Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Ainu to be frustrated at 19 year DS not being able to get a summer job ?

116 replies

Munichfam5 · 04/08/2022 20:58

19 year DS has been home from uni since June and has not been able to get any work, it’s really getting me down
he has applied for loads of jobs on indeed but only very few applications are viewed and. only a few have responded

Its really becoming an issue for me as i can see he is losing confidence, and i just feel like he’s wasting his summer ,,,

How can i help him get some work until uni starts in late September?

Tia

OP posts:
Farmmum77 · 04/08/2022 21:00

Get him to get a CSCS card to be one a labourer, my 19 year old son has his and is never short of work

gogohmm · 04/08/2022 21:03

Most employers will not use indeed for casual work because of the fees. Tell him go around town with his cv

Gettingthereslowly2020 · 04/08/2022 21:03

He needs to pull his finger out and look directly on each company's website. Of course, it does depend on where you live but unless you live in the middle of nowhere, he should be able to find something.

Factory/warehouse jobs.

Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's - they all have loads of jobs.

McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, any fast food restaurant or takeaway.

Pop in local pubs, bars, restaurants, cafes.

Hospitality recruitment agencies where you can do the odd bar/waiting shift. They do events like gigs, football matches, festivals, etc. Agencies like Arc Hospitality Recruitment, Hap, there will be others.

Holidaydreamingagain · 04/08/2022 21:05

Where are you located? There seem to be a gazillion jobs here. The uni sitdents have been working in bars, restaurants, cafes. Also as leaders on summer camps and holiday schemes

WulyJmpr · 04/08/2022 21:05

Universities often have temp pools he could register for. Maybe at his own uni too.

WulyJmpr · 04/08/2022 21:07

Otherwise if he doesn't need the money desperately he could use the time to learn programming (gvt have free online courses).

Gettingthereslowly2020 · 04/08/2022 21:08

Charityjobs.co.uk - he might find a remote job where he can work from home which he can then carry on when he's back at university.

He's left it pretty late to find a job really if he's been home since June! Ideally, he should have been applying for loads of jobs the week before he came home.

At this stage, I think charityjobs and the hospitality agencies are his best bet. The hospitality agencies allow you to carry on working shifts in different locations - he could work shifts near home now and then carry on working shifts near university when he goes back. Arc Recruitment are good because you can pick and choose your own shifts on an app so he can fit work around his studies.

PermanentTemporary · 04/08/2022 21:09

He needs to get off a screen and get out there - also ask friends and family with jobs. Could you talk to your boss about temp work for him? But walking into pubs and restaurants with your CV can still work.

My son has today got a summer job, he did in fact apply online but had a word put in by a friend who works there. First shift next Thursday.

He got another summer job 2 days ago from an online application but the pay was Godawful - just over half what the job he's taken pays - and he's turned it down.

Chuckiegg · 04/08/2022 21:14

My dd didn't get any response to online applications. She dropped cvs into about 5 local pubs and got offers from 2 of them.

whenwillthemadnessend · 04/08/2022 21:14

My dd got a job through indeed but it took ages to go through the paperwork and she still hasn't done a shift yet. But hopefully will very soon.

It's zero hours events job at a local golf club. Kitchen and waiting staff.

We had. LOT of rejections tho. However I assumed that cos she was 16 and no experience.

AdriannaP · 04/08/2022 21:16

How this possible when so many industries are understaffed? Unless you are very very rural I have trouble believing he can’t find a job in a pub, café, restaurant, shop etc

TheFormidableMrsC · 04/08/2022 21:19

My friend's 16 yo has just got a job in McDonald's for £9 an hour. They're always recruiting.

Blanketpolicy · 04/08/2022 21:20

Agree with others Indeed is not the place for the type of work he is looking for, he needs to apply directly, ask around and enquire locally.

Moonface123 · 04/08/2022 21:24

Supermarkets are not looking for staff, peoples shopping patterns change during the summer break, most of us are on reduced hours, and they tend to have same students who started at 16 , come and help at Easter and Xmas.

Cotswoldmama · 04/08/2022 21:25

Most companies won't take someone on temporarily as it costs so much to train someone for them to just leave. He's best looking for somewhere that's a chain that has a store near where he'll be living whilst at uni then he can transfer to that store during term time and back again during the holidays

littlefireseverywhere · 04/08/2022 21:25

Crikey, where I live rural but quite touristy people are crying out for staff. Agree with @whenwillthemadnessend try local pubs in person with CV.

littlefireseverywhere · 04/08/2022 21:26

Or cafes, campsites, etc

MajorCarolDanvers · 04/08/2022 21:26

Pubs, hotels, restaurants all crying out for staff

Daftasabroom · 04/08/2022 21:30

@Munichfam5 indeed is utter crap, some of the ads are years out of date.

Flopisfatteningbingforchristmas · 04/08/2022 21:30

He needs to get off indeed. He is looking for a casual temporary job.

Ask on local Facebook group who has seen an job advert (he needs to do this himself). Go to places with his CV.

Comefromaway · 04/08/2022 21:33

My dd had a similar problem last year, applied for hundreds of jobs locally and nothing.

she ended up getting a job in her Uni city (first thing she applied for), so moved early. She hasn’t come home at all apart for a few days this year.

Maytodecember · 04/08/2022 21:33

For temporary work he’s best off just looking locally, printed off CVS in hand. Every other pub round here ( rural area) has a sign outside for bar or kitchen staff. Stopped at traffic lights today I saw a sign in a hairdressers Apprentice Wanted, not seen that for years.
Tell him to try local supermarkets, petrol stations, bars, pubs, restaurants, cafes.

Missikat13 · 04/08/2022 21:34

Hospitality is absolutely on its knees due to a lack of staff. I would absolutely recommend dropping in places with his cv. Often a trial shift for being front of house will determine if you get the job or not.

Gherkingreen · 04/08/2022 21:34

Same story with my 18 yo DS. He worked in fast food for 10 months until it was clear they were taking the piss with expecting him to work way over his contracted hours, and he didn't want to as was studying for A levels.
It was also pretty rough as many customers were incredibly hard work. But, he learnt a lot, committed and threw himself into it.
He then found a part time job in a start-up restaurant who let staff go after 6 weeks as they'd over-recruited.
He's applied for loads of roles through local sites and Indeed, and has had interviews but no luck. He'll be off to uni in early October so not likely anywhere will recruit for such a short time. This week he's going to try local pubs for jobs.
He volunteers as an adult leader with a local cub group so he does voluntary stuff too, just wants a p/t job to earn some cash and use his time well before uni.

2u2me2me2u · 04/08/2022 21:35

I agree, my son applied for loads on every job site and never heard back. They say they’re desperate for workers, it doesn’t seem so.

He ended up with a job going handing his cv out.

I see a lot of people on Facebook asking for work and they always get a good response.