New graduate daughter can’t find work

[Bluelagoon02]

This is my first post so please be kind to me. I’m writing about my daughter who graduated last July (2024). Although she managed to get some interviews she hasn’t been able to secure anything yet. Her moods are quiet low and she also lost touch with most of her Uni friends. I’m seriously concerned for her physical and mental wellbeing. She was always very shy but Uni life really helped her develop. She was totally transformed and happy too. She also lived in Spain for a whole year which was part of her Uni business course. This is so frustrating but I can’t get upset with her. She has been looking for anything and keeps receiving rejection after rejection. It’s so heartbreaking to see her so sad and alone in her room all the time. I also looked for jobs for her but she does prefer to keep looking herself. She also applied for volunteering work with no success. I am very scared to lose her if something doesn’t come up soon. Any advice is truly appreciated. Thank you

I second the advice to get her teaching certificate. MFL teachers are in short supply.

She should volunteer - charity shop, food bank, anywhere.

She could apply for Camp America for the short term.

Would she be interested in airline steward work?

Graduate entry to the police (DHEP)?
The DHEP programme is a 2-year on the job entry pathway for graduates. Does she have any finance modules? She might find herself in a specialized unit with her business and language background.

Court interpreter? Hospital interpreter?

Could she get some translation work? Suggest she tries contacting book publishers. Maybe approach museums for volunteering shifts? The Tate is always looking for people. It really helps to have stuff on your CV. I suggest composing a covering letter and emailing it to anywhere she thinks she might like to work or volunteer. Don’t wait for adverts. Also look on company websites under job vacancies. Apologies if she’s already tried all this. And remind her that many successful people had to suffer years of rejection before hitting the big time.

Do you mind if we ask what uni or type of uni?

Henley Business School at Reading University. It is considered a very good one worldwide.

I know she’s been to university so will be keen to get into her preferred field but honesty everyone has been to uni these days so it’s REALLY hard. I’d recommend trying to get any job in a business that has a good marketing department. A role in admin or the call centre and then when she is in, ask for experience with the marketing team and start building connections. I’ve genuinely never known anyone to not be able to get ANY job (very surprised she couldn’t get a christmas temp job especially as a recent graduate who could offer any hours with no college/uni to work around) at all but understand the struggle of getting the job she might want.

Please ask your daughter to apply for this

https://apply.workable.com/mumsnet/j/2BBA19CC7C/

A job at Mumsnet!

I was in a similar situation when I finished uni. I felt my mental health get worse by the day, so after a few months of looking for the job I was I took a job in a petrol station. It helped improve my mental health loads and my confidence grew which helped me in interviews for other jobs.

I’ve been that unemployed Daughter! I can remember how hard it was and how many interviews I did and how many times I got rejected! I was also looking for work during a recession too, so when I did eventually get a job, it was underpaid and only on temporary contracts! It’s soul destroying and can make you feel so worthless!

It’s good that she is looking to volunteering, that can bridge the gap between now and finding employment, plus, looks good on the CV and gives her potential contacts, a reference. or even lead to a job somewhere down the line!

Another thing she can do, which I think a previous post has mentioned, is to join an Agency, temporarily work in the meantime that gives her experience, pay and again, potential contacts for future employment. That’s what I did, I did both and it became useful for me in the long run helped me gain new skills and got a brilliant reference from a volunteer post that I would not have got from my employer!

It sounds so cliche but she just has to be patient, hold on and not settle for just any job, (unless it’s temporary, or for funds in the time being).

Please tell her she WILL get there soon!

well wisher

Paid hotel internship on Spanish coast 2025

https://www.goabroad.com/providers/sws-group/programs/paid-hotel-internships-spanish-coast-191945

https://www.hosco.com/en/internships/in/france

Has she considered accountancy with her degree? Many firms have more than one graduate intake these days. There’s a lot of competition for training places at the Big 4 firms in London, but Hertfordshire is less competitive to get into, especially at the smaller firms. I trained in St Albans. Definitely worth a look. Happy to talk to your DD about the accountancy profession if she’s interested.

Send her CV to Companies that have the option to send your CV if you wish to work for them.

Or consider a Graduate Scheme in one of the larger Companies.

