Surely a phone call or letter would not be amiss?

Yes. recently, I just sent lots of applications but get no reply or just an auto-email. it's a bit disappointed but the only thing I can do is try to be patient...

of course, i think anyone did. but of course i called them back so often that they would in the end tell me go away, you didn't win. of course they should bother calling back, but, heck, it's a cruel, stupid and wild world out there!

Most of the call centers here actually gave out letters or email if you dont pass the interview or the exams when you apply for the position, that way you dont have to expect for anything. I think that good, you dont have to put up expectations. Sorry to hear about your son, hope he can find job soon.

workplaces don't generally bother to contact to say that you haven't got the job because from their point of view there are so many people that apply that it would take a long time to contact everyone, and generally the norm is, if you don't hear back in a week you haven't got it, but i still think companies should take the time to contact you even if it is just a standard templated letter sent to everyone who doesn't get the job. My first job i applied my letter and was rejected next day i rang about the job and got a call back for an interview so sometimes persistance pays

please ask them to access working solutions site. they can work from home itself. i am assuming that you are staying in the US. i am sure they can get some part time work out there.

I know what you mean. I'm 16 years old and I'm experiencing the problem myself. Companies always tell you that they'll call you, and so you wait for their call, and yet it never comes. It sucks really hard... In the end, the local shops and companies are the best way to find a job, because these people know you, and it's a lot more personal. So they usually call you back

It would be nice if people did that but they just don't. I wish your sons would go back & talk to them & show them they are really interested in working. I was always impressed when someone did this.

Hey littleone! I remember when I was looking for a job how frustrating it was to send resumes and fill out applications and not get any responses. Once in awhile a company would send a "thank you, but not interested" letter in the mail! But, that was already many years ago! These days companies are so overwhelmed with applications and responses to their positions I think that they just don't have the time to even bother getting back to all those that do apply to the jobs! Tell your boys not to get upset and be patient! They will find something! It just will take more time because there are so many people looking for jobs right now because of the way the economy is!

I definitely know what it's like to be a teen and trying to find a job. I think I was looking & actively applying for at least a year before I found my first part-time job. I've only received that kind of thing from ONE company I had applied to; and that was Target. They send out little post-card letters saying that, sorry, you were not a match for us... I think this is actually a good idea, although I was totally pissed at them at the time for doing it. I think a phone call would probably be too tacky ("Hello. I just wanted to let you know that you didn't get the job (?)", but definitely a letter or post-card would be nice. One mistake that I made was that I actually applied..literally EVERYWHERE. Even at places that weren't even hiring at that time. So what I'm sure happened with a lot of them was that because they weren't hiring, they didn't go through applications they received. I guess we should make sure the places we're applying to are actually hiring to begin with.

in the past 3 years i think i've applied for 400+ jobs and in all that time i only got one rejection letter. they just don't do it anymore. its a pain i know but it's the way things are i think.

Yes, it's very discouraging, I agree, but most companies do not give out the "sorry we didnt hire you speech". While it would be nice, unfortunately, businesses tend to be egocentric.

i'm sure this must be very discouraging for your children. sorry to say, but i have applied for many jobs, and not one time have i been called to say that i didn't get it. i've even been interviewed by really professional looking people who assured me they'd let me know either way, and it never happened. i guess that's just something they say. maybe they mean it at the time, but then they just never get around to it. good luck to your kids. :)