Younger generation and jobs

[Tedflowerybaker]

Currently helping my friends daughter look for a job. We’ve updated her C.V and cover letter, really trying to make them stand out so she’s got a fair chance at being invited to an interview.

Luckily I’ve never been out of work and have been in the same job for around 7 years now so I rarely ever look at job sites. Nothing spectacular but I earn a fairly decent wage, have weekends off and a very generous holiday allowance so all in all I’m happy. I’m early 30’s (if it’s relevant)

We’ve been scouring the job sites looking for something decent. It needs to be full time. She finished school with good A-levels but wasn’t interested in attending college. She doesn’t know what she wants to do as of yet so is willing to try her hand at anything.

AIBU to be surprised at the amount of rubbish jobs that are advertised?

There are the minimum wage roles offering 10 hours a week and the candidate needs to be fully flexible 7 days a week in order to stand a chance at getting the job. How on earth could someone afford to live off such a small wage though?

Or the care assistant roles which are two hours a day at £9.50 an hour. Surely they could stretch to £10 and just pay the poor carer £20 for the session.

The best one was a live in support worker role providing 24/7 care for an older man. The carer would be paid £120 for the day but have £30 taken off their wages for being in the clients home and using their facilities etc. I thought that was outrageous, especially since the whole point of the job was the carer had to work in the clients home, so why punish the carer for it?

Even if they attend uni and study really hard in a specific subject, their still not guaranteed a decent job afterwards.
I remember when I left school and was looking, there was so much more available and this was back when employers were actually happy to take trainees on and give them a fair chance. Now most employers want someone who already has the experience or qualifications.

I’m honestly so glad I found my job when I did and touch wood I will never have to look for work or be in such a difficult position but AIBU in feeling sorry for the younger generation when they leave school and have to look for a job?

[Namechangeforthiscancershit]

Sorry if you've already answered this but did she work while she was studying, and what aspects of that did she like. Any good employers?

[demelza82]

In the 15 years that I've been working I've noticed that entry level jobs in my field have barely gone up in salary and the demands/person specifications incorporating several different job roles and are so much broader than when I started.

[user1497207191]

Lots of employers don't put job vacancies on job directories. They advertise jobs, apprenticeships etc on their own websites. It's part one of the "selection" process - i.e. they want people with the initiative to actually look for opportunities, preferably in industries that they've got a particular interest in, and at employers they've done some research into - i.e. they need to have done all that to find the website and jobs.

They don't want "lazy" people who want everything spoon fed for them, i.e. those who look no further than job/vacancy directories which these days are usually for casual/low paid work as the OP has found.

[user1497207191]

In the 15 years that I've been working I've noticed that entry level jobs in my field have barely gone up in salary and the demands/person specifications incorporating several different job roles and are so much broader than when I started.

Not just entry level jobs. Exactly the same has happened in the accountancy market. Salaries have remained pretty much static for the last 15/20 years, even for fully qualified roles requiring x number of years, and yes, a wider range of experience is usually required these days.

[PortiaCastis]

My younger generation student (dd 20) is a fully trained RNLI lifeguard and as we live in Cornwall she's not short of work in her holidays, however I take issue with people stereotyping her age group as she's out there in the summer saving lives going out on a board saving people's children because they've gone out to sea on a blow up unicorn or suchlike and got caught in a rip. So those who demean the younger generation can get lost

[OUwhatnext]

NMW is crap, especially for under 25's. I recently spoke to an employer who was complaining about putting his employee's hourly rate up from £6.15 to £7.70 when they turned 21. Their complaint was that the employee still lived at home and didn't deserve it. I asked where the fuck else are they going to live on £230 a week!

[ColaFreezePop]

You've just reminded me that I know a lot of people who did care work in their late teens/early 20s. They did it as a stepping stone which they have used in a wide variety of people focused careers. They were nearly all studying something at the time so couldn't do any job that demanded full flexibility.

[CurbsideProphet]

@Tedflowerybaker the NHS has an apprenticeship scheme that might be worth her looking into? The job market is similar where I live. Low paid zero hour contracts.

[Whatwouldbigfatfannydo]

I don't think there's any issue with being disinterested in academic pursuits at this stage. Some life experience might change that and if she's paying course fees then it's really not worth the debt for 'something to do'.

PP have shown that a good career doesn't always require a degree.

Her path will only be fulfilling if it's the one she wants to take. I hope she finds something suitable!

[Sunshine1239]

Agree it’s harder but these days kids get to 17/18 and haven’t worked a day in their life which doesn’t help. I had Saturday job from 15 as did everyone I know. By time I was doing A-levels I worked 26 hours a week on evenings and weekends. Kids these days are going to uni having never worked! It’s the basic skills of working that kids don’t seem to have which is what’s causing the issue too - far too often they’re not willing to start at rock bottom

[Tedflowerybaker]

From what I can gather after speaking to her she's not interested in care roles so I think that means anything to do with children and older people.

She did work in the local chip shop last summer which I think she enjoyed so she does have a little bit of experience in a customer facing role. I'm thinking she may suit an office role perhaps?

We've had a look at apprenticeships but can't see any at the moment which involve office roles unfortunately.

[Whatwouldbigfatfannydo]

And PPs suggestion of an apprenticeship is a good one! A lot of these industries value time served more than academic qualifications so she'd have every chance of working her way up and getting a good salary eventually.

