<p>Obviously, my comments above apply to kids with no major physical or emotional issues. Those issues would ,I’m sure, present more challenges in this current environment.</p>
<p>Boy, can I relate to you ellemenope and Brink - my son was a laid back job hunter this past summer. He ended up getting a job because our neighbor heard about an opening at a local place. My daughter also heard about her job before it was posted. I’m a huge believer in networking. Like someone said, it’s not that someone can get you a job, but some jobs are never posted so knowing about them makes the difference.</p>
<p>With my son it seemed he thought if he went through the motions of applying, that was all he needed to do. No follow up phone calls or in-person inquiries, etc. And on-line applications made everything more laid back.</p>
<p>Yes, the online applications do make everything more laid back–you’ve done your part by merely clicking on the mouse. I read an article in the newspaper about older kids coming back home to live with their parents (and by older, I’m talking about 40+ year olds). The article spotlighted one lady who had lost her job and couldn’t get another one, even after submitting 200+ applications online. HELLO!! Is going out there to find a job in person now passe?</p>
<p>When my son was looking for a summer job I about pulled my hair out. He would look once a week on Craigslist. He also did online apps for several of the chains. I finally told him that driving depended on serious job hunting. I drove him to several areas and had him hit the pavement. He would walk in and ask for an application. He brought them all home and then proceeded to take another week to fill them out. When he returned them he just handed them to the nearest employee. Finally I forced him to ask for the manager. In every case where he actually spoke to someone of authority he was offered a job. All the other apps (at least 20) he never even had a phone call.
On the other hand my 14 yr old understands what it takes. She has had in the past 6 months two jobs. One this summer paid $15 an hour. She heard someone was being fired and immediately contacted the supervisor who my husband knew in passing. She got the job. It was a summer position but she already has a note to herself to call the supervisor in March to let him know she would love to work for him again. Her 2nd job also came by using a connection. Her friend was working at a hair salon doing laundry and clean up. She was going on vacation and the owner of the salon asked her to find a replacement for those 4 days. My D volunteered. After working those 4 days she told the salon owner she would like to be considered for a job during the school yr. She is now working 2 Saturdays a month.
My 14 yr old complains about the pay 8 bucks and doesn’t particularly like the work but I told her that so far she has been lucky. Many 40 yrs old would love to have that job.</p>
<p>Your 14 year old will some day make a million dollars (but how much will she keep?)!</p>
<p>She isn’t keeping much. It goes right into a horse’s mouth.
She has a passion she loves and is willing to work for it.</p>
<p>Sevmom, I don’t quite understand how this applies: “Tell a kid,Yes, you have Sat’s for elite privates but go with a public , or help with the difference.”</p>
<p>FWIW, our ds did attend a public univ., w/ multiple academic scholarships, which is why he now has a tidy sum in his MMA. That’s one bright spot - at least he doesn’t have any student loans to repay. I feel sorry for those students who are facing uncertain job prospects while burdened with debt.</p>
<p>I think that ds is trying to deal with the disappointment, and even depression, over how things have turned out. His life was really turned upside down by the medical crisis and later diagnosis of an unrelated chronic condition. He was pretty isolated for a long time, and I understand that he’s now upset over the prospect of having to leave his friends and move back home. If he had not gone through so much, I’d take a harder line. As things are, I just wish we could afford to do more for him, but we’ve suffered financially like many other people and have huge medical-related bills besides. We can offer ds a free place to live with room to invite his friends for weekend visits. He will need to provide his own health and auto insurance, since we can’t keep him on our policies much longer. </p>
<p>Aside from the issue of where to live, is whether ds can even find a job - any job, not just one in his field. I wonder about long term unemployment, not only for ds but for other recent grads, as well as even longer term underemployment. I am old enough to recall former NASA engineers working in fast food restaurants in FL. Plenty of PhDs had to take min. wage jobs just to provide a roof and food for their families.</p>
<p>Brink, That is my point-your son made up the difference by getting good scholarships. He did his part. I feel badly for parents whose kids feel an entitlement for expensive schools that the family really cannot afford. I feel badly for the kids that think they can take on more debt to go to expensive schools and then are saddled with too much debt when they cannot get a good job in the current market.Best of luck to your son. It sounds like he is going through a rough time.</p>
<p>My DS graduated college in 2006 and spent nine months at home bartending and SAT tutoring to earn some money. He then went to China and taught English there for 1 1/2 years. He returned home mid September and started job hunting in NYC in mid October (great timing, right?). His degree, internships, and limited part time employment during college are in film production and sound design. He has been staying with various friends in NYC and applying for paid jobs and internships ONLY via the Internet. He has had about an interview a week and one or two offers at firms he doesn’t like. Now he is working as a temp for a Chinese bank and is considering another one day/week internship position . However, he refuses to use any of our contacts (they are limited and not necessarily in his area but all these people know other people) for networking purposes. This is very frustrating to us – we are ready to scream and growl. I suppose if he gets desperate he will call our acquaintances.</p>