Queue of 100 hopefuls 'shows how the job market is'

More than 100 hopefuls descended on a Manchester cafe to apply for a part-time barista role in person after what the manager described as a "whirlwind" of interest for previous jobs.

Applicants were invited to attend the Fig & Sparrow in the city's Northern Quarter to present their CVs rather than simply apply online after more than 400 emails were received for a vacancy earlier in the year.

General manager Luke Taylor, 32, said he wanted to meet people face-to-face and added: "It shows how the job market is at the minute.

"People are turning up on a random Tuesday in a cafe that they have probably never been to, hoping for the best."

It follows a recent warning from Prime Minister Andy Burnham that the UK faces an "economic catastrophe" due to the nearly one million young people remaining without work, education or training.

This week, the government is expected to announce plans aimed at giving young people more opportunities.

Taylor continued: "We were recruiting earlier on in the year and I had over 400 email. It was a whirlwind, so I wanted to do something a bit different.

"I didn't want to sift through 400 CVs. Everyone kind of has the same template, there is a lot of AI that people use, and I think nowadays it's about the actual person and not just what they are writing on a piece of paper.

"So we wanted to throw it out there and see what we got."

On Tuesday, hopefuls attended the cafe and were given a number before waiting to be called for their interviews.

Among them was even a trained opera singer, Taylor said.

"It was nice to see different people's lives, that was not just about making coffee," he continued.

"You get to see the personality and not just what is written on paper.

"When you're an employer you want to see what they can bring, not just what someone has told you to bring.

"We don't just want to see everything you are getting off Google or ChatGPT."

The manager added: "When I was 16, we used to have job fairs, and I think that is what is missing now.

"I think we found the perfect match - someone that will fit with the vibe, the team, the customer, the culture, and I think she will be a great asset."

Film student Em Lindsay, 21, who has worked as a part-time barista at the cafe for about four months, said: "We have people coming in every single shift asking about jobs, going all around the area, and I think it is very difficult.

"I feel like at the minute there is such an expectation of having so much experience and going into the job being top of the mark.

"I think a lot of employers don't want to train people up, they kind of just want people to come in and do the jobs."

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