Son desperately looking for employment

[YourPoisedWriter]

Why aren't employers giving younger generations a chance. My son is 20, he studied I.T and media studies at college, he is desperately seeking any employment, but every interview he has, always ends in knock backs, he either has no experience or isn't successful this time.

He always dresses smartly with a shirt, tie and trousers and always arrives early to interviews, he's polite and helpful, and is keen to learn new skills, it's just so frustrating, it's making him feel really low. I feel terribly sad for the younger generation, why aren't the job centres helping them?

GCSEs? A Levels?

How long ago did he leave college and with what qualification?

What kind of position is he going for?

My Cousin is having similar issues. He attends the Job center, and all they do is check his journal, to make sure he is applying for jobs, and that is basically it, untill the next appointment. I thought that the Job center was supposed to offer help, to actually gain employment. From what he has told me, he is virtually on his own, whilst job seeking.

How many jobs has he applied for OP? Does he tailor a new covering letter for each one? Has he had his cv looked at by a recruitment consultant? He needs to pester the job centre for help, or talk to a local recruitment consultant.

Has he loaded his CV onto Total Jobs and Indeed? Set up his profile on LinkedIn? Researched companies in his area that he would like to work for, and why?

It really is a numbers game. Last time I was looking for a new role, it took 40 applications, and I have a lot of years experience, although jobs at my level are fewer.

What GCSEs and A'levels does he have? What area or county are you in?
I've just googled IT apprenticeships in my area (Thames Valley) and come up with 66 jobs available now.

My son has just got a permanent job, it's taken 2 years since finishing his BTEC. A couple of things that helped him get temp work: doing a job centre short course with a guaranteed interview, which led to a few months work. Also once he had his own transport, the job centre linked him up with a warehouse agency which was another few months. These help fill the CV gap. I would continue applying for anything and everything, even seasonal work can show reliability and a good work ethic. It is very hard.

It sounds as if his interview technique might be the issue. Are there any career advisors he can use at his college?

Does he have any kind of work experience ? Volunteering?

Maybe he could do some volunteering work to get some experience?? Its helped my son with his confidence too

Totally understand. My son is currently doing agency work while he looks for something permanent. He’s enjoying the temping and it’s something to go on his CV so perhaps this is something your son would consider. It’s all vital work experience. Lots of his friends are struggling to find work, I feel sorry for them.

Entry level jobs are hard to find.

If he is getting interviews then it seems employers are giving him a chance but he is not acing the interview.

Interviews are a skill and I was rubbish at that age. Make sure he has really researched the role and the company, make sure he has good questions to ask that shows he understands and that he is giving good answers about why he would be suitable for that particular job, not just that he wants a job!

I know it’s not the area he is looking for but the job center used to find the door safe badge course
and once you have that you can do security work / door work

there is always lots of security / door work available and it’s a useful badge to have as even in a regular full time job you can pick up extra shifts doing the odd door / security work

also look at local business like the council water electric companies
they tend to recruit a few times a year
decent starting salary wfh options and are often full time positions not contracts

its much easier to get a job when you have a job

He left college two years ago, he has been volunteering as a data destruction technician at a computer refurbishment agency. He has these grades.

GSCE/9DA Combined Sci: Trilogy Tier H = Grade 54
● GCSE/9FC English Language = Grade 4
● GCSE/9FC English Literature Option P = Grade 3
● GCSE/9FC History A Option AR = Grade 4
● GCSE/9FC Mathematics = Grade 4
● GCSE/9FC Religious Studies A Option BA = Grade 6
● GCSE/9FC Computer Science = Grade 3
● NQF/L2 RSL Level 2 Certificate in Technology and Composite = Merit 6.25
I studied at Eastleigh College for Creative Media Production and Technology for 2
years.
I completed a course at JBC on how to learn to be a 1st Line support technician that
was around 8 weeks in duration.

So he’s got low GCSE grades and (it looks like) no level 3 qualifications? Saying he studied IT and media at college implies he gained an employable qualification in them, but from your last post, that doesn’t appear to be the case? A L2 in IT isn’t enough to get a job in it. Can he go on to further study in level 3 IT eg BTEC? Or an apprenticeship?

He just needs to keep going, he'll get his chance. If he's getting interviews he's doing well, he just needs feedback on how to give the best answers

Just realised the L2 isn’t IT, it’s some sort of DT. He needs to consider getting some proper qualifications OP, work on that to give him some options. Or find an employer like McDonalds who will train him up if he’s helpful and able to learn the processes.

That's exactly the same for my son, years ago the job centre would arrange an interview for you and in most cases you would be employed right away. He's doing some volunteering at the moment, he's tried agencies but they always recommend jobs that are miles away, he doesn't drive, so he relies on trains and buses. My husband and myself both work long hours, so we can't chauffeur him about.

I second this. Although I have a full time job I supplement my income doing this type of work. Don't panic, no one is made to stand on the door of a rough pub. Most of the work I do is crowd safety at concerts and sports events.

Thank you for your response, my son is volunteering as a data destruction technician at a computer refurbishment agency at the moment, he's is hoping they will offer him employment.

Is he only looking for IT work? What about the Leisure centre? They’re always looking for people. Or the bowling alley, or Flipout?

As he’s getting interviews, it suggests that he’s applying for the right level for his qualifications, but something is going wrong in the interview. Mind, it’s shit of them to waste his time interviewing him, then tell him no as he has no experience, surely they can see that from his cv?

I studied at Eastleigh College for Creative Media Production and Technology for 2 years.

He needs to specify what this course was because it reads as though he went to college and failed his exams

This might sound harsh, but I think young adults that generally do well in life, don’t necessarily get going by doing what your son is doing. Instead they proactively get involved with things to boost their prospects, network with their contacts (including family contacts) which helps them secure opportunities/referrals/be more employable. Can you put him in touch with people in your network or any roles with your employer? Everyone needs IT services.

for me personally I’m also in my 20s, I got my first long-stint job from getting along with the hiring manager before applying. I knew from our first conversation that I’d get the job, because of how well we got on. Plus I fit the brand aesthetic/culture and was genuinely so enthusiastic about working there.

I also managed to secure a retail job at university and I think part of that was because I had a relevant hobby/side gig that I added on my CV and added some juicy points that appealed.

After these 2 jobs and graduating, I just applied for jobs that made sense for my career and secured them. I tailor my applications to the role & usually get interviews. I never had to do the whole “apply for 100s of jobs with a generic CV thing”, precisely because of what you have experienced.

This.

Experience.

There should be support available locally - you'd think the job centre would have a clue.

@Northquit the job centre were pretty much useless. My son used to get panic attacks if he had to attend due to undiagnosed mental health problems. Now he's at college doing level 2 mechanical engineering, and volunteering 2 or 3 days a week at a local heritage railway. He's loving life, all thanks finally got a GP who understood his problems and got him some help.

I don’t mean to be rude but those results are pretty poor. I think he should be taking any job he can get, getting work experience and then working his way up. Competition is fierce now.