Son 21 and of work for 8 months. Any in similar situation?

[mumma24]

my son is 21. Has been out of work since he left working nights for a supermarket in December.
working nights has effected his mental health. Hr doesn’t really have many friends. He doesn’t go out now as has no money. He has applied for lots of jobs but nothing. Not even an interview. I feel so sad for him. I have said if he doesn’t find a job soon he should apply for job seekers but he declines and says he’ll get a job soon.
He says he really wants a job. Anyone else’s son in similar situation? What can I do to help him in the right direction other thsn sending him vacancies

Has he tried some temping agencies?

Does he need help applying? Is he not filling in forms in a way that employers want. I was surprised at the complicated process demanded by some employers when my son applied for a job recently.

@Ritasueandbobtoo9 i have offered to help but he says he doesn’t need help.I think most jobs he’s just been sending his CV, I know what you mean though as I’ve just got a job and the process has been challenging

@RappersNeedChapstick no but will have a look thank you

Has he actually applied for 'lots of jobs' and if he has is he submitting properly completed application forms? Is he populating all the text fields or leaving half of them blank? Spelling mistakes? Basic grammar? Have you seen his CV? How does it look? Although many applications are box filling online they often still require you to attach an old school CV. I see lots of applications at work and at least a third of them are dismissed at first pass as they are just really poorly filled out and look like they were completed on the back of the bus with zero thought. If you can't be bothered to spend a little bit of time to properly apply for a job why should I be interested you!

Is he getting out the house? Is he keeping active? Being outside of the discipline of a routine that a job brings can and does affect your mental health and he needs to keep pro active and busy and not mooch around the house all day doing nothing. Is there any temporary / part time work he can apply for while he searches for something more permanent? Pulling pints down the local? Weekend job down a garden centre? Etc? Any courses he can sign up to at the local adult education centre?

Another vote for you to check he’s doing a decent job with his application forms / cover letters.
I occasionally do some hiring and I always look at applicants social media. Sometimes it will stop me offering an interview, might be worth a thought.
Night shifts are a killer, I hope he finds something soon and makes some friends at work.

@TheCadoganArms thank you for your advice. Really appreciated. Yes I’ve checked the CV, that looks good. I would imagine he needs help with applying and making his application stand out. He’s not very academic and would need some support. I will ask again if he needs help with any of them and supporting letters.. He has been going out on his bike for fitness. Was going to the gym and using his car but can’t do either without a job.

What qualifications does he have?
What is he doing with his time? Applying for jobs can be time consuming but is he also doing things like adding new skills to his CV or voluntary work?

@AGodawfulsmallaffair thank you I hope so too. It’s such a waste of young life. He’s a lovely handsome son too. So much he’s missing out on.

I do a lot of hiring and get loads of applications to jobs I post that literally are just a CV attached to an automated application through Indeed, LinkedIn etc. It gives the impression that they’re not particularly interested and just applying for anything available.

The ones that stand out have a tailored cover letter to our business (rather than a generic one) and have given some proper thought to the application and position being offered.

I know exactly how you feel, have a 24 ds who I didn’t think would ever get a permanent position. It’s not as easy as people think to get a job, he might have to accept some help from you.

8 months out of work won't be doing him any favours at that age, unless he can demonstrate that he has been using the time productively, e.g. learning new skills etc.

Can he volunteer somewhere to get some experience and build up his CV?

Can he do some free training while he is looking for a job? It looks better on a CV than not doing anything, and might open up some opportunities that he can't currently go for.

Hope he finds something before September OP, but if not many FE colleges offer free short 6-week courses in all sorts of things, as well as longer courses.

Sympathies OP, yes it's very hard but as time goes on it won't get any better.
In my experience applying for jobs via job boards is a waste of time. Better instead to go on to company websites or via recruiters.
Try temp hospitality/events over the summer/Christmas.
Milk any contacts and aks around.
Has he got a good Linked In profile?
Yes to volunteering/short courses in the meantime.
Good luck!

In my experience applying for jobs via job boards is a waste of time.

Might be regional then. My teen DC has so far got themselves two great jobs through Indeed.

The application process can be quite involved with lots of hoops to jump through even for supermarket or retail jobs. There is an online application, questionnaires and various other forms to get through their application process as well as having a good CV. It is so important to read the job description and company information carefully and match your answers to fit their specific requirements also to match your CV and cover to this. It can be a lengthy process but once you've got the hang of what they are looking for and how to navigate this process it becomes easier.

You also mention that his MH was suffering, has this sorted itself or is he still depressed or low mood still? That may be holding him back. Has he been seen by a doctor?

He should go and sign on. I had to sign on for a few weeks last year ( no shame in signing on ) and I got a lot of help offered, especially help on getting a CV sorted out and advice on how to tailor it for every job. Having a bit of money coming in may help him get out and socialise a bit

Ds is 21 - just graduated and I insisted he signed on for universal credit. He's been given a work coach and he has to meet with her every week, he's applying for loads of jobs - the civil service and they will offer him interview support for this, they are checking up on how many jobs he's been applying for. I feel that as a parent you can be too close to the issue - you need someone else to get involved and monitor progress.

I don't know where you live but if it's somewhere large get him to try and agency like Blue Arrow or other agency that hires more low skilled workers.

Exactly.
Getting a decent job takes effort.
And the effort (or lack of) someone makes in their application gives me an insight into the effort (or lack of) they’ll make in the job if we hire them..

What about something like the princes trust? Can you check if local charities offer work help- our county council do, some libraries do. Signing in for us would access some support and possibly training for him. Would van/ hgv driving appeal? Lots of vacancies.