[Rainbowsomewhere]

Go to retailers websites or even banks and apply directly.

Also check out local hotels career pages on their website as there is nearly always housekeeping, waitressing or reception jobs going. Once she has a job it will be easier to move on to the next one.

[MissCharleyP]

Do you live near an airport? They quite often have a variety of roles, the airports themselves and the shops in there. Obviously it means shift work but that can suit some people better. Or the railway? A variety of roles and very interesting career. Network Rail were advertising for apprenticeships not that long ago.

[Ylvamoon]

I think it's a difficult one. A lot will depend on the area - where I live it's mostly warehouse type jobs, shift work for £8.50 -£10.- depending on shift pattern. Not great if you are young and ready to "fly".
Is she able to travel a bit further and widen her search area?
As for wages, I'd expect min wage being the norm for a first job with little / no experience and training.
At my place, there are entry level positions for min wage, yes we ask a lot from potential employee's. But it's simply to ensure that they have what it takes to do the job further down the line...

[7125r]

Care work should never be advertised under the conditions you're quoting IMO. I think it's a huge part of why standards in care are so low. Some carers are wonderful and dedicated and do it out of love but a frightening number are just desperate for cash. It needs to be paid much, much better.

I agree carers absolutely deserve a better wage for what they do, but I’m not sure I follow your logic. Surely if wages were higher you’d get even more people doing it who are desperate for cash?

Not that that’s an issue imo, it’s unrealistic to expect anyone to do jobs like care work ‘out of love’, it’s back breaking work and deserves to be rewarded as such. You can volunteer out of the goodness of your heart. If you’re working to earn to live you deserve to be fairly remunerated for that. Can’t pay your rent with the warm glow of having helped someone. I kinda hate the idea that people should do care work out of love and dedication to others, it devalues it, it should be treated like a professional role requiring specific skills and knowledge, whereas painting it as a calling makes it seem like anyone with a good heart could do it.

[Cam77]

When I graduated from university I signed up with a care agency which mainly specialized in providing agency staff for places which provided care for people with various kinds of learning disabilities. Got offered loads of work, pay wasn’t bad, and I could be flexible with what positions I wanted to take. Interview was basically
nonexistent, just showed them proof of my qualification and said what kind of roles I’d be happy doing. Care residential centers and homes were always understaffed so work was as much as I wanted. I only did it for a year, but learnt loads and met some wonderful people.

[ICouldBeSomebodyYouKnow]

I recommend apprenticeships. We've had a few through our hands - office based. Most went on to do something else, having decided it wasn't for them in the end. One got promoted into a 'proper' role, and left 6 months later to go to uni to become a teacher.

Anyway. My DD, now 28, was going through the 'first job' thing just a few years ago (yes, with a degree, but bear with me). To cut a long story short, she started volunteering with a charity that meant a lot to her, one thing led to another including her first paid job. That gave her enough experience to get a role where she was able to use her degree.

Apologies if you don't need this tip, but please can she make sure her applications address, in turn, each of the essential requirements of the jobs she is applying for? Too many ramble and ignore what was requested, making it hard for the recruiting manager.

[BuffaloBiff]

If she wants office roles, I would send speculative CVs and covering letter to the office/ HR manager and see if anything comes of it.

She might get some work experience for a week or two at the least and then she can rule in or out that type of work.

It was different circumstances but that so what I did and a few companies replied and offered me experience. I used that to get a paid role.

Or what about retail? If she's good then not too hard to process through the ranks and the larger shops have loads of different roles (eg M&S, John Lewis).

[LemonPrism]

So she only has A-levels? She needs to think what career she wants. I suppose admin could be the way to go if she doesn't want to train in a vocation. Or an apprenticeship?

I took an apprenticeship after finishing my MA degree from a top 10 uni. 3 months of applications and barely any even replied with a no.

What about retail? Receptionist?

[LemonPrism]

@DisneyMadeMeDoIt how can you be mid 20s if you were looking for jobs in 2008? I'm nearly 25 and was in year 9 in 2008....

[LemonPrism]

What area are you in? We may be able to recommend companies

[cactusthief]

Nah, I don’t feel sorry for the younger generation, they would never have been able to stick the rubbish jobs I had to do just to survive.

[TheFairyCaravan]

If she knew what she wanted to do it would help. We've got 2 sons (24&22) both are earning a decent wage in the careers that they wanted to be in since primary school.

DS1 always wanted to join the army, the night before his A level results came out he said he wasn't going to uni and he was going in the army. We gave him a year to do it and he joined the following July. I know it's not for everyone but it's the best thing he's ever done. He's happy, confident, really good at his job and at the beginning of this month was promoted to Corporal so is earning a really good salary for a 24 yo.

DS2 is a nurse. He wanted to do that since he was about 4 or 5. He worked his arse off to get there, including having a part time job in Wetherspoons all through uni. He works in A&E and loves it. Every week I get a text saying he's doing this course or that course.

She needs to sort out what she wants to do and the rest will come,

[cactusthief]

We had to filter through lots of crap when DD was looking for a part time job to work around her college course. She landed lucky in the end and managed to bag a 16 hour retail contract and her employer was happy to fit her shifts around her course. It is very hard to try for a job nowadays. Even Tesco rejected her because of the daft online screening thing. The job she did get involved an online test, telephone interview, group session and a one to one interview and it took 4 weeks from application to start. I remember when you went in or called and got started in many jobs the next day.