Spporting graduates struggling with unemployment and rejection?

[anotherglass]

Son (22) graudated last summer with engineering degree. Since then he has been applied for 100+ jobs, had interviews, but never got the job. He volunteers part-time in a charity store and works for a sustainability charity. He is learning another language, and playing in a band. In spite of this, he is steadily becoming demotivated and demoralised by the constant rejection.
Parents of l-t unemployed young adults, how do you deal with this?

I came to the thread because my DD is a sporting graduate (sports science) just graduated. Needs a grad job while doing her Masters next year.

I'd suggest your son looks at non-grad jobs, which is far better than unemployment. Essentially he just needs "a job", to put on his CV, show his work ethic etc. It does not need to be the "right job".

Weird. What makes you think the OP’s son hasn’t been applying for “non-grad” jobs? He actually does have a job and is employed.

Blimey 😳

I was just trying to give a helpful answer. That'll teach me...

We are a year on into this caper. You are very naive to think we haven't been exploring non grad jobs for some time.

i haven’t got to the point you’re at and I can imagine it is demoralising.

You might get some better advice in the Parents of Higher Education section or even Higher Education.

Has he reached out to the Career Service at his Uni yet and has he had someone to go over his CV and interview technique with him?

Sorry I didn’t mean better advice.

What I meant was advice from Emgineers.

There are a few on MN so you might want to ask MNHQ to add engineering to your thread title to see if you can get the attention of any of them

and to think you can just stroll into a non grad job. The market is so bloody brutal for grads getting rejected from retail / hospitality as they are seen as a flight risk ( will leave as soon as get a f-t job) and who might lack experience in that particular sector. I don't think ppl really get just how brutal the jobs market is right now.

We have had advice. But after so many rejections and a year out it is starting to get so much tougher to motivate to apply. I am about to suggest giving up job search for mental health.

Is your Ds a student member of his branch of engineering professional body- Imeche for example.
grad schemes are extremely competitive and have v challenging selection processes. Has he looked at agencies who work with engineering companies?

Does he have skills in coding languages etc?
Are there local engineering companies he could approach for work shadowing/ work experience?
Has he used the uni careers service?
is he active/ visible on LinkedIn? Are his skills showcased? Has he sought help with his cv?

Perhaps a little break from applying with a date when he’ll start again?

Can I ask what work experience he had during his degree? I know Engineering degrees are pretty full on so lots of students don’t work during term time but does he have any experience during the holidays?

Even in my day, it was about the non-grad jobs. Maybe not so easy now but I remember we all worked for a temp agency and were in it together, taking time off for interviews and eventually after a year we all found decent jobs.

So yeah focus on ANY job. Even if it’s not office based it could be working at the local supermarket or restaurant. Better for mental health to be in work. Also, cast the net wide and be prepared to relocate for work.

Would he consider an apprenticeship if he hasn't thought about that route? It may seem at face value a backwards step but it really isnt.
Not quite the same but my ds gave up a well paid job to take an apprenticeship and it paid dividends for him.

This misses the point entirely. These sorts of jobs are also vv difficult to get. And dont necc lead to better roles.
I hear you OP. I have no real advice, because the jobs market is awful. Keeping motivation is so tough esp as they dont even get rejections, just silence. Awful.

Excuse me if you have already done this. I remember in my daughter’s uni holidays, she did temporary jobs with a local employment agency. They mostly offered her permanent employment - she didn’t take the offers, but in your situation definitely would. One was at the MOD.
what was his engineering degree in and did he get a high grade?

FFS he is volunteering at two places already. Applied for two jobs 100s of miles from where we live. Sick of putting applications in for retail jobs and hearing nothing. Honestly, this gets a bit much after rejection after rejection.

With all due respect, an apprenticehip afer 4 years of a uni degree is a huge stepdown, financially and morally. I can't imagine that life is too good for geunine non degree candidates if they are competiting against degree holders. I honestly despair at the state of the jobs market ATM.

The few young people I know in this situation, and it is dire at the moment I agree, have gone to Australia (usual bar work/travel) or teaching English abroad. Just for a year or two till things improve here. Takes the pressure off.

An apprenticeship isn’t a huge step down if it means you’re no longer unemployed. It’s a step up. What sort of engineering is it?

Ive seen people post ads on Facebook for work experience in the field. Have you tried that?

A gap yr is a good shout, but most people save up a bit first. Don’t forget the gig economy- pet sitting, cleaning, delivery driver and so on.

I really think people shouldn't reply to threads like this unless they are in the same situation. Talking about what we did back in the day, or what our own kids did even a few years ago means fuck all now. The op and her son are dealing with the here and now and its fucking brutal. Those wee pissy jobs grads would have looked down on back in the day? Well grads dont even get an interview now, or they dont hear back from an interview...we are talking minimum wage dead end jobs being bloody hard to get now, never mind something decent where they might use their degree for.

and grads jobs are like gold dust. The proverbial needle in a haystack.

its just beyond demoralising.

Is he applying for jobs abroad?

@anotherglass
With all due respect back at you, your son isnt doing anything at the moment so an apprenticeship would at least have him earning, getting hands on skills something on his cv and keeping him usefully occupied and a chance of a full time position after the apprenticeship.

I understand it feels frustrating, but viewing a modern apprenticeship as a 'step down' is simply outdated. The job market has changed. Right now, thousands of graduates are competing for Level 6 and 7 Higher Apprenticeships with companies like Deloitte, the BBC, and Rolls-Royce.
They do this because these roles pay full professional salaries, fund master’s-level qualifications, and offer guaranteed career progression. It isn't a step down from a degree; it is a fast-track into corporate careers that standard graduate applications are currently blocking.

A degree without experience is just a piece of paper in this market. An apprenticeship provides the exact currency employers are actually looking for: practical skills and commercial experience.

How bad is this market when you go from degree to appreneticeship to get a start. Seriously. I am not putting shade on apprenticeships but this is hugely demoralising and after 4 years at Uni the grad wants to start earning a grad wage.

If you’re on Facebook it might be worth joining WIWIKAU group. A similar question was asked on there recently and I seem to remember there were lots of useful replies. It is tough out there, my DS graduated last year. It

@anotherglass Has he looked into any graduate jobs with the university he did his degree for? My husband (mature student different subject) graduated in 2024 and was getting nowhere on any grad scheme applications before getting a year long graduate scheme placement back at his old university 6 months or so after graduating. It wasn't his intended path or relevant to his degree but he loved the work and has now changed his path to work in Higher Education. I think graduates remain eligible for two years after graduation from memory.

I'm sorry but you don't seem to have a clue about the state of the job market. Degree Apprenceticeships are harder to get than a place at Oxbridge. Every man and his dog is going for it.
The problem is apprenticeships are becoming more popular cos they are subsidised so grad jobs are suffering.
Son is volunteering at a retail charity and also sustainability group fixing people's broken electrical goods for free. He is learning a second language, plays in a jazz band and teachin himself coding. Not exacly sitting on backside being idle, yet not enough to get a grad job.