Young Person Required?

Has anybody in the UK any ideas

[curlykarl]

Hi all

I wonder if someone can help me out with a little bit of advice.

I am in need of some assistance but there is not, as yet, enough work to justify employing someone on a full time basis, I am toying with the idea of getting a young person to help me out.

My idea is that I might be able to get one who is interested in learning about E-Commerce, SEO ETC and send them to a tech college two or three days a week, and the rest of the time spent working alongside me.

Has anyone had any experience of this?

Do you think it is a good or bad idea?

I personally think it would be an ideal opening for someone who is intersted in making a career around the internet.

Thanks

Karl

[limbo]

Hi Karl
How young?

The offer would get snapped up in an instant by 3 or 4 people working here (including myself), that's for sure. I have to say you might have just opened a can of worms . You might find lots of budding young SEO's writing to you asking for the chance to work and reciceve training in this field ;)

Good luck

[edited by: limbo at 2:25 pm (utc) on April 30, 2003]

[ncsuk]

I worked for a company like that 3-4 years ago. It was quite good in a way because you tend to pick things up quite quickly and you know what young people are like (dont like the same thing all the time) and so it gives them the opportunity to enjoy what they are doing and not make it repetative.

Problem is usually you have to pay for them to goto college or at least pay them for the time they are at college and so you have to think if it is worth it for not having them in the office while you are paying them. If it is a "young person" however you may get away with paying them less when they first start working for you.

All things considered there is no real yes or no answer. I am by no means an expert as I have never hired anyone in that capacity so I only know from the staff point of view.

[curlykarl]

"How young?"

I was thinking of 16-18 years of age, I dont want to sound like I am trying to exploit them, but it would be nice to take advantage of the low wages that you pay a young person.

"Young people dont like the same thing all the time"

I totally agree, I am exactly the same at 30 odd years old.

It would be answering emails, learning about the industry I am in, packing parcels (I run a mail order company), answering the phone, endless boring spreadsheets, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, downloading orders, updating databases, quite varied really.

Thanks

Karl

[ncsuk]

As long as it varies then you would probably be okay as far as the bordum facter goes. You just have to make sure that the person doing the job has a "genuine" interest in the mail order market (or something similar) and wants to learn more about IT.

Another thing you could do is try to find someone who is already in college and offer them a admin role or something on a day off college or a weekend so they can do some extra studies / curricular activities which will benefit you and them in the long run. Perhaps when they finish college you can offer them a full time job (unless they goto uni).

Endless possibilities, endless problems...

[ritualcoffee]

I would suggest getting in touch with local high school or tech school guidance councelors with your idea.

I remember several local businesses doing the same at my old high school - seemed to work really well. The guidance c. were happy to start a sort of intern/co-op program.

[curlykarl]

Thanks Guys

Food for thought :)

Karl

[TheWebographer]

Yes, but you may just pay for their college and on the job training and then they leave you - with half your clients!

[ncsuk]

That would of been my next comment

[limbo]

Isn't that risk when hiring anyone? to do any job? of any age?

treat the employee well and offer them a development program and they will have no need to take all they can and run.

[ncsuk]

There is always a risk element in anything to do with giving someone a job.

People can change in the space of one day. They could just run off with all they wanted even if they where the greatest employee in the world. Young people in that respect can be temperamental as if they get annoyed they tend to lash out instead of dealing.

[curlykarl]

Trust :)

Not everyone is a bad guy!

Karl

[ncsuk]

"Trust"

Many a persons last words. I dont 'trust' anyone but I try to work with them as best I can. The oly people I know who I trust is my sister and my grandad and believe me I have a VERY large family.

[limbo]

I feel this is more about respect - You may not be able to trust some who you work with but if they respect you then you have an excellent foundations for a working relationship. They might find it harder to break your trust if have that mutual respect.

[aspdaddy]

Karl, have you considered TCS [tcsonline.org.uk] programmes?

I'v seen some that are pure e-commerce and you would get govt funding.

[brotherhood of LAN]

IMO nothing is as good as picking someone up who has been round the block a few times ;) They don't have to be that old, just someone who has knowledge in the areas where you want them to work.

There are a good few 16-18 yr old SEO's at WW I believe :).......if I wanted number one I'd pick the WW crowd over the academic crowd at the drop of a hat (black or white ;)). People around here will have their ear to the ground much more than anyone who's sitting at a uni/college desk learning how to send/receive e-mail so "the rest of the class" can continue the course smoothly.

curly, the way most students' financials work, AFAIK you could get someone "on the cheap" by sending them to uni on "day release", where they take their course on the days theyre not working with you.

added/
Here's where I was looking at the courses....what would you have them learn curly :)
Open Uni [www-icdl.open.ac.uk]

[wruk999]

Brotherhood_of_LAN,

There are a good few 16-18 yr old SEO's at WW I believe

Ssshh.. ;)

Your point about the people here are more likely to know the "up-to-date" stuff, and your point about employing someone with more "hands-on" (and WW) experience has just confirmed exactly what I thought (and hoped ;))

I know if I had the chance to leave full-time education and do more of what I do know - I would! Any day :)

ncsuk's point about young people not liking to do the same thing all the time - I can agree partly with you there - maybe I'm an exception to the rule - but I really enjoy doing what I do - which is PHP/MySQL and running my own dedicated linux box with quite a few domains on.
I have done this now for 6 months..and stil enjoy every minute of it! I am now starting my third ecommerce project....and all before I can even start to learn to drive ;) [here in the UK anyway]

wruk999

[kmtell]

If it helps at all, I would recommend picking someone up from a local community college or something like that. I have several people in my classes now that know a lot about web publishing. I am a student at a university near my work and am about to graduate. I am getting a business degree and was hired on as a marketing assistant, but have moved over to become webmaster/SEOr. I've really enjoyed learning about how to make our site better and feel like I'm making a difference in the company. It's a great part-time job (I work about 20 hours a week) and I'm learning things that will benefit me in the future.

[curlykarl]

"IMO nothing is as good as picking someone up who has been round the block a few times"

Every time around the block you have to add 5k to the wage packet, experience doesn't come cheap

I think I have my problem solved now :)

We have a packing department at another depot, I am sending all the goods away to be packed, but it would still be nice to have a part time trainee.

I am going to approach the local college at see if anyone fancies any work experience, I just wish my daughters were a bit older, they would be ideal candidates :)

Maybe in a few more years

Karl