Parents and Guardians: How to Support a First Search

When a teenager or young adult starts looking for work, the whole household can feel the pressure. Parents and guardians want safety, income, and direction. The young person wants a chance without being embarrassed. The best support sits between those needs: help them prepare for Jobs in Fiji, but let their name, voice, phone number, and decisions lead the search.

The labour market is not easy for youth. Fiji's 2023-24 Employment and Unemployment Survey reported youth unemployment at 18.3 percent, with 23.7 percent of young people aged 15 to 24 not in employment, education, or training. Those figures explain why a first search can feel heavy. They do not mean your child is failing. They mean the search needs patience, routines, and careful applications.

Start with documents. Help them collect a birth certificate or photo ID copy, school results, training certificates, licences, referee names, and a simple email address they can check daily. Keep originals safe. If an employer asks for copies, send only what is needed at that stage. Sensitive information should not be handed around casually, especially before an interview or written offer.

Help them build a one-page CV, but do not write a fantasy version. Employers quickly notice when a young applicant cannot explain skills listed on the page. Use real experience: prefect duties, rugby or netball team roles, church youth work, helping in a shop, babysitting younger siblings, farming, fishing, canteen work, school projects, or volunteering. The wording can be tidy, but it must still be true.

Set up a weekly search habit. One hour twice a week is better than a panic session once a month. The young person can search FijiCareers, save suitable roles, update their tracker, and choose two or three applications that match transport, hours, and skill level. Parents can sit nearby for support, but the applicant should read the ad aloud and explain why it fits.

Talk about location before they apply. Jobs in Suva may work for one household and be impossible for another if buses, caring duties, or school pickup are involved. Jobs in Nadi, Denarau, Lautoka, Labasa, or island resorts may need earlier travel, staff transport, ferry timing, or accommodation. It is kinder to discuss these realities before the interview than after a young person is excited about an offer they cannot reach.

Practice interviews at home. Ask simple questions: tell me about yourself, why do you want this job, what will you do if a customer is upset, how will you manage early shifts, and what did you learn from school or volunteering? Do not laugh at awkward answers. Help them shorten, clarify, and try again. Confidence grows when the home practice feels safe.

Let them speak for themselves. It may be tempting to call the employer, explain the child's strengths, or ask why there has been no reply. Avoid that unless the young person is underage or there is a genuine safety issue. Employers want to hear the applicant communicate. A parent who takes over can accidentally make the young person look unready for work.

Support punctuality with practical help. If you can, help with bus fare, a lift, phone credit, printed documents, or clothes for the interview. If you cannot, help them plan around what is available. Teach them to leave early, call if delayed, and keep the interview contact saved. Reliability is one of the first things employers notice in first-job candidates.

Discuss pay calmly and accurately. Fiji's national minimum wage rose to FJ$5.00 per hour from 1 April 2025, and sector Wages Regulation Orders may set higher rates for some industries. Rates can change, so teach your young person to verify the latest Ministry of Employment notice or Wages Regulation Order instead of relying on rumours. They should also ask how hours are recorded, when pay is made, and whether uniforms, meals, or transport are provided.

Explain that probation is normal but should be clear. A first job may include a trial period so both sides can see whether the match works. The young person should ask how long probation lasts, who reviews them, what standard is expected, and what notice rules apply. Because Fiji employment law and amendment proposals can change, encourage them to keep written terms and check official guidance if something sounds unfair.

Talk about scams without creating fear. Recent Fiji warnings have described job scams where people were asked for upfront payments, sensitive personal details, or money for unrealistic overseas or remote work offers. The rule at home can be simple: no paying to get a job, no sending passwords or OTPs, no handing over original ID, and no travelling to a strange meeting without telling a trusted adult where they are going.

Prepare them for silence and rejection. Many employers receive more applications than they can answer. A no, or no reply, is not proof that the young person is useless. Help them review the application: Was the role realistic, did the CV match the duties, was the phone number correct, and did they apply before the closing date? Then move to the next suitable listing.

Balance encouragement with standards. It is good to say, keep trying. It is also good to say, wake up earlier, answer your phone politely, check spelling, iron your shirt, and do not miss interviews. Young people need belief, but they also need adult honesty about habits that damage trust at work.

When an offer comes, slow down enough to read it. Check job title, employer name, location, start date, roster pattern, pay method, probation, uniform, transport, and who supervises them. If something is unclear, help them write a respectful question in their own words. The aim is not to block the job. The aim is to begin with fewer surprises.

A first job search is a training ground for adult life. Sit beside them once, show them how to search FijiCareers for current Jobs in Fiji, and help them choose roles that match their real situation. Then let them apply through the employer link themselves. The confidence they build from doing it in their own name is part of the job.