A restaurant boss has told parents to stop asking him to give their kids jobs.
The hospitality industry is often the first port of call for teenagers looking to get into the world of work, but you won't get a job at one of Joe Franks' places if you don't go about it the right way.
The owner of The Open Jar eateries, in Seaton Carew and Norton in County Durham, said he receives a 'crazy amount' of messages from parents asking if their children can have a job.
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And while he has no doubt that the parents only want the best for their kids, he said such messages are a sure-fire way to ensure their children won't get work at his restaurants.
"If they need their parent to apply for a job, how can they do a shift and speak to 100-plus people?" Joe said.
He added that restaurants need people 'confident enough to go to tables and take orders, with a bubbly personality', but said the advice applies to young people applying for jobs in any sector.
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Instead of sending job requests on behalf of their children, Joe reckons the 'best thing' parents can do for a child who is looking for work is guide them down the old-fashioned route, 'making sure they are well-presented' and encouraging them to go door-to-door seeing managers in person, armed with '100 CVs'.
In a social media post, he said: "I get messages every week from people asking me for a job on behalf of their child.
"I honestly can't stress enough how much that this is the wrong way around, approaching someone for a position in their business."
He continued: "All the hiring in The Open Jar is done by the management on site. So making a right first impression with them is definitely the way to go rather than thinking my dad has the owner on Facebook so therefore that's the easiest route.
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"Also, messaging the page and saying 'R U taken on 16 Yr olds atm' never goes down well.
"If it's blunt, if they can't take five minutes out of the day to make sure a message sounds right then they're not really the person for us."
He went on to say that the in-person approach is better for applicants too.
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He said: "If they're going to hide behind their parents what happens if they have a really busy night or something doesn't go to plan?
"And it's not me that they're working with, it's the manager or supervisor they have to click with, so they're barking up the wrong tree anyway.
"When people come in with the right bubbly personality, well presented, they're the people that always end up with a job. Even if we don't have anything at the time and we ring them back a few months later.
"Also, they should be coming down in person to see if the venue is for them, just as much as the other way round - it's a two-way street."
Topics: Food And Drink, Business
Jake Massey