Is this a good idea or not?

[bluespitfire]

Honest opinions please.

We live in the back of beyond, with our agreement DD1 didn't get herself a part time job in the run up to GCSEs so she could concentrate on her studies.
Now they are over she's desperate for some work.

She's applied for a few things but competition for part time jobs locally is fierce.
Our nearest Sainsburys gave her a phone interview today but wouldn't give her a face-to-face interview because she lives more than 5 miles from the store we'd give her lifts! That's the trade of we've made for living here.

DD's dream Saturday job would be at one of the makeup counters in our nearest city.
There are bus and rail links - the bus goes from outside of our house, train station is an easy half mile walk - and we'd give her lifts.

She's applied for a makeup counter job before but they wanted previous retail experience.
So she's thinking of asking if they would let her do a day for free 'work experience' to demonstrate that she can sell, is good with customers, can use the products.

Is offering to do a day a bad idea?

TIA

[cdtaylornats]

I don't see any company allowing someone to do that in a customer contact role. The company has to consider its liability and reputation and how it would affect any staff working there.

[GemmeFatale]

Could she shadow a makeup artist (weddings and what have you) for relevant work experience?

[bluespitfire]

She doesn't want work experience, she wants a job.
The makeup counter don't need her to be good at makeup, they need her to be able to sell their products. That's why they ask for previous retail experience.

[janetandroysdaughter]

No harm in her asking them. Lots of companies have teenagers in for work experience. It would show that she's keen.

[Sparklingbrook]

She could always ask but I agree with cdtaylornats.

[janetandroysdaughter]

If you have a newsagent nearby, she could see if there's a paper round going, even just as holiday cover for the regular person. Once the shop knows she's reliable, turns up on time, smartly dressed and smiling every morning, she could ask for a Saturday job, and once she's done that for a while she'd have retail experience to apply to the cosmetics counters.

DC have been offered retail jobs simply by hanging round specialist shops being nerdily knowledgeable about the products.

[BackforGood]

Agree with others - she could ask, but I agree with cdtaylor
Before any of my dc started roles they'd been employed for, they had to go in and have 'induction' from the company - the shop isn't going to let them lose on the public without training.

[scatterthenuns]

Aren't makeup counter staff generally trained/fairly professional MUA's? Very few young teenagers in those roles.

[summer68]

Cosmetic counter staff generally get a slightly higher pay than general shop staff, this is because the cosmetic houses will only employ staff with a proven track sales record. So better for your daughter to work in a pharmacy, or other shop selling cosmetics . where she could possibly look after thier cosmetic stands , sometimes they offer training. Perhaps she could ask saisburys if she can work for them free of charge, restocking the cosmetic stands - but I think she would need to offer more than one day, which posses the problem of cost of travel as you live quite a distance away.
Best of luck .

[rogueantimatter]

She might get one morning or afternoon a week doing voluntary work in a charity shop. The experience would give her the edge over applicants with no experience.

She could go round shops with a CV and a little card that they can put on their notice board. Worth a try.