How to get a job without any experience?

I really want to work in either retail or hospitality (preferably a bar/pub) after my a2 exams finished, but all the experience i have as of yet is about 6 months at a catering company doing waitressing. is that enough? and is does this even count for anything if i want to do retail work after?

I want work, but don't really have the relevant experience, so how do I get it in the first place? :confused:

If anyone mentions volunteering, what volunteering work would be beneficial to give me a better chance of getting a job in these sectors?

Thanks SO much if you can help! :biggrin:

Reply 1

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by dulciemae

........

You aren't ever going to get a job with no experience, unless you go to work for your parents or similar. The point is that unless you have been living in a cupboard under the stairs all your life, you do have experience. The challenge is to work out what skills you need to show and then draw on any of your life experience to demonstrate that you do have relevant skills, that you may be transferring from other activities.

Waitressing > bar work is just about as close as you can get to relevant experience without having done bar work before.

Reply 2

dulciemae

Original post by Randomized

I recently got a retail job in a clothes store with no experience what so ever (not even work experience) and i think the fact i had done so much volunteering helped a ton. For example i've led charity fund raising groups, done sponsored runs/walks, been a collection volunteer, worked in a charity shop and did a weekly litter pick with some other people from my halls in the local community.

I remember someone telling me that you can show transferrable skills from other things in your life too, for example i'd been heavily involved in sports which shows communication, teamwork, leadership skills etc. You can apply it to almost anything you've done with your life even college work.

Oh okay, that's promising! I've done a fair few summer school things and I'm definitely going to start working at a local charity shop to say I have cashier/money handling experience etc, and obviously the fact I've done something for free out of my own time for charity.

My waitressing job requires a lot of interacting with people, thinking on feet etc but I wasn't sure whether they'd take that sort of experience as valuable in a retail job! Did you apply instore or online for the place you work now? Thanks for the help :smile:

Reply 3

dulciemae

Original post by threeportdrift

Okay, but with some of the bar jobs I've seen advertised, they're looking for people with relevant bar experience. As I work for an events company at weddings, I don't have any cash handling experience or the ability to make a variety of drinks!
Do you think if I showed off these transferable skills I've gained from my waitressing experience people would be willing to take me on?

Reply 4

dulciemae

Original post by dhruvtsr

Become a slag and have sex with the interviewer. It usually helps you get the job straight away I'll have you know.

Hmmm, gotta have a last resort I suppose.

Reply 5

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by dulciemae

Well that depends on what the other applicants can offer. An employer will always take the people that demonstrate the best fit with the skills needed. However, well written, an event based/wedding job should be able to sound very similar to bar work. Focus on what you can show, not what you can't.

Reply 6

bengalisoldier

Original post by dhruvtsr

Become a slag and have sex with the interviewer. It usually helps you get the job straight away I'll have you know.

Oi, get a life :eek:

Reply 7

youshallnotpass

In your CV - instead of having a previous employment section...... you have a projects section and here you give a couple of projects you have done and what skills you have gained from them that would make you a good candidate for the post.

Such as team working, communication, being able to work under own initiative, etc...

Reply 8

dulciemae

Original post by youshallnotpass

Good idea, thanks :biggrin:

Reply 9

inksplodge

Be confident, play to your skills- are you confident/outgoing/able to deal with explosive situations? In catering you'll often have to deal with drunks too.

Reply 10

InsaneFandom

Well, McDonalds hire people with no experience. Just got my first job there :smile:

I know the pay isn't great and it's hardly a dream job but tbh it's not bad. The hours are really flexible, you get experience working in a busy, fast paced environment serving customers & you'll mostly be working with people of a similiar age.