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 don't know what the answer is. It is very tough for young people right now.

DS graduated last summer. He has a retail job and is on a 16-hour a week contract. He fell on his feet since they were looking for someone with a specific product knowledge that he had (although that wasn't specified in the advert), and mostly because he was competing against 16 year olds who weren't quite as savvy in the interview as he was. Since then he has worked hard, been flexible and willing to do extra hours, proved himself responsible and trustworthy, and has been rewarded with junior management role (again, right place right time). This isn't his long term plan, but it gives him extra skills to add to his CV.

None of that really helps your son. The only suggestion I can make is that he uses every opportunity he can to increase his skill set (although I'm sure he already is). And just to carry on applying for everything he can, regardless of whether it is in the right area or not. It's much less demoralising to apply for jobs when you already have (a paying) one.

A 2:2 from a top-three university is probably better than a 2:1 from many other places surely. And some people have to get 2:2s, even 3rds. A friend’s son actually failed his degree in computer science a couple of years ago and has still been employed since.

Thank you and best wishes to your son for his next move. x

Thank you everyone for your tips and advice, and apologies for the prickliness. I am finding the grinding anxiety of a long job hunt very wearing. The good news is son has just had a recruiter book him in for an interview for a defence manufacturing adjacent role. He has an interview for a grad role tomorrow. Things are brighter today. x

It's always darkest before the dawn, as my son found. Good luck and all best wishes to your fabulous son.

Lots of luck to him 🤞🤞

Good luck for your son OP. I thought I was unlucky graduating just after 2008. These stories are very concerning for today's young people.

How far is he getting into the recruitment process? Is it interview stages where he is failing, or is it earlier in that? This will help highlight if it is a technique issue or just a numbers/competitiveness issue (although someone is still getting the grad jobs, so he does need to work out what they have or what they can demonstrate that he doesn’t).

Has he tried networking in his chosen sector at all?

I’m not in this situation but I do recruit grads. I’d be happy to spend time with a grad wanting to get into my sector if they reached out to me directly, via email/a networking event/mutual contacts/LinkedIn. I’m sure there’s plenty in engineering that would feel the same.

Is he from any sort of typically disadvantaged demographic (socioeconomic/sexuality/race etc). There are charities that can support if he does and that might help him make the right connections.

A lot of grad schemes blind recruit from universities, so wouldn’t know where the 2:2 or 2:1 was from.

Do you need a law degree?

No, they want STEM degrees and will train you. But there will be more exams to take and it’s long process to be qualified.

Yes, that’s fair enough. But other places might care more about the institution and course quality and less about the degree classification.

I also feel concerned that we will lose a lot of these well qualified young people to opportunities available abroad. I live in an ordinary town and two of my neighbours have grown up kids who’ve chosen to live abroad. We have nothing to offer Gen Z. Even if they can get a job, how do they buy a house?

Fingers and toes crossed for your amazing ds. He has come so far, including a late medical diagnosis in his third year. My ds had a late diagnosis of ADHD just before his A level exams, so I understand the frustration with himself of having to fight to manage a condition and the agony of not achieving full potential. I am glad your dh is now diagnosed and being treated. He is a strong chap.

I really hope this interview is his well-deserved lucky break

Best of luck to him. Things are so hard for young people rn.

I know your DS has got aeronautical engineering but has he considered fire engineering as a discipline? It’s a shortage UK wide as there’s just so few of them and so salaries are relatively high. H works in this area and his company would offer to train people if they’re willing to do it (as I understand there’s a conversation from a standard engineering degree). Just a thought as it’s definitely an employees market for that based on H’s experience and I know that’s rare in this difficult job climate.

Sorry to hear this op. I feel sorry for young people nowadays.

I graduated in 2011 and had no idea what to do with life. I didn’t get onto any grad schemes. In the end i got a job in a call centre and worked my way up. I still haven’t used my degree. I don’t know if call centre work is an option for your DS in the meantime?

Some links that may be useful.

https://www.aerosociety.com/careers-education/resources/jobs-board/

https://careers.ba.com/engineering

https://morson-edge.com/industries/aerospace-and-defence/

https://www.jonlee.co.uk/sectors/aerospace-recruitment/

https://www.agencycentral.co.uk/agencysearch/defence/skills/avionics/aerospaceengineer.htm

https://www.aviationjobsearch.com/en-GB/jobs?category_ids%5B%5D=295&role_ids%5B%5D=142&country=United%20Kingdom

https://insideright.co.uk/aerospace-engineering-recruitment/

https://www.blueorigin.com/careers/aerospace-engineering

https://futureengineer.co.uk/expertise/aerospace-engineering-recruitment-agency/

https://jobs.esa.int

That's great hes doing better.
All the very best for his interview coming up.

I don’t know how easy the information is to find but if he’s got a 2:2 from a top university he should try to steer clear of any employers who carry out university blind recruitment. He most likely will not stand out against other candidates.

He needs to think generally want is going to make him stand out from other candidates, as simply having a 2:2 BENG rather than a MENG is not going to be competitive in general for graduate jobs.

I really think a masters could be the best option for him right now, while carrying on with his electrical volunteering and learning to code.

@fiveflames Unfirtunately, many employers won’t look at a 2:2 and the BEng is the lower level of the degree. He’s in the bottom 10% of grads. I’m sorry that this is an inconvenient truth and I’m amazed he’s not coding already to industry standard. Hopefully something comes up but students do need to realise that competition is there for neatly every Engineering role now. Plus at uni, with a 2:2, they almost certainly would not have promoted him to the MEng because usually a strong 2:1 is needed. If he goes abroad it really won’t be easier!

If he hasn’t tried already, it’s worth looking at Raytheon as they seem to be advertising a lots of jobs. Quite a few of my colleagues have ended up working for them.

If he’s willing to try something different, I’d suggest going to Australia and getting some practical engineering experience in mining. It’s still a booming industry with plenty of opportunities

Well then he can stay abroad like a lot of us did? I did for years so did a lot of my friends

I have to agree, when both mine went for graduate job interviews the companies were looking for 2:1 or higher. As for engineering which my dd has a masters in they were encouraged to do that extra year to get the masters rather than just the degree as it would give them a better advantage. Out of 10 people in her uni friendship group all have just gained their masters and all have graduate jobs lined up this year.

I do know aeronautical is much harder to get into but a 2:2 is lower than what most companies want.

It makes you think what is the point in education at all. They make young people do it for years and get into debt. For nothing. It's a bit of a scam.