Getting a part time job with no experience

[mumtosnchild]

Just seeking advice on how your teenagers have been able to get a part time/Saturday job, particularly those who have no work experience.

My DD is 17 but now needs to get a part time job to help save up for uni. She doesn't have any work experience. What does she put on her CV or on linked in etc?

Currently looking on websites for jobs but useful to understand how other teenagers have been successful at getting a job in similar circumstances.

Any tips really welcome!

Two of mine worked/work for Waitrose. Half the local sixth from does. They don’t seem to mind no experience. The pay is good and the discount too!

its really difficult to get jobs under 18 in some areas. Voluntary work for a while might be useful.

Train for a job that needs qualifications - lifeguarding or referee.

In terms of 'what to put on CV?' -what have they done ?
Mine put things like volunteering they'd done.

Also planning and fundraising for big camps through Scouts (having to talk to members of the public / planning and carrying out activities / sticking at things when it became tough).
First Aid Training.
But also things like being part of a football team over 6 years - again, shows they've stuck with something (obviously, insert orchestra or any other thing they have stuck with).
My dd started babysitting quite young, with me in tow. So she had experience of changing nappies, entertaining the children, feeding them etc., (whilst, for parents' reassurance, I was still there, in the family's house) and references, by the time she was about 15 and able to look after children on her own.

Dd and all her friends worked at McDonald's when they were 16 and ds did pot washing at a local pub he still works there now at 20 as a chef

Mine put hobbies dd had a horse at the time and Duke of Edinburgh stuff on their cv although ds didn't get to do most of his due to Covid

I’m older but this is how I got my jobs

babysitting at 14 for friends of friends in the village. then had references and babysat for strangers who became clients

15 got a job at a newsagents in town behind the till. A school friends mother was a shopkeeper next door and recommended me to newsagents

16 got a job in a clothes shop in local city. Used my experience at newsagents as reference.

my brothers first job was pot wash at a pub. No cv or references needed

Start with a volunteer ‘job’ so they have a reference. Scouts and Guides are good place to start when 12+, then add animal charities 14+ so you have a range of references for 16+ paid employment.

DD1 hopes to pass her tractor licence at 16 so can help at Harvest and be paid.

Dd applied on individual websites, rather than looking in Indeed etc. Think of all the businesses in your area and check out their websites for vacancies. Put on application GCSEs and any interests. Had about three interviews before getting a job in a high street chain shop. We were worried about references but they asked for none.

Her friend rang up a local pub, he is 18 though, and was offered an immediate trial. Her other friend did glass collecting in a big chain pub age 17.

Others seem to get in with supermarkets.

Volunteer at charity shop first.
Babysitting

It's really hard! My DS (17) does actually have 6 mo hospitality experience (sadly the pub closed) but still can't get a job. We've kept a list of all the jobs he's applied for (mixture of Indeed and speculative applications) and the outcomes. Over the last year he's applied and had zero response from 27 jobs, applied and had a 'sorry, unsuccessful' email from 25 jobs, applied and had an interview (all unsuccessful) for 5 jobs.

So so different from my day when it was really easy to get a job.

at that age I volunteered at my local oxfam shop on Saturday afternoons. Learnt customer service, to use a till, cash up, stock take and sort donations.
After about 4 months I applied for pub waitressing and got it on this experience. continued to volunteer as I loved it.
The following year I applied for a summer camp teaching English job, and was looking for teaching materials. I asked in an estate agent for old house posters / printouts and they offered me a Saturday receptionist job! Sometimes timing, luck or acting like a self-starter and bring generally enthusiastic can lead to unexpected offers, but at the heart it’s volunteering to gain practical skills and a reference or two that will open doors to paid work. Good luck!

Where are you?! My DD earns 9.50 as an under 18 lifeguard, but even when she’s 18 it will only go up to £12!

At one point I would review CVs.
Agree with the advice about volunteering!
Also agree not to over explain all the GCSEs etc.
Try and pull relevant skills from things she has done.

Other than that, my other advice would be to try and tailor the CV the best you can to the job. You may have done so already. Try and mention the role, relevant skills you have and company name within the brief personal statement.

Another point, I remember receiving a lot of CVs from collage aged people who would send their beauty, make-up, rapping, music, hairdressing CVs etc into retail/hospitality jobs.

Those qualifications/skills have a place on a retail CV of course but it shouldn’t read like you’re applying to be a hairdresser rather than a waiter etc etc.

The personal statement at the top should be adjusted to the specific role and company you’re applying too and relevant skills to the job (even if qualification/experience not relevant) emphasised.
Ie hairdressing qualification may have allowed development of customer service skills (relevant), ability to actually do hair is not relevant.
It shows more interest in the role being applied for and that you actually know what you’re applying for.

This might not apply to your daughter but might help out someone else reading.

This. Mine (now aged 18 and 22) both worked for McDonalds. The eldest throughout a break year between A levels and Uni when his friends went off to Uni but were confined to their rooms due to lockdown. He soon became a manager and McDonalds paid for him to attend management courses which gave him self confidence and abilities beyond the usual 20 year old skill set.

Eldest was turned down the first time he applied, but tried again. Lots of shifts available and good pay for their ages. Although they did always come home smelling of burgers! 🍔

Indeed - my student who worked as a lifeguard says she gets minimum wage and could be arrested for manslaughter if something goes wrong!

DD applied to work in a local pub. She created a CV, basically included all her school activities instead of previous work experience.
So volunteering with the tinies at forest school, senior Chorister, musical theatre society etc.

She got the job and has earned a load of cash in just two Weekends! She's hoping for a lot of shifts once school finishes next week.

My DD17 has had 2 part time jobs, one in retail over Christmas and is currently working at Costa coffee. I agree with a previous poster that she applied directly on the companies website, so with both jobs she saw them on Indeed and then went straight onto their websites to see if the job was still active and applied directly. She had a CV that listed her qualifications and also had a bit about her interests etc and that she’s outgoing, hardworking etc. So we uploaded that with her application and it thankfully worked! I think what went in her favour is she’s at college and isn’t in every day so can work on weekdays when maybe other teenagers aren’t available.

It's the same here. Applying for loads of jobs and getting no where. Although we do now have a job, the only interview she got she managed to land the job.

Some of DDs friends with no experience got jobs:

Pot washing - particularly in wetherspoons
Home Bargains
Rugby and football stadiums
Kids entertainers
waiters in small local restaurants.

Many, even Tesco wanted only 18s and over.

My DD was an altar server at church and always helped with church events - she always loved counting the money as well as serving the cakes, she also organised a tombola for her fundraising when she volunteered with HCPT (Pilgrimage Trust) and took kids with special needs to Lourdes, so she drew on that.
She's also very good at keeping calm in a crisis thanks to having an autistic sibling so mentioned examples of that.
She now has 2 jobs.
Always worth applying to soft play centres if any locally? Good luck everyone.

My daughter put a postcard in a newsagents window offering her services for babysitting. We were surprised by the number of people interested.