How to get one when you have zero work experience

Grace Pickett has been applying for part -time jobs for two years – unlucky.

The 18 -year -old child from Corby hopes to go to Liverpool John Moores University to study history in September, and now A levels are over, accelerated business prey.

However, he found himself faced with the same problem, many other young people throughout England make it difficult for them to take their first half -time or summer work – they do not have enough experience before.

“Very annoying,” Grace says that several companies said they would not be able to hire it because of lack of work experience.

Charity Youth Employment, which helps young people find a job, says Lauren Mrist from England, a “vicious circle”.

“You need experience to have experience.”

Grace volunteered in a charity shop for six months, and some employers don’t understand why it doesn’t think it was enough. He leaves his CV in the bars, sends E -mail to potential employers, and really filling the applications in the business field – but he hasn’t found anything yet.

Some of Grace’s friends “gave up” business hunts because they don’t think they’ll find anything. He hasn’t reached that stage yet, but he began to feel pessimistic about whether he could find a job before the summer was over.

Oliver Holton, a 17 -year -old university student in Retford, has difficulty in finding a summer job despite a four -year paper tours experience. He says that many employers in retail and hospitality sectors want to have a more special experience.

Chris ECLES, one of the 4 students of the Jobs Site Employment, is more competitive than 20 years ago, because online applications mean that they are often more candidates for every job. According to Lauren Mistry, the minimum wage and increases in national insurance also affected recruitment.

In addition to making money, working part -time at school, college or university or holidays can help to increase your CV when it’s time to apply to full -time jobs.

However, the figures from the National Statistics Office show that less young people find a job than 30 years ago. When the registrations started, until 2004, more than 35% of 16-17% were employed during full-time training every summer, less than 20% in the summer of 2024.

For the ages of 18 to 24, about one -third had work last summer, which is lower than the late 1990s and the early 2000s.

We asked career experts what to do to do a summer job and how to come forward even without work experience.

Many young people take their first job in retail or hospitality. Health services, storage and offices also have part -time roles.

Although many jobs are really published on business boards like LinkedIn and Reed, some employers advertise them only directly on their websites or social media profiles.

Is it old -fashioned to leave your CV speculative in local bars and cafes? Career experts, especially in small businesses think it’s still worth trying.

“Actually, I prefer when people come in,” Edward Frank, the ruler of Brewers Arms Pub in Berwick-Up-Tweed. “It shows the initiative.”

Jane Meynel, owner of Olive and Bean Cafe in Newcastle, accepts. Candidates say they are not only showing their interest in their role when they come with their CVs, but also allow them to find more about their personalities via e -mail. And if there is no empty position, it usually keeps the CVS in the record.

According to Matt Burney, which is really a consultant, employers can be flexible if you find other ways to prove that you have acquired the same skills, even if they are desirable or required.

“You will not be expected to have a really packaged CV in 16, 17, 18, or he says.

Imagine how you can show that you have learned that you are looking for teamwork, communication, problem solving and team management of the skills that employers are looking for.

Career experts say that this can be volunteer in a help shop, being in a football team, making a presentation or even home care responsibilities.

If you’ve never written any CV before, there are numerous examples of how to formatting them and how to form the templates.

Add your contact information, then list your work experience, if any, then your training and track any volunteering or curriculum exterior. Matt Burney recommends keeping it on a page. “Don’t just gather for the sake, or he says.

“Make it easy for them to find your best skills and achievements without passing big Waffly text blocks, Chris says Chris EcCles.

Show a little personality, but keep the appearance simple. Lauren Mistry, go for 11 or 12 size fonts that CV scanning software can compete to read and “stay away from highly designed PDFs”.

And it makes it easier for the employer to find it by saving the document with a suitable title, including your name.

Some jobs also require a cover letter. This should summarize why you are interested in the role and why you are suitable for it.

“Waffle is very easy to do,” Matt Burney says, but people should keep “short and specific” instead.

According to Chris ECLES, it covers a little with the criteria of marking letters. Carefully examine the business ad to see what skills and experiences of the employer and make sure you add this information.

If you can find their names on the business list or on the company website, you should discuss the person who receives the letter. Otherwise, open it with the “dear recruitment manager” and ends with “sincere” or “best”.

Some people use it Productive artificial intelligence to make CVS and Cover Letters. The attitudes that vary between companies say Lauren Mistry – some large companies scan CVs for AI and automatically refuse candidates using it. But others don’t mind.

Sam Westwood, who has people experience in KFC UK and Ireland, says that AI is a “really good starting point” to write a CV or cover letter, and that the recruitment of its company “actively embraces technology.”

If you prefer to use artificial intelligence, career experts recommend that you should check the accuracy and make sure you refine the results to show your personality.

Do not stress too much about your GCSE and A level notes when applying for a summer job. “Mathematics and English GCSES should not be an obstacle for part -time roles in Retail and hospitality, but the importance of the exam results is changing by the employer.

Most employers want to know that a applicant has good digitalites and literacy skills that can be displayed through CVs, E -mails and job interviews.

Matt Burney advises people advise people to make a false interview with your friends or family or buy a Platform to create some questions and think of special examples for your answers. Chris EcCles recommends configuring your answers. Star answer method – Situation, duty, action, result.

Investigate both the role and the company as much as possible. If possible, visit the place you have applied before your interview – Jane owner Jane, the first problem that the candidates have always asked if they have been there before.

It may be difficult to know what to wear for an interview, because the clothes codes change very much compared to the company. Lauren Mistry advises against wearing an instructor and recommends that you keep your shoulders closed and avoid blue jeans. If you are not sure what is suitable, ask the company how to wear it, he says.

Career experts say that talks are a two -way process. This is not just an opportunity for an employer to learn you, but also an opportunity for the candidate to learn more about the role and the company. Asking questions also shows your interest in the role.

You can ask training, company culture and what a typical day looks. You can also ask about the next steps and the result in the application process when you will hear.

Lauren Mistry, just don’t save your own questions until the end – it shows them curious during the interview.

Make sure you are polite when talking to other personnel in the company. Managers often ask other workers, such as receptionist, what they think about candidates.

Matt Burney suggests you send a short, polite tracking e-mail after your interview and says it will help you to separate you from other candidates.