Lots of great advice here regarding jobs, apprenticeships and voluntary work. On another note I would fully support her, spend time with her and reassure her. She may feel she's bit contributing financially and may feel burden of this but try to let her know you're going to help her through this journey and nothing matters more than her in the family. Spend time with her and talk to her don't let her isolate herself in her room

I agree, I have a PhD entry level job, but my first job was working part time for a supermarket while doing my GCSE's, I've always worked at least in summer breaks , at Uni for my degree, part time when I did my masters, I taught undergrads during my PhD (Although I don't teach now)

I think working , especially in really shit jobs is character building. I knew so many grads who only applied for grad scheme jobs and wondered why they didn't have a job, every grad should work from day one, bar work, flipping burgers , whatever WHILE they hunt for their dream job.

I just wanted to add some solidarity and a message of hope. ❤️

Both my daughters struggled to get any work experience. Covid didn't help as it caused them both mental health issues through isolation. The job search was soul destroying.

Your daughter will be feeling like shit, so I applaud you coming on here for ideas to support her. Even a bit of light coaching can be helpful. Not warm words, but providing her with someone to talk through her strategies and day to day experiences. And trust her and believes that she is doing everything she can. My daughter literally trued everything. In the end the only thing she could get was a job as a self employed cleaner where the clients were evil and weird bullies, but for a while it did her good just to finally get a job, any job. To be recognised a usrful human.

I saw her despair, I saw her agony and rejection.

I would add that she needs other stuff in her life too as a respite from the gruelling grind of the search. Be her friend for a while. For example I used to find all kinds of reasons to get her out of the house. I'd ask her to come to the shops with me, on days out shopping or to art galleries. I'd encourage her to get put of the house, even by herself. Even errands are better than nothing.

Setting up a hobby or interest or small "side hustle" type business might keep her interested in life. Even a social media account, or local community social events might turn up unexpected opportunities.

Emphasise that life success is incremental. It doesn't happen overnight. My most successful sibling spent six months in a cluttered room in my parents house after a loss of job and loss of life partner. He was a shell of a human, barely spoke. All so worried. He did a fitness drive, an iron man and then was reborn into a poorly paid local job in a startup. Had no relationship for seven years. We thought he would grieve forever.

Ten years later, the startup did well, he's a named person in his industry with a big house, a wife and a new baby son.

These are frustrating, impatient years. But they are when you earn your drive and gratitude which will fire you up and keep you hungry for the rest of your life! I hope.

I wish you both well. Xxxx

Has your daughter ever considered the armed forces?
Although my daughter is not in the same boat (pardon the pun), she decided after A level not to go to Uni. She is now doing basic training in the Royal Navy aiming to join Fleet Air Arm as an aircraft handler. In between she worked in a pub

I explained best I could that she tried virtually everywhere. She was hoping to find a Xmas temp job to keep her busy. She is not fussy - she is fully aware that her dream isn’t going to happen just yet.

I appreciate the thought however that would not be her. As it happens we discussed this yesterday. Thanks anyway.

First of all please accept my apologises it has been hard to reply to each one of you. Gosh you sound just lovely though - thank you so much for understanding how dreadful this is not just for her but us too as we witness our daughter falling so deeply into depression. Have your daughters graduated too ? I keep saying that this is just a moment. It’ll soon pass but I also have doubts.

Like you I try to motivate and distract her from the solid job search. Occasionally we can still laugh but I am scared. You can really see she lost her self esteem and motivation 💔 Anyway thanks again Xx

Thank you so much for your kind words ❤️

Does she like animals? Has she ever done any petsitting? She could sign up with a service like Rover or Cat In A Flat. She'll need some reviews/recommendations - she could ask e.g. a friend or family member whose cat/dog she's previously looked after.

It's very ad-hoc but it's a bit of income.

There’s either something wrong with her CV/applications or her interview skills. Get her to use her university careers service - they will have options there to help grads for a few years after they leave. I’m genuinely not trying to be negative or dispute what you’re saying but to be a year in from graduating and not even be able to secure a part time retail job is very unusual.

@Bluelagoon02 it is really difficult out there at the moment. Dd graduated the year before and it was hard for her. She applied for volunteering and cleaning jobs with no luck. She eventually got a job in spring.

What I would suggest is to contact her university careers service - they are helpful. Ask them to look through her cv. Also remember she will require a tailored cv for different jobs.

Approach local schools and volunteer as a classroom. assistant.

dd volunteered with asylum seekers. Your dd’s language skills could be useful here.

do-it.org is useful for volunteering opportunities
Sign up for prospects.ac.uk too.

I would cast the net wider. The first job isn’t going to be perfect, it’s the one or two after that. Even check out apprenticeships.

Also I’ve heard of graduates applying for 80 plus jobs. And it is hard.

It’s not unusual. It is v competitive out there atm for graduates and young people starting out.