The Story

Youth unemployment jumped to over 900,000, the highest since 1992.  One out of 5 people aged 16-24 is now out of work.

 Discussion Starters

• What advice would you give young people in the U.K. in seeking employment?  Focus, particularly, on how people can differentiate themselves in a competitive market.  And what can unemployed young people do while not working (in addition to looking for a job, of course)?
• Have you ever looked for a job or internship and had difficulty finding one?  In the end, what did you learn from the experience?  If you ultimately did get a job, how did it finally happen?

 Assignment Ideas

• Research differences between U.S. and European employment communications.  For example, what are the differences between a resume and a C.V. for business jobs? What other differences would you expect, knowing about each culture?  Assume that a friend or colleague is exploring job opportunities in Europe.  Write an email to him or her summarizing your findings.
• Imagine that you're applying for a job in the U.K.  If you have a U.S.-centric resume, adapt it for a European company.