Thread 53 - Covid GCSE Cohort - Happy New Year 2025 to our fab young people

[Delphigirl]

New thread! Looking forward to traversing 2025 with this fantastic group 🎉😘

Yes, I would agree re LinkedIn. Dd has worked hard on making her profile look good and she’s connected with as many clinical psychologists as she can! I think it’s pretty much essential to be on LinkedIn for a lot of jobs. And it’s a good way to make links.

Enjoy Aber @ExpensiveDecoration !

LinkedIn worked for my DS. Because his degree/career choice is very niche, he got in touch with people at his first choice company via LinkedIn last summer about work shadowing opportunities. He spent a couple of days with the company and kept in touch. When grad jobs came up in February, he applied and got offered one of the four jobs.

In World Championship news: It is the final day of competition today. DS is currently 10th. His team mate is 3rd. Team GB are in silver medal position for the team competition.

Yes, he is on Linkedin. Obviously that tip doesn't work for things like probation and social work but he does use it. He doesn't really know what he wants to do but has got to the point where he is applying for any old thing anyway. And still getting rejected.

That's tricky @piggywaspushed, but great that he's persevering - he will get something eventually. Has he approached companies to ask for shadowing or a short internship? That would at least help him figure out what area he wants to work in. A friend's daughter got an (unpaid - thought these were illegal!) internship earlier in the year and it's turned into a permanent job in marketing.

He needs money. He's nearly 24 now. He has a job in Dunelm so couldn't do something else. He just can't get a proper job.

Honestly, what I'd like to see is who the person is who gets the job. I'd like to know what they have done that makes them a better fit for a 25k starter job. I don't think DS is the best candidate and am sure he could get into teaching! But he'd hate it and be bad at it. He has lots of school work experience and this doesn't seem to help.

Of course, I appreciate that. He could perhaps take a week of annual leave and get some shadowing during that time though? It just sounds like he needs some direction in terms of what he really wants to do. Does he have the right sort of skills for office work (Microsoft, Power BI) etc? He could work on adding some extra expertise to his CV?

Maybe he would be best off trying to progress at Dunelm, if the opportunity arises? Then he might have some helpful experience, eg in a supervisory role, which could help his CV stand out.

It almost feels like a game now, where the aim is to create a great CV. I know dd did an online internship a while ago (I think it was only a week), just as something extra for LinkedIn. Has he had any interviews or does he get rejected before that point?

If he's looking at financial roles, then doing some bookkeeping qualification in his own time would certainly help. But I appreciate this is probably the last area he's interested in!

Sorry, I keep thinking of things! I do remember one of my brothers was in this position 20 years ago - he got a 2:2, so I'm not sure if that was the reason, but he was rejected by everyone. In the end he got an entry level office job via an agency - can't remember which one - which eventually led to a permanent contract at an insurance company. He had the opportunity to spend six months 'acting up' as the manager and was also offered the chance to take exams. In the end he left as he realised what he really wanted to do, so he went off to do a different course which led to his current career.

Thank you all for your good luck wishes yesterday, they've offered him the job and have offered to pay for his SQE! I'm so ridiculously happy for him! It's a local solicitors not a big magic circle graduate job, fairly basic pay but only 15 minutes from home so no big travel expenses.

Oh that's amazing @JustHereWithMyPopcorn - massive well done to him! And so soon after graduating! A local firm is perfect when he's going to be working and doing exams too. Better for him to have your support at home - this is what I did for my chartered accountancy training. As soon as I qualified I moved to a big firm!

Do you have a celebration planned?

Woah, way to go @JustHereWithMyPopcorn, huge congratulations to your boy! 👏👏

Brilliant news @JustHereWithMyPopcorn

Congratulations @JustHereWithMyPopcorn That's great news!

Congratulations to your DS @JustHereWithMyPopcorn! Well done him.

Congrats to him.

Thank you all! I’m still slightly stunned by it but I shall not look a gift horse in the mouth! We’ve gone to the pub for a celebratory pint and lunch! 😄

@crazycrofter I also applied to smaller local practices when I finished uni rather than the big London firms. I thought I’d learn more in a smaller place and it suited me more. He still has his long term sights set on London but he’s 21 and just starting so there’s plenty of time for all that.

Congrats to your DS @JustHereWithMyPopcorn . It's a huge deal to get sponsorship! Is that the equivalent of the training contract nowadays?

@sansou thank you. I think so, it’s the solicitors qualifying exam but I don’t really know the ins and outs of what solicitors have to do before qualifying.

Congrats to your DS @JustHereWithMyPopcorn That's a fabulous offer.

Massive congrats to your DS @JustHereWithMyPopcorn !

Brilliant news @JustHereWithMyPopcorn - you should be very proud of him! Great!

Excellent news! Perhaps we manifested it!

Definitely did @Piggywaspushed !

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