Post uni - job doesn't start till Jan 25

[Chasingsquirrels]

Ds has just graduated, did an internship summer 2023 and was offered a FT job along with the rest of the cohort. Was anticipating choice of start dates (as previous cohorts) but they've all been told Jan 2025.
Don't know if the employer is hanging back due to economy, political situation (although dates were announced pre-election announcement, etc), and I suppose this introduces concerns about whether offers may be withdrawn.

He has applied for other jobs, mainly IB which he was going for in the first place, but understandably they are mostly filled with prior year interns.

He doesn't want to take a retail/hospitality type job for a few months (and tbh doesn't NEED the money, which would be a big incentive).

He did a lifeguarding course when he turned 16, and worked throughout Yr 11 & until covid hit in Yr 12, but then it lapsed and he didn't renew.

I've suggested talking to some agencies to see whether temp office work would be an option (although he has no experience, but does have very good computer literacy). I don't know how likely this would be, but agencies would have more idea than me.
He is going to do this.

He also doesn't drive (again covid), and this is going to limit his options. He did take his theory but that has lapsed now. He only had a couple of months of lessons pre-covid but then drove quite a lot with me during the following 6-9m. I've suggested an intensive course to get his licence, and think he would be able to get up to speed reasonably quickly.
He thought this was a good suggestion.
We googled and it looks like it would be a couple of months before he could get on a course, but he is going to look into this further.

He was saying he'd rather look for other finance graduate jobs (probably accountancy training contract) and do that full time for 6m (then leave for his job) than do 2/3 days of retail etc for the sake of doing something. I can see his midset here, but am quite anti the idea from a management viewpoint.

I don't want him sitting round at home for 7m doing "nothing", and he agrees that wouldn't actually be good for him.

Travelling would be ideal, but he isn't interested in doing so.

Any ideas?

Learning to drive would be a good start.

Agreed, and this is high on the agenda. I suggested intensive courses as they have tests included, and that cuts down the wait for a test.
They are quite expensive upfront, but one we looked at was £1,040 for 20 hours over a week, which is £52ph (ds2s instructor was charging £40ph last year, so it isn't way out there).

He only came back home at the weekend, and we had quite a long chat about things last night.

Get a job, any job . Start driving lessons to fit round job and retake theory.

He can't just do nothing. We've all had to work while studying,

Support him driving and working in another finance job then.

He could book himself a holiday between the two jobs.

Would he enjoy working in another part of the country?
Like in a large dairy, or a country accounting firm. Having a change of scenery is often great for broadening the opinion.

He could start a hobby during the six months. Does he have a hobby that he has always wished to pursue - like climbing, digging for artifacts, painting, cycling?

Honestly doing a hospitality job is to be encouraged especially if he is well off - good to see the world from another viewpoint and might help him treat people well in the future. I’d encourage it. Good fun too

He could just not work though until his job offer starts in Jan 2025, that IS an option for him.

• Are temp office jobs where he'd actually be able to be useful likely to be found?
• He isn't at all interested in travelling, nor overly bothered about a holiday.
• No specific hobbies that would need "extra time".

Would others encourage an alternative graduate type finance role knowing he was planning on only doing 6m?

I don't disagree.
He would hate it. When he was lifeguarding they also had to do front desk duties, he did it because he accepted it was part of his job, and I think the interaction was good for him, but it wouldn't be something he chose to do.

What is his reason for not wanting to do a retail / hospitality job? It will get him out of the house, a bit of extra money, give him a chance to socialise so why is he so against the idea? He is unlikely to get a temp office role without experience, and those jobs tend to be mind numbingly boring anyway and no one can be bothered to socialise with the temp.
If he really doesn't need the money then what about volunteering roles?

Wouldn't suggest doing a training contract - if he left after 6 months he would probably be liable to repay fees. Also not fair on someone who does want to training contract.

Encourage him to mix up time off, driving lessons and temping type work. There are lots of agencies that do things like hospitality at weddings and festivals so not a job per se but still earning some cash

Taking a graduate role when he only intends to stay for 6 months would be really unfair to the company and the genuine candidate who would miss out. Also if the Jan 25 company found out they could withdraw his offer!

If it's the sort of grad job I'm imagining he won't be short of cash once he starts. I'd be encouraging him to travel a bit (despite the fact he says he doesnt want to!). It's a golden window of time. Also intensive driving lessons.

If he's not short of cash (lucky lad!) I wouldn't force him to get a job he doesnt want. He's obviously worked well at uni, graduated and (hooray) landed a good grad job. Travel. Definitely. He'll thank you for encouraging him if he does do it!

I wouldn’t encourage him to take a training contract and leave 6 months later, I think that would look bad. It’s also unfair to other candidates who plan to stick it out. I think he needs to get over his public interaction thing, if he wants to be successful he’s going to need to interact with people from different backgrounds.

