17 yr old dd struggling to get a part-time job.

[Liz79k]

My 17 yr old dd has applied online for around 6 jobs over the past few weeks and doesn't seem to be getting anywhere. This would be her first job so she doesn't have any employment history/experience therefore that part of the application is left blank. I obviously know this doesn't look good and is probably contributing to her being unsuccessful. I'm guessing there must be loads of teens in this situation. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to put in that area of the form without lying of course. Also most places require 2 references. She has one personal reference from a sports club she attends but no reference from a past employer. Does anyone have any suggestions for a second reference?
She has just applied to volunteer for a local charity organisation in order to gain some work experience but even they are asking for two references. What are teens supposed to do when they are just starting out in the world of work?? I don't remember it being this hard when I was a teenager looking for work.
Thank you.

References - anyone she’s babysat for? Teacher?

A reference can be a teacher, or maybe the leader of any extra curricular activities your daughter does?
I understand the struggle, my child applied to about ten different local shops and cafes before finally getting offered a job. Before she got the job most of her applications were ignored, rejected or she went to an interview that went nowhere, despite her having previous experience!

Volunteering is a great way to get experience and a good reference!
Often it's not what you know, but who you know, do you have any friends with younger children she could perhaps babysit for, or anyone who needs help walking a dog, cleaning, gardening etc?

Reference could be from her teacher at school??? It is tough out there just now. My 19 year old applied for 40 apprenticeship and only heard from two of them. He's now back at college

Probably put a teacher down? School kind of is their past employer, I think employers understand that when it's a 17 year old.

Supermarkets will be starting to advertise for temporary Christmas staff soon, that's usually a good way for teenagers to get a first job (DH did it while in uni and his interview was literally "what hours can you work?")

6 is almost nothing, surely? I remember at that age applying for about 40 and that was with several years' work experience! I think a wider net is needed.

both my teens have had jobs at our local Waitrose. They don’t ask for references and seem to understand that they obviously won’t have work history at 16/17.

They also pay 11.55 an hour!

Could she make a CV and drop it in local shops, takeaways etc,

Where do you live? My DD struggled to get her first job and applied for loads. We're near a McArthur Glen outlet and they ran an employment event, think in September last year, targeting 16/17 + and she's been in one of the stores for a year now. Might be worth seeing if any shopping centres run similar things.

Has she any babysitting experience? If so, would the parents be willing to provide a reference?

6 is nothing....

My son is at Waitrose and has been for over a year now, he joined when he was 16

They don't ask for nor take up references so concentrate on retail jobs

She has to go in , looking presentable, nice cv on nice paper to hand in. Now is a good time at uni students are going back (unless you live in a uni city as that will
make things trickier) .

Volunteering would help.

Lots of places will have temporary xmas positions coming up.

What about someone who isn't family but has known them for years as a reference? They'd be able to confirm whether they're polite, keen to learn etc

I have a DC same age. Luckily got a job. What kind of jobs is your DC applying for. Re experience what extra curriculars had your DC done, for mine I suggested they wrote about team work, coaching, responsibility, commitment. Seemed to work.

Maybe try McDonald’s?

Think outside the box for work experience- did they do work experience in Yr 10? Babysitting for younger siblings? Captain a sports team? Paper round? Prom committee? It's always better to have something in than leave it blank.

Also there may be more weekend jobs now that the uni students have gone back, depending where you live of course.

Think about casual work too - DD did occasional outside catering events while waiting for a more regular job

Volunteer at weekends to gain work experience. It's unusual for 17 year olds around here to have no work experience at all.

My nieces worked for Waitrose, you do not need references but do
spend time on the online application and turn up
smart and presentable for interview.
I'd try any of the retail companies, a lot recruit for xmas vacancies only but it's " foot in the door " , so don't rule it out.
Same probably for McDonald's etc.
These are big, recognizable companies, good being on any CV as first job.
When you apply for jobs further down the line online , am pretty sure the systems ( sorry badly explained, I don't work in HR ) look for key companies as well as experience , filtering CV's before any human even sees them.

Did she not do any kind of work experience placement at school?

Agree with teacher for reference, or a professional friend of yours as a character reference.

For experience, mention no formal work experience as yet, but various skills that are likely to be useful to the job. E.g. attention to detail, good organisation skills, good timekeeping etc with an example of proof for each one.

A lot of employers hate hiring teenagers because they are almost always late and unreliable, so she needs to prove she's not like that.

6 jobs isn't very many, try to apply for 20+.

Agree will be much easier in the next few months with Christmas temp jobs.

Also ask school/college if they have any placements or job opps with local companies, some do. I got a much better job than I would otherwise around that age - working at a tech company that paid much better than local supermarkets.

Did she not do any kind of work experience placement at school?

Agree with teacher for reference, or a professional friend of yours as a character reference.

For experience, mention no formal work experience as yet, but various skills that are likely to be useful to the job. E.g. attention to detail, good organisation skills, good timekeeping etc with an example of proof for each one.

A lot of employers hate hiring teenagers because they are almost always late and unreliable, so she needs to prove she's not like that.

6 jobs isn't very many, try to apply for 20+.

Agree will be much easier in the next few months with Christmas temp jobs.

Also ask school/college if they have any placements or job opps with local companies, some do. I got a much better job than I would otherwise around that age - working at a tech company that paid much better than local supermarkets.

Thanks for everyone's advice and suggestions. Naively we didn't think her college work experience would be counted as employment history but she will definitely include it from now on. Time to up her game I think.