It's funny - I hear so often about people ranting about how difficult it is to get a job "because of all these bloody immigrants" (usually with a link to the Daily Mail website), and yet here I am having completed two shifts of my new job at time of writing.
I think the difficulty regarding jobs in this economy is less about competition, and more about opportunity. I'm a student - my rent is still currently handled by my parents and as summer approaches I have infinite free time, I'm flexible, and have no rush to get a paycheque. In my situation, there are probably an abundance of different jobs available that I could at least apply for. However if you're looking for a job in a specific field, or with a specific pay grade, that also have to be in a specific location, then I'm not surprised if suddenly the number of options dwindles. And I doubt immigration has much of a registerable effect on that - it's just that places higher up the rungs are harder to get a hold of, and young people have unrealistically high expectations of where to start. I should know, I had those same expectations going back a few years, and I probably bitched about them somewhere back in this webcomic.
ALSO, ADVICE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE CURRENTLY 14-16: Get involved in extracurricular activity and get into some sort of leadership position there. Boys Brigade, Scouts, 5-a-side football, doesn't mater what it is. And if there aren't any extracurricular activities you're interested in, make one. If I can put "I organised games of Humans vs Zombies for between 12-20 players" on my CV - so can you. Find something you love, something that you're good at, and try to work out how to make money off of it. Arts and Crafts Market events have surprisingly low table/space prices and are accepting of many different crafts (as the name suggests). And volunteer when you're on school holidays and stuff. That shit looks great on a CV and'll help you talk your way into your first paying job.
You do make some good points in your essay... but it still isn't easy to get a job. My place advertised for a receptionist a couple of months ago, and had to close the applications early as they'd got more than 100, so competition is still fierce.
I like to think people who keep complaining about not being able to get a job are:
1) Lazy
2) Inapet And/or
3) Think all entry level jobs are below them
You do make some good points in your essay... but it still isn't easy to get a job. My place advertised for a receptionist a couple of months ago, and had to close the applications early as they'd got more than 100, so competition is still fierce.
1) Lazy
2) Inapet And/or
3) Think all entry level jobs are below them