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

Can't find work or can't find a job she likes in the field she did her degree in?

I graduated 20 years ago and spent nearly 2 years working behind a bar before I found the job I was looking for. Others I know ended up with good careers but doing completely different things to what they were initially looking for.

If she can't find a job at all, then that's a different issue.

Has she tried hospitality? They'll be hiring for Easter/Summer soon. Worth trying hotels, many have accommodation on site and will snap up a graduate especially one with a second language (I assume she speaks Spanish). It doesn't have to be forever, she can continue to look for other work. Hotel work is usually shift work so she would get time to attend interviews.

We have just taken on a graduate who was in a similar position (excellent degree and CV but no luck in the job market) and we have him on a career plan to transition into a role in another business which is more relevant to his degree. Just being out there networking can lead to other opportunities.

When I graduated I took agency jobs, temp jobs. Anything to gain real-time work experience in my field. Took about 3 years to secure permanent role

Internships are a great idea to take on board during Uni vacations.
Volunteering is also a worthwhile thing to have on your CV.
A good variety that represents the person that you are.

A part time job at a supermarket during Uni doesn’t really tell me much about you. Whereas a 10k run for Cancer research speaks volumes.

It’s a very tough job market out there for graduates. My DS is in the same boat.

The original comment was made in respect of getting jobs during A levels. Made to our sixth form by an "expert".

I don't know what field she's in but can she go to any graduate networking events? I graduated in a creative industry field and I got my first two job opportunities from networking at industry events and meeting people who ended up mentoring me. Xx (That was 20 years ago though so things may have changed)

Editing to add that I also worked any old job through agency work and applying for stuff at the job centre (admin, customer service, retail, reception, catering) in the meantime till I got my first break so that I didn't feel idle and my CV didn't have massive gaps. Might give her a boost to get something even if its just part time, to put some cash in her pocket whilst she's looking. Xx

My career didn't really get off the ground till I was 25, so took me a few false starts (and a little bit of retraining as the bottom fell out of my very specialised industry as I graduated) she will get there in the end, but it's bloody hard to get your foot in the door in some sectors. Xx

I’d look at interests including activities they take part in whether that’s a local football club, string quartet or birdwatching. Anything they do regularly for the love of it
Cut the numbers down then assess personality based on a short zoom interview.
You can tell what a persons like in less than 10 minutes if the numbers are so huge.

https://www.charityjob.co.uk/

support & professional roles in higher education

The op says what course she did

Just came on here to say Im sorry @Bluelagoon02 and I can relate.
I hope your DD can maybe get a pub/ summer job? Pls reassure her that the work market is very tough at the moment. volunteering, helping neighbours, temping, going to gym - anything that gives her week and then individual days a structure is important. Maybe if you’re working, she can do jobs around the home to help you? Even some further classes in something - either physical or vocational or academic could help.
getting a structure to her week so she doesn’t slip into a depression is the main thing. I really hope things improve for her soon x

Agree.
Mine were given the same advice although tbh they couldn’t work whilst at school anyway.
2 of mine worked during degrees ( still ongoing ) but one is doing medicine and it’s not possible.

My eldest is now doing a Masters at St Andrews and there’s no part time work available.
One size doesn’t fit all and employers do, or should, appreciate this. If they don’t I think the employers are missing out.

Agree she needs ANY job to boost confidence and independence. She can find joy in most jobs with right attitude.

As an ex volunteer manager, being unsuccessful at getting volunteer work is quite unusual. What happened there?

I agree. I have two nieces who did medicine. Neither worked whilst studying. Both qualified and working now. It isn't one size fits all with employment either in my view. Different employers look for different attributes.

Agree with temp agencies and any work is better than none. When I graduated I temped for well over a year (admin type stuff), that gave me good office skills and that experience got me a job in a bigger company with more prospects. It probably took me 3 years to secure a graduate-type role that I properly used my degree for!

My son was refused volunteering at a Wildlife and Conservation charity open to the public in Kent.
He was turned down because of lack of experience with animals. He had just qualified with a degree in Zoology.

He got accepted elsewhere but it does happen.

There are always jobs, however shitty they might be. I worked cleaning a mental health unit at a secure hospital as a student. It was dire and terrifying (not intended as a slur on those in the place, but security was not optimal and I genuinely felt unsafe at times). You do what you have to do. You can’t be picky.

I haven't read the full thread so apologies if already suggested but her university careers department will be able to offer her some support. They can help her tailor her CV to certain positions and also summarise this past "gap year" to make it sound like decompressing and engaging in passion projects/supporting family has been part of her plan amd now she's ready to enter the world of work.

Good luck, it's tough out there but with some support and guidance I'm sure your DD will find something.

I did the same during the Uni holidays at Shenley in the late 80s. It was scarey and I’m glad they don’t exist anymore…but that’s another thread.

Not just that. If I hired, I would not care a jot about part-time jobs whilst at uni. I would care about how well they studied at university. If you study really properly and are doing a real degree, you can't also work part-time in a non-related sphere, it is just time-wasting. It detracts massively from your commitment to studies. Why do you need a part-time job when a student to 'demonstrate commitment'? Is your studying for a degree properly not enough of a commitment? A commitment for me would be the amount of extra-curricular reading a person did in addition to the set studies, a few of publications on the subject, even in a minor student journal, even co-authoring, the amount of subject-related conferences and participation in them, not serving in a bar. And I would be interested in targeted degree choice - if you want to become a X..., you should have studied a strictly X-related subject, not 'German with business'. For me, it is either German or business, because if you really want to become a professional at something, you can't do both, you have to choose.

OP, you’re being a great support to your daughter. For her to have her mum worry and find out advice with an open mind is really lovely to read.

Networks and working in fields not related to the industry is a way through the door. There are many in the same boat (we all have our ‘how we ended up in our career’ stories - mine is like many on here too so I won’t bother repeating the same type of story!).

I feel a guidance or career councillor is a good consideration too.

I'm not sure this is helpful!! It's a bit 'Pretty Woman'

İs she only applying for graduate jobs or any job? İt would be good to get anything she can right now as it would get her out of the house, doing something and meeting people. I worked in a department store after uni and my boss there told me about an ad she'd seen for a journalism job. I got it and never looked back. You never know who you might meet but it's never going to happen staying at home.

I get the worry. My son graduated last July also and has only just secured a grad job for which he had 3 tough interviews. He was getting quite despondent.

He’s been doing bar work, casual work and volunteering in the interim. (It’s easy to get bar work.) It’s important to show you’ve been doing something. He actually loved the bar work so much, I was worried he was going to settle for that!