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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:
worriedatthistime · 04/08/2022 22:45

Has he contacted the employment agencies they may have short term work in local factories and places etc

CallOnMe · 04/08/2022 22:47

Is it for financial reasons or just confidence reasons?

If it’s just confidence then maybe he could look into volunteering.

worriedatthistime · 04/08/2022 22:50

The thing is he is onlu
Y looking for a summer job so you have to go to the places that ate likely to take people on just for the summer

Psychgrad · 04/08/2022 23:13

My husband works in hospitality and doesn’t hire summer staff as it’s too much time spent in training for very little contracted hours. Either get him to tell a white lie and say he’s not going back to uni or do some casual work like babysitting/ dog walking.

AlecTrevelyan006 · 04/08/2022 23:16

summer jobs are, generally, a thing of the past. Most employers won't take on anyone for a few weeks, they'll just muddle on with the staff they've got.

goldfinchonthelawn · 04/08/2022 23:19

DS has had no success either. Applied in person and online to shops, cafes and bars. All saying they are desperate for staff but all insisting on experience! he did say to one of them: if you trained me for a couple of hours before a shift I'd be able to help you and learn on the job and they said, Yeah I suppose so but never got back to him. I thought he;d walk into a job this summer. There are signs up in every shop and cafe window, and he's perfectly presentable and polite.

Mol1628 · 04/08/2022 23:26

Yes going into shops etc is good but also asking on local Facebook pages. I always see lots of casual work advertised on ours.

Sarahplane · 04/08/2022 23:27

Try clarks, they're taking on lots of teenagers and students on temp contracts until September for back to school shoe rush.

elizabethdraper · 04/08/2022 23:32

Every shop, restaurant, bar is screaming for staff around here

Has he physically gone into businesses/shops/restaurants

Ponoka7 · 04/08/2022 23:33

Would he camp onsite? There's still festival jobs going. I agree that he needs to apply directly.

EntertainingandFactual · 04/08/2022 23:34

@goldfinchonthelawn
THIS is a massive problem! 18 year olds have been in lockdown on and off over the last few years - many hospitality places were closed when they were 16/17 so how on earth are they expected to have an abundance of experience in those types of jobs. My DC bulked out their CV with voluntary work during this time and still struggled.

It seems gone are the days when employers are willing to train people up for part-time/seasonal jobs.

YEARS ago I worked in lots of different jobs and we always had an induction period - we were trained up from scratch over the first few shifts. I did food safety & first aid certificates with two part-time student jobs. I had no experience of the actual job when I started either one.

I worked at a major supermarket for 8 hrs a week when I was 16 and when they changed the tills to scanners most of my 4 hr shifts were training sessions.

Not once was I expected to 'just start the job' the minute I began my first shift.

goldfinchonthelawn · 04/08/2022 23:36

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.

I know but they keep telling my DS they need experienced workers because they are so run off their feet. It makes no sense. It's not rocket science and you can train staff in the basics in a couple of hours, I worked in hospitality for years. I remember some jobs we'd be bussed out to massive catered events and the bosses would come down the bus and show us how to do silver service as we travelled there! Not ideal but we all managed and got rehired.

Trustingreenthings · 04/08/2022 23:36

My 19 year old is doing baby-sitting/tutoring for a family with a 9 and an eleven year old.

She is also doing pet sitting in people's homes while they are on holiday.

Discovereads · 04/08/2022 23:40

Uni student summer jobs usually take applications in April/May. So if he waited until he was home in June, all the good jobs will have been taken before he even started applying.

He really should be planning better and looking for a job related to his degree/prospective career field. i agree he should research potential employers and go to their websites for openings. You can’t really use Indeed because most employers don’t put summer jobs on there due to the fees.

There’s no point working food service or retail unless it’s money he wants, rather than experience for his CV. If money isn’t an issue, he could look into volunteering still at a place degree/career related?

Kite22 · 04/08/2022 23:44

AlecTrevelyan006 · 04/08/2022 23:16

summer jobs are, generally, a thing of the past. Most employers won't take on anyone for a few weeks, they'll just muddle on with the staff they've got.

Odd, as my dc has had more than one place contacting her asking for her to work.
My other dc's partner (a student) started working in a shop for the Summer
My eldest dc's partner (another student) has been working events in catering (again, not worked there before and didn't know anyone - then after she started, they were asking if she knew anyone else)
There friends are working in pubs, shops and in catering mostly.
A town we visited recently had notices in practically every window looking for Sumer staff.

Lysianthus · 04/08/2022 23:50

ManateeFair · 04/08/2022 22:08

Looking at your post, it’s not really about your son.

It’s getting YOU down
It’s becoming an issue for YOU
YOU feel like he’s wasting his summer
What can YOU do to get him a job

He is an adult. If he wants to get a job he needs to pull his finger out and do something other than filling in online applications on Indeed. He needs to go out into town and ask around, phone up places on spec, sign up with temping agencies etc. And he needs to do that himself, without you getting involved.

When I worked in bars and hotels, every summer parents would come in with their student/teen kids in tow and say “My child is looking for a summer job, do you have anything?” to which the answer would usually be “Not for someone who doesn’t come in here on their own and ask for themselves.” We’d never have employed someone who was clearly being pushed by their mum; we needed people who were keen enough and mature enough to sort things out for themselves.

I went to the end of the thread in case OP had come back, they haven't. You're absolutely right, and I hope this bumps the chat along....

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 05/08/2022 00:31

My DS worked P/T in KFC at University , there was a new branch being build and were advertising .
He had to do a Training Course as no previous customer service/ food experience

courtrai · 05/08/2022 08:16

If he truly can't find work then see if you can find any volunteering options locally; helps to build a CV for future applications

Comefromaway · 05/08/2022 08:29

you see where I love hospitality is on its knees but it’s because they have no customers rather than not enough staff.

Anothernamechangeplease · 05/08/2022 08:31

Yep, as others have said, the problem is that he's applying on indeed.

He needs to go out with copies of his cv and ask who's hiring.

daffodilandtulip · 05/08/2022 08:32

DD16 got a job with McDonald's within weeks of finishing school. Applied direct on their website. The application asked her her preferred shifts so she just ticked random boxes. They replied and asked if she could change those times, she would have an interview. Most of her friends are the same.

Bouledeneige · 05/08/2022 08:42

My DD took a few weeks to get a job. To be fair I think she was a bit half hearted at first - and on about what she didn't want to do. She was reluctant go round the shops with notices in the windows and hand in her CV.

But when she pulled her finger out she got one easily. We are in London and there's a massive shortage in hospitality. She registered on lots of sites and given her past experience - cinema, high end restaurant chain and nightclub she got lots of interest. She's got a really well paid one starting this week.

PinkyFlamingo · 05/08/2022 08:46

Is he setting his sights too high? McDonalds and KFC are always looking for people

GetOffTheRoof · 05/08/2022 10:55

PinkyFlamingo · 05/08/2022 08:46

Is he setting his sights too high? McDonalds and KFC are always looking for people

I'm guessing you've never been through their recruitment or training.... They won't want someone who's only available for six weeks then will shove off back to uni.

Jennywiththeribbon · 05/08/2022 11:06

Has he posted on the local FB group asking for work? Lots of late teens do that on mine. Mostly labouring/gardening/bar work offered

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