Help!

[NowhereMan]

I have been looking for an apprenticeship in banking for months now and I keep getting really close to snatching myself a great career and then I get an email saying they don't want me! I am 16 and lack experience. However, that should not be an issue considering most adds say that experience is not needed. I have recently been told by a careers adviser that I can in fact apply for a real job and they might take me on or turn it into an apprenticeship. However, when I did that I got through to face to face interviews and then again...I didn't get it! I need to get a job or apprenticeship in a bank or something like that soon. Any ideas?

Do you ask for feedback when you get rejected?

It's a very competitive market out there, so you may not be doing anything wrong as such. You are getting interviews, which characters us more than some people manage, so that suggests your CV/application forms are good enough.

Ask for feedback. Whilst adverts might state no experience necessary many employers will be more inclined to take on a 17/18 year old with a bit of work history than a 16 year old with none. Could you get an evening job (a call centre for a bank would be an idea) or take some home learning/evening classes in finance/customer service type courses to enhance your CV.

Also approach recruitment agencies they are excellent at getting you into big name companies who don't deal with their own recruitment. Or might get you some temp work to improve your CV.

Just because a job says they don't want any experience doesn't mean that they won't look more favourably on people who do have a bit of experience. Also, 16 is so young, for banking apprenticeships you are competing with A levels students and possibly even recent graduates (who may also fit the no experience bit but who are older and better educated). You may need to consider taking a longer path into banking and looking at other admin-type/customer service apprenticeships instead.