie friends still very succesfully contracting at 47 as more lucrative than perm work). And its 6months and longer jobs, not week here week there... I used to date a techie and he was 37 and had never gone perm as £ wise it just wasnt worth it. He could get a perm job and be redundant 3months in anway these days. Perm doesnt equal secure any more...

Is he looking broadly enough, or has he been trying to stick to Manchester?

There's a massive disparity in job availabililty around the country, and if you don't search widely and move for work, you're going to find it much harder. At our firm down in the south-east, we're really struggling to recruit programmers (and other roles).

I recently read that in Salford, there are 65 job hunters for every job vacancy, while in Cambridge, there are 2 jobs for every job hunter.

That's because most jobs in Cambridge don't pay enough to live there. Not if you have dependents, anyway.

As a programmer he could be working on projects of his own when he's out of work and this looks impressive. Depends what kind of programming but think for e.g. designing apps (which can be an earner) or building websites for people/projects. Get him to check out the Manchester Hackspace for support and ideas.

It doesn't come easily getting your first few jobs but progamming skills are much in demand once you've got some experience, and you can give yourself that experience. There's lots of work in Manchester for programmer from what I hear from friends.

Whoo-hoo, Numberlock and astrid! :) :) :)

Hope something's worked out.

www.do-it.org.uk often has really interesting voluntary options - I've previously seen charities asking for people to build websites and like so could be worth a perusal? Also, I'm assuming he's already on the Work Programme through the JCP (18-24 yr olds are generally mandated after 9mnths), does he qualify for provider-led Wage Incentive? Might help smaller, more niche companies out?

Yes, to all those saying I'm defensive, yes, probably, but to get a bunch of "well, obviously he must be doing x, y z" when I know he absolutely isn't is pretty dispiriting. Just confirms my fear that employers are thinking the same with equally little justification. And yes, I've mentioned the volunteering in pretty much every conversation about work.
And no, we are certainly not funding him and would not do so if asked (I have offered to "top" up a low wage job if he can't pay the rent with it, but employment is a condition of that). Partner has some savings and is subsidising pro tem - maybe not a wonderful solution but he's an adult too and didn't consult me!

@amiccissima, if he has not already looked there I will point him in that direction, thanks

The very same thing happened to my brother. After a year he applied to do a masters degree. He got a job aimmediately after finishing the course and has been in work ever since.
Is that a possibility?

Am PMing or have PMd all the lovely offers, many thanks for support and suggestions.

With the job board you have to edit your entry (even if not making a reach change) weekly, so that your cv moves to the top. You also need to be very explicit in having the right buzz words to pop up in searches.

Its awful how much graduate wages have declined in the industry when studying costs so much more now.

The contract market has picked up, but I hear not in manchester - there are many tales of woe from the area on the contractor boards.

Is he going to IT networking events? Hack days? Game jams? BCS events/talks (you dont always need to be a member)? Meetups?

Dont despair, he will find something if he keeps trying.

Good point above from jay55

Your CV needs moving upwards regularly or it loses its online presence.

He can do a PGCE with a 2:2 - who told him he couldn't?! We're desperate for maths teachers! In fact he could better look for a SDTP or SCITT position within a school, both of which are salaried. He should drop hs CV to every school in Manchester, seriously.

There is always care work. Private mental health hospitals can pay £ 17k.
You don't know exactly what he turns down, or doesn't apply too. Unless you spend all day with him.
Maybe instead of judging yourself for being a shit mum and feeling really bad you should blame the recession and take a step back. He'll manage, he seems like a proactive intelligent man.

I can understand why you felt dispirited and defensive but, for example, my comments were based on experience recruitinge for graduates. If he's getting things right with his applications then he will find something. It's bloody horrible at the moment but positive thinking will help. And there's been some excellent practical, locally knowledgeable help offered as well.
Employers/recruiters want to see good applications/good interviews. It's much faster for starters!

MN doing what it does well I reckon-general good advice and specific help.

I wish him all the very best and hope you're back posting that he's got a great job soon.

My career started with a temping office job( data entry) in a bank, it was supposed to be 2 weeks
Definitely don't dismiss temping agency jobs

Agree totally with what oddsock is saying. The really good thing about IT is that you can do and showcase work without having a job. Designing apps, designing websites etc means he can put on his CV "I did this" and potential employers can see it. My dh is a senior web / app developer and has just recruited some people. (Different part of the country to Manchester.) He is far more interested in their online presence and how they do on his pre interview test than anything else. As he puts it "just because they are doing a job now doesn't mean they are any good at it". At least one of the people he has just employed has a 2.2 in maths.