A restaurant boss has asked parents to stop asking him to give their children a job suggesting it is a big no-no for employers.
Joe Franks, who runs The Open Jar at Seaton Carew and Norton, has been bombarded with messages from people asking him for work on behalf of their children.
Well-meaning mums email the eateries, in County Durham, on a weekly basis - but Joe said it is off putting.
The business owner claims any employer in the food sector would immediately ask themselves "if they need their parent to apply for a job, how can they do a shift and speak to 100 plus people?"
Instead, he shared some sound advice for would-be restaurant workers, Teesside Live reports.
He said the best thing parents can do is make sure their child is well-presented and encourage them to go door to door to meet managers in person, armed with "100 CVs."
Joe told Teesside Live that his guidance was intended to help people rather than being "a dig."
He added: "I get messages every week from people asking me for a job on behalf of their child.
"I honestly can't stress enough how much that this is the wrong way around, approaching someone for a position in their business."
Venues such as The Open Jar need people who are "confident enough to go to tables and take orders with a bubbly personality", Joe explained.
The restaurant owner said: "All the hiring in The Open Jar is done by the management on site.
"So making a right first impression with them is definitely the way to go rather than thinking my dad has the owner on Facebook so therefore that's the easiest route.
"Also messaging the page and saying 'R U taken on 16 Yr olds atm' never goes down well.
"If it's blunt, if they can't take five minutes out of the day to make sure a messages sounds right then they're not really the person for us."
Joe was "taken aback" by the amount of replies he got from people who agreed with his comments.
"It seems to be quite a bug-bear. Our staff are the face of the business," he continued.
"It might just be a part-time job to them but it's our livelihoods.
"If they're going to hide behind their parents, what happens if they have a really busy night or something doesn't go to plan?"
Joe also pointed out that applicants who reach out to him are "barking up the wrong tree anyway" as it is the managers and supervisors who they would work with and not him.
"When people come in with the right bubbly personality, well presented, they're the people that always end up with a job," he said.
"Even if we don't have anything at the time and we ring them back a few months later.
"Also, they should be coming down in person to see if the venue is for them, just as much as the other way round - it's a two-way street.
"Hope this approach helps people find work whether it be with The Open Jar or elsewhere."