You can get loads of temp jobs where he will actually be useful. My first job was a temp job that was initially a 3 month contract. That would probably be the best option but he shouldn’t have any snobbery about what is given to him in those 7 months.

I think the best plan is to investigate the driving and get in contact with a number of recruitment agencies, see how that goes amd reconsider depending on the responses.

I posted for other views and ideas, and accept that lots of people are going to suggest things that I've already thought & suggested to him.

I am not discounting retail/hospitality, volunteering, extensive hobbies, travel.
But he isn't interested in these.
He doesn't have expensive needs, and has sufficient funds to meet these.

So while I appreciate these responses, I'll just read and take them on board instead of saying "yes, but..." to them all.

It isnt that he doesnt want to work, i.e. he suggested the FT acct training despite iy only being a stopgap rather than a PT fill in job. He just doesnt see the point in the fill in job.

I don't want to throw in undiagnosed things as a "get-out", but he is probably also on the spectrum somewhere albeit very high functioning and therefore undiagnosed. As am I. So very black and white.

I completely agree on all the points made re a training contract, as an employer I'd be really annoyed if someone did that to us, and it isn't fair to others who really want them.
With apprenticeships nowadays the employer can't clawback fees in the same way (unfortunately!).
Very good point on the potential for the Jan 25 offer to be withdrawn if he started a training role, I hadn't considered that!

I haven't actually suggested volunteering, and he might be open to this. In fact more open to it than to a PT filler job. I'll talk to him about that.

I do agree on the socialisation, different walks of life etc.
His life hasn't been a bed of roses for various other reasons, but definitely falls on the more rather than less privileged side.

It is that type of job, not IB but related - and despite initial disappointment at not getting an IB internship he really enjoyed it once he started, it was the most engaged I've seen him for years.

Personal I completely agree re travel, someone I was talking to about it said buy him a one way ticket to Thailand to start him off.
DS physically shuddered when I relaid that.

You can get loads of temp jobs where he will actually be useful. My first job was a temp job that was initially a 3 month contract. That would probably be the best option but he shouldn’t have any snobbery about what is given to him in those 7 months

It'd be grunt work - filing, scanning, data input - but that's the nature of temp work.

Agreed on the grunt work.
I was talking about his computer skills and he was visibily excited about the thought of detailed spreadsheet work 😂.

My DS did temping work for a while. He wasn't that keen on office admin stuff but he liked the fact that he worked in lots of different places.

What does your son like doing? You've said lots of things he doesn't like but there must be something he's interested in? If he doesn't need the money then volunteering is a really good idea.

And prioritise learning to drive. Unless he lives in a major city with excellent public transport, and is never going to live anywhere else, then its a life skill.

Unfortunately the accountancy training contracts aren't that easy to come by at the moment.

DH owns a small chartered accountancy firm and says they just don't offer training contracts anymore to new graduates as it's very expensive and they just don't have the capacity to spend the time training up staff with no experience. Training contracts with the larger firms are very competitive.

The son of a friend has a first from Exeter in business & management plus a master's in financial analysis and can't find a training contract. They asked us if we could put in a good word with anyone recruiting but we just don't know anyone who is!

DD is an actor who supplements her income by working as a self employed fitness instructor taking classes in gyms. She did an online course which was only a few weeks to get her qualification and has had plenty of work which is pretty well paid and flexible. You mentioned your DS has been a lifeguard so possibly this might be something for him to consider.

If he has a finance grad offer then temping in a finance dept might be useful experience.

Nice to know there's someone who gets excited about spreadsheets (I once had a two week assignment reconciling an account not touched for two years - transferred it to Excel and happily worked away).

OnGoldenPond that's a completely different stance re accy that we are finding as an employer! We are certainly taking post-18 and grads into apprenticeships (post 18 onto AAT then professional quals, grads straight to professional quals). And we struggle to find the right people.
What location is your friend son??

Driving - definitely, he is in agreement.
The Jan 25 job is London, so won't need transport there, but not good public transport here, and it is a life skill that will be useful.

Someone asked what he does like, and this is probably part of the issue.
Hmm; Gaming, tracking the markets, chess.
The lifeguarding was something he decided was better paid than most 16yo jobs, so he did the course and got the job. Not something he did because of a particular love of swimming,

Right, I better get on - but do appreciate the responses and will come back to the thread later.

@Chasingsquirrels that is good to know. What sector are you in? We could only advise on openings in professional audit firms and it may be he is being too narrow in his approach and only looking at that. If there are openings outside of practice for training posts that would be great. He was looking at ACA and ACCA I believe.

He is looking in the London/ Surrey area. If you have any leads we would be eternally grateful!