<p>D1 graduated high school about 3 weeks ago. After grad/goodbye parties finished up, it has been business as usual with her trying to find a summer job. She has a resume, follows all the social cues and gestures of cordiality, and dresses appropriately when entering each establishment. A few weeks ago she visited over 20 locations in the span of a few days, varying from grocery stores to restaurants to nursing homes and even some local fast food chains. Many of these places have denied her an application in-store (where she could include a resume) and have told her to apply online (where she hasn't been able to distinguish herself). Some have rejected her right on the spot without an application, and a lucky few (2) have instructed her to print out an application and bring it in completed.</p>
<p>Naturally with the pressure of graduation and "facing the real world", she is even more anxious and worried about being unsuccessful yet again (this is her fourth summer submitting over 20 job applications without even being offered an interview). Her stress has been to the point where she wasn't really able to enjoy her last weeks before graduation for fear of having nothing lined up for the summer. It doesn't help that one of her close friends currently works 3 jobs, all of which her parents were able to get for her through connections. Specifically, she is worried that she will be the one bird that never gets the opportunity to spread its wings and fly; that this unemployment will carry on into her college years (rejection from summer internships and on-campus jobs) and she will disappoint us by being an unemployed college graduate. </p>
<p>We do not share her fears (she graduated Cum Laude among many other accomplishments), but we are worried about why her luck has been so poor. We are asking for advice on what she should do, and how we can boost her currently suffering morale.</p>
<p>I know this is a very different economy from when I went to college, but I know in my day, you needed to line up employment months in advance. I generally knew where I was working by spring break. Most of my summer employment was kid related – babysitting, summer camp counselor, dedicated aide for a child with a disability, and people don’t wait until June to make decisions about those kinds of positions.</p>
<p>In future years, I’d also have her look to build connections with potential employers early on. If she’s got businesses she frequents, such as the restaurant where your family goes regularly, or the grocery store you shop at, or the hardware store down the street, or the nursing home where Nana lives, have her ask to speak to a manager when she comes home for her first break from college and say “I’m going to be looking for a job when I come home this summer, do you think you’ll be hiring? What’s the best time and way to apply?” Then ask for an email so you can send them a heads up “Hey, I don’t know if you remember me . . . I just wanted to let you know that I’ve submitted my online app, here’s a copy of my resume.”</p>
<p>My S (just finished freshman year college) is in his second summer working for a friend of mine who manages many large apt complexes. He works for a good pay and works his butt off rain or shine outside doing yard maintanance. My husband hired a recently graduated HS sr. to do our spring cleanup and work with our 12yo D on basketball skills. This young man sent out an email to every adult he knew asking for a job. My H needed some help with yard work and this kid was looking for work. This young man finally got an 8 week gig working in the town run summer camp. My take from this is: contact your friends, your relatives, any adult you know and see if they can help your D. My S applied to many jobs that teenagers typically fill. He never received a call back from any of them. I think you have to be referred by friends already working at these places. </p>
<p>I would have preferred my S found his own job but in this economy jobs are tough to find. He got his job last summer because of my contacts but that’s life isn’t it? He wasn’t about to turn down 40 hours per week of work the anytime he was home from school because he hadn’t found the job on his own. You never know who might have an “in” somewhere. </p>
<p>It is late to be looking for summer jobs, but nanny/babysitting jobs may still be available. Especially if she has a car. Check craigs list. It isn’t your D, it is the economy. Many kids can’t find work. Good luck.</p>