Any advice for a someone seeking their first job?

G.Doc.21

Hello!

I am new to this forum, but most importantly I am new to the world of job seeking. It is safe to say that I am currently a fish out of water.

I have delayed getting a job due to being on holiday, but now that I am back, I am serious about finding one. What I am planning to do is find a place where I can print my CV (maybe the local library?) and then visit a few shops.

I had previously emailed Waterstones to express my interest in working in a few of their stores (even though no vacancy was currently available) and they replied that they chose not to pursue it. With the very clear content of my email, that made it seem like they didn't read it all. I also enclosed my CV on that occassion.

I would ideally like to work in a place like Next, Waterstones, Marks and Spencers and Debenhams. I appreciate though that especially in my case, beggars can't be choosers.

If possible, could someone please give me some advice on the things I need to have with me and what I need to think about. Also, if anyone works in one of those businesses or have done, I would like to know how you find/found it,

Any advice will do for me. If you have any further questions just ask!

Thank you very much!

(edited 8 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

Persipan

Bear in mind that many large organisations will have their own application processes, often involving filling in a specific application form (nowadays, often online). So, before you print out loads of CVs, check whether that's what they actually want. A couple of minutes googling suggests that most of the retailers you've listed have online application systems, so it's very unlikely that sending/taking them a CV will get you anywhere - they literally won't look at it. Applying within the process they use is really important. Check their websites and you can start applying (if they have vacancies) right now! Good luck!

Reply 2

G.Doc.21

Thank you so much for your advice. I have looked for application forms for a few of those companies. I had previously filled out one for Waterstones which was more like writing an essay! My issue was that I have literally been told so many contradicting things from people and what I needed more than anything was to hear it from someone who had been through the process themselves in the past year or two. What you said makes a lot of sense though and is very helpful so thank you once again!

Reply 3

tmckinnin56

Just get easy to get jobs and sign up to agencies as they get jobs for u

Reply 4

G.Doc.21

What would count as an easy job? And could you please tell me more about the agencies? Where would I apply and what would I need to do? That sounds very interesting, thank you!

Reply 5

tmckinnin56

Like agencies like hays or Hudson or pertemps or office agencies and easy to get jobs like office work require.minimum effort

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 6

G.Doc.21

Thank you! I will be looking into those for sure. Do you have personal experience with them?

Reply 7

tmckinnin56

yes I do they are good to get easy jobs

Reply 8

M&S Careers team

Official Rep

Original post by G.Doc.21

Hi there, M&S Careers Team here!

Have you ever thought about applying for a School Leaver Scheme to gain the experience you're looking for?

Applying for your first job out of school can be hard, the first step is making sure your CV is up to scratch. We have put together some CV tips here that may help!

Reply 9

G.Doc.21

Thank you everyone for your ideas and suggestions, you have given me a lot of directions to look into. You have all been helpful indeed, much appreciated.

Reply 10

G.Doc.21

Thank you for taking the time to read and reply to my post. I certainly was not expecting companies to reply, especially a large one such as M&S, so thank you for your interest, I am very interested in what you have suggested.

I was not aware of such a thing as a School Leaver's programme but I have never been interested in going to university for several reasons, mostly being the debt and the fact that for my ambitions, it is unnecesary at current. I aspire to have a job in the field of business as it is something I am greatly passionate about.

I am 16 years old and will be attending college in September to do three A-levels: Business, Economics and Sociology. After college, I hoped to enter the working world and scale the ladder gradually. I did some research into the programmes, especially those available with your company and I like what I see. In the future, I would be very willing to sign up for a programme with your company. It appeals to me and it provides all of the things I deem to be important such as learning, earning and gaining valuable experience, all with a reliable brand that knows what it is doing. It is a path I may take in the future.

As for the CV tips, I cannot access the link, the access is restricted, if there is anyway you could send a fresh link so I could see it, that would be very helpful.

Once again, thank you for your recommendation, I shall seriously consider looking into it and discussing it with the people supporting me through it all.

G.Docherty

Reply 11

German123

Do your CV and go round to places, they are less likely to turn you down than when you submit an online application.

Reply 12

M&S Careers team

Official Rep

Hi G.Docherty!

It's great to hear that you may consider a school leaver scheme after today! Please let us know if there are any questions/queries you have that we can help with.

As you're 16 years old, I would suggest that you take a look into our part-time roles in-store as a customer assistant. This will allow you to get a foot in the door, and grasp an idea of how the School Leaver Scheme would work if you wanted to apply internally at M&S, after sixth form.

Of course, how does this link work? http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3473103

Good luck with your job search!

Reply 13

G.Doc.21

Thank you for your help and suggestions regarding my post. I do have a few queries about the School Leavers Programme that your company offers. I have searched the M&S careers website and have done some research into what the scheme offers. I would like to know:

-What is the minimum salary?
-Is it considered an apprenticeship?
-Is there a contract obligating me to remain with the company for a named time period after completing the scheme?

Also, following your suggestion to search for part-time employment in your stores, I searched the website for vacancies in my county, Hampshire, as a customer assistant. There was one for a customer assistant in the bakery department, however it did not appear to be part-time.

Would M&S accept my CV if I handed it in-store to keep for future vacancies, especially since I am very interested in joining their School Leavers Programme? In my initial post, I said that ideally I would love to work with M&S and reading the company's values and what it has to offer employees, has really only cemented this for me.

Thank you in advance, I greatly appreciate your help.

G.Docherty

Reply 14

M&S Careers team

Official Rep

Hi G.Docherty,

No problem at all, we’re here to help and answer any questions you have. In answer to your questions, the minimum salary is £18k – rising to £26k on appointment.

Our School Leaver Scheme is not considered an apprenticeship, upon completion of the programme you will be appointed into a live Retail Manager role with responsibility for running your own business unit.The programme lasts up to 18 months and is designed to prepare you for a retail management role on completion.

There’s no minimum contract period, however you are required to give a notice period if you wish to leave during the 18 month scheme.

Yes please feel free add a cover letter to your CV and drop this into your local store. This is where you can state what kind of work you’d like to be considered for when a suitable role becomes available.

I’m glad to hear you’ve taken a look at our website and found more information, please do let us know if there’s anything else we can help with.

M&S Careers Team

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 15

DiddyDec01

Original post by German123

Do your CV and go round to places, they are less likely to turn you down than when you submit an online application.

Due to data protection many places will not accept CVs handed to them directly and they must be submitted online.

Reply 16

German123

Original post by DiddyDec

Due to data protection many places will not accept CVs handed to them directly and they must be submitted online.

Cool.

Reply 17

anita-573

Hi everyone, im currently completing an application form and im stuck on how to answer when ive faced a difficult situation because i have no retail experience. Any ideas? Would dofe be acceptable? Thanks

Posted from TSR Mobile