to think DD needs to try harder to get a job...

[postitgirl]

for those of you with teens, how did they get their first job? DD has tried - she walked round the town asking in shops and cafes. She got the app indeed.co.uk and applied for some jobs on there, but she's kinda given up now. I think she needs to try harder, but am I missing something here -what else could she be doing. She's 17 and has zero experience except a little bit of work experience from school :)

I'm mid twenties - so not that much older - and I volunteered at a charity shop one summer when I couldn't find a job. Next summer, using my experience, I managed to get one (retail).

I’ll be honest it’s really hard to get even ‘easy’ jobs at the moment (supermarkets, McDonald’s etc) especially as there seem to be hundreds of other applicants jostling for the same roles who have years of prior experience, can do any hours that are offered and yet are still struggling to find work. People who want full time roles are also applying to part time roles as there is just so many applicants out there and to get any job at the moment is difficult.
So it can be disheartening, I think the only answer is to just keep trying; which from your post it sounds like your dd is doing.

It's incredibly difficult for someone with zero experience to get a job. Have you suggested volunteering?

I think it depends on where you live. Lots of cafes I know are looking for staff and struggling to find them.

Has she tried going into and asking at care homes, they are always looking for people,

Have you tried googling recruitment agencies in your area?

My 16yo works in a cafe. She put together a CV (with no work experience so mainly voluntary/school/extracurricular stuff), printed out lots of copies and then went on a tour of the cafés in town to ask if they had any vacancies. She was asked to do a (paid) trial for a week, but they told her after 3 days that they would take her on. It probably helps that she is quite confident about talking to people, so she presents quite well, but she had no relevant experience to offer!

She has made a great start. A lot of jobs are advertised on Facebook pages now - follow local pubs and cafes and have a neutral profile. Then you can message them when a job pops up.
Set up daily Google job search alerts for 'hospitality jobs near me' 'Retail jobs near me' etc
Around here they have lots of vacancies for hospitality currently.
If she has no luck in summer, remember that at the end of September a lot of 18 year olds go off to uni so their jobs get advertised then.

Meant to add, she wasn't asked to do the trial straight away. She left her CV with contact details and they rang her a couple of weeks later.

At that age it’s luck, not ability , so many applying for few jobs , businesses can’t look at every cv, they just pick a handful and it’s just lucky if yours is picked

One of dd's friends applied for a job in a cafe kitchen - washing up the dishes. She was asked for a reference with particular emphasis on her dishwashing skills. Of course a reference from her parents wasn't acceptable. She is still job hunting.

Also I have just downloaded the next door app and there is a lot of jobs advertised on here in my area.

B&b's are where I got my work experience from 15+. Worked there during school/college/uni holidays and it's by far my best job yet,

My DD, same age, and all of her friends, have jobs this Summer. A COVID bonus - all the people who would normally do the jobs are not here.

She went in with her CV to all the places. She had experience in a fashion shop for her school work experience. She was hired based on that. Tell her to keep looking and see if you know anyone who would give her retail work experience for a few days.

We went out for dinner last week to our local gastro-pub - all the waiting staff were school friends of DD.

We live in Dublin, but my Niece and Nephew in a very small town, on the West coast, also have jobs this Summer - in a supermarket and coffee shop.

Quite a lot of pubs and restaurants advertise vacancies in our local Facebook pages.

We have a Waitrose and John Lewis here and they are the usual 'first job' for teens at DDs school. There are online tests and face to face interviews but they dont insist on experience.

If she cannot find a job I would strongly advise her volunteering in a charity shop or similar.

I did some practice interviews at my DDs school for a few years. It was very clear that those who had had a job or had volunteered were stronger candidates. They were more confident and had more experience to draw upon and discuss. This will be beneficial in the long run. This is why my two took volunteer roles before they landed paid jobs.

I think it’s harder than it used to be. I know a lot of people who have taken up second jobs to help pay their bills etc during covid which is leaving less casual work for teens and young people. Or there are loads of applicants for flexible roles so teens with no experience miss out. The jobs are there of course, but depending on where you live I don’t think it’s as easy to get them as it used to be.

My dd (18) cleans a pub/restaurant in the mornings. She got it through indeed. Previous to this, she had a temp job as a covid cleaner at a shopping centre also through indeed and her first job (at 16) was the local chippy. They had a sign in the window and she rang and got an interview.

My son (16) has just started helping a local builder, he was doing some work at ours and he just asked if he had any casual work.

They can get jobs but the volume they need to apply for on indeed etc is massive.

Dd1 16.5 has just started her first job working at Burger King.

She also has no experience and must have applied for around 50 jobs before she was offered an interview at Burger King. Luckily they offered it to her. I thought she’d hate it, but so far she actually quite likes it. They might be worth a try if you have one locally 🤷‍♀️

Cafes are often good for first job. I started in one when I was 13, but that’s nearly 20 years ago. They were my go-to summer job in uni too. I’d advise she do some volunteer work if she can’t get a payed job cause that will help get her some experience.

My son has just got a temp job at ASDA for the summer which is great as he is at University and on his summer break. He didn't even have an interview just went along with his passport and recd a text to say he can start on Thursday this week .

DS 30 has never worked because of illness, he has cystic fibrosis and gets severely tired just walking to Tesco's to buy a meal deal, DD 29 is still at university. She's doing a Master's.

There are actually lots of jobs about, including cafe work and lots of hotel work.

I'm at the opposite end of the scale, quite elderly, and I have no experience in hospitality (worked in schools all my life). I needed extra cash (used savings up during furlough) and have managed to get work in hotels...2 in fact...and both are saying they are crying out for workers. Many of the casual workers they had, went back home because of BREXIT and others have left because of COVID. The hotels I work in are waiting for the schools to finish for the summer, hoping that there will be some young people who want to earn some extra cash.....

It's worth a try?

@TheLovelinessOfDemons has your DD never had a job at all?