Why can’t I get a job?
I have a pretty decent CV with 2 months employment at Waitrose and a week of work experience in Theresa May’s Office. I’ve sent my CV off to numerous places but haven’t heard back/been rejected twice. Ideally I’d like to work in Tesco because of their Sunday pay and I’m not too keen on working for less than £7.90 since that was what I was paid in my last job. I’ve also got great AS levels and good GCSE grades but I just can’t seem to find a job 
I was hoping people could recommend places to apply to and things to brush up my CV? I’ve included activities not linked to employment and school such as doing photography, charity and sports.
It just annoys me that I reckon I’m pretty well qualified and get rejected by Tesco (no offence but have you seen the people they employe? The amount of times I see them messing around, unable to help, unable find items when asked and unable to speak proper English when customer service is in their title, it’s just ridiculous).
Also is it acceptable to request feedback on my application?
I was hoping people could recommend places to apply to and things to brush up my CV? I’ve included activities not linked to employment and school such as doing photography, charity and sports.
It just annoys me that I reckon I’m pretty well qualified and get rejected by Tesco (no offence but have you seen the people they employe? The amount of times I see them messing around, unable to help, unable find items when asked and unable to speak proper English when customer service is in their title, it’s just ridiculous).
Also is it acceptable to request feedback on my application?
(edited 6 years ago)
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Original post by PepticSalve
Get yourself registered with every employment agency in the region. Take WHATEVER work they offer you, no matter how degrading or unattractive.
In my early years I worked in curry factories (gross), call centers (suicidal), warehouses (exhausting) and in shops stacking shelves (tedious). The point is that a job is a job, and at your point in your life I'd take anything you can get.
And I stuck out all of those jobs for at least 2 weeks. The call center was the worst though, by the second week I was just about ready to jump out of the window and end it all! The curry factory was a close second...
In my early years I worked in curry factories (gross), call centers (suicidal), warehouses (exhausting) and in shops stacking shelves (tedious). The point is that a job is a job, and at your point in your life I'd take anything you can get.
And I stuck out all of those jobs for at least 2 weeks. The call center was the worst though, by the second week I was just about ready to jump out of the window and end it all! The curry factory was a close second...
I genuinely have no motivation to stick out through jobs like that though... financially sure, It'd make me comfortable to buy loads of things but i know this sounds bad, I'm already financially secure thanks to my parents but of course theres things i dont buy because i dont want to be financially irresponsible... but its nothing essential. I mainly want a job for the social aspects and to keep me busy so enjoying it is a must, I would've loved to stay on at Waitrose but the travel was too far and it was conflicting with school work.
Idk... I think its great what you did and I'm sure gained tons of experience but I just dont think i can do that, ill be gaining the opposite of what I'm trying achieve from a job
There could be lots of reasons
1) CV strength
2) Applying to jobs you are overqualified for (retention risk)
3) Applying to jobs you are under-qualified for
4) Not applying to enough jobs (i.e. being picky/demanding)
5) Applying to jobs which have a lot of applications but few requirements (hard to get a job that anyone could do)
6) Job market conditions
7) Bad luck
Just keep trying!
1) CV strength
2) Applying to jobs you are overqualified for (retention risk)
3) Applying to jobs you are under-qualified for
4) Not applying to enough jobs (i.e. being picky/demanding)
5) Applying to jobs which have a lot of applications but few requirements (hard to get a job that anyone could do)
6) Job market conditions
7) Bad luck
Just keep trying!
The thing that stuck out to me was the lack of experience. If you're looking at jobs like Tesco, they will be looking at that retail and customer service experience because no one likes/has time to train people up anymore. You've also made it harder for yourself with the pay because there are few jobs out there that pay above minimum wage, let alone the living wage.
Others are right, you may be applying to jobs you aren't qualified for or are overqualified for. How you present yourself is another thing to consider. How many places have you applied to in person? Have you used correct grammar and spelling? If you dropped them off as letters, were they creased? Were you tidy?
I say this because as I have been that person who can't find a job. many times because I didn't have enough relevant experience. What sucks more is a lot of places want to see you have lasted a long while in one paid job. It shows commitment, competence and stamina.
Don't forget that it is very hard out there in the job market. Don't be too disheartened if the first 100 jobs you apply to don't work out. There is a lot of competition.
Others are right, you may be applying to jobs you aren't qualified for or are overqualified for. How you present yourself is another thing to consider. How many places have you applied to in person? Have you used correct grammar and spelling? If you dropped them off as letters, were they creased? Were you tidy?
I say this because as I have been that person who can't find a job. many times because I didn't have enough relevant experience. What sucks more is a lot of places want to see you have lasted a long while in one paid job. It shows commitment, competence and stamina.
Don't forget that it is very hard out there in the job market. Don't be too disheartened if the first 100 jobs you apply to don't work out. There is a lot of competition.
why would they pay a 16/17 year old 7.90 when the min. wage is £4 and they can employ a 25 year old for £7.50 who will work full time and not leave because of college
Original post by zayn008
I have a pretty decent CV with 2 months employment at Waitrose and a week of work experience in Theresa May’s Office. I’ve sent my CV off to numerous places but haven’t heard back/been rejected twice. Ideally I’d like to work in Tesco because of their Sunday pay and I’m not too keen on working for less than £7.90 since that was what I was paid in my last job. I’ve also got great AS levels and good GCSE grades but I just can’t seem to find a job
I was hoping people could recommend places to apply to and things to brush up my CV? I’ve included activities not linked to employment and school such as doing photography, charity and sports.
It just annoys me that I reckon I’m pretty well qualified and get rejected by Tesco (no offence but have you seen the people they employe? The amount of times I see them messing around, unable to help, unable find items when asked and unable to speak proper English when customer service is in their title, it’s just ridiculous).
Also is it acceptable to request feedback on my application?
I was hoping people could recommend places to apply to and things to brush up my CV? I’ve included activities not linked to employment and school such as doing photography, charity and sports.
It just annoys me that I reckon I’m pretty well qualified and get rejected by Tesco (no offence but have you seen the people they employe? The amount of times I see them messing around, unable to help, unable find items when asked and unable to speak proper English when customer service is in their title, it’s just ridiculous).
Also is it acceptable to request feedback on my application?
Have you used the TSR CV service?
If you're not in it for the money so to speak, then why do you refuse to take a job that pays less than 7.90 an hour? I know that's what you used to get paid, but there are very few jobs that will pay over the minimum wage for people our age.
When I got my first job I was on £4.50 an hour. Then I moved to a job that paid £6 an hour but had to leave due to illness. When I got better, I wasn't taken back so I had to keep searching. I kept getting rejections like you, but got accepted to one that paid minimum wage (I was 18 at the time and it was 2015 so I think it paid like £5.30 an hour). I took the job because a) I needed the money and b) like you, I was getting bored at home. I simply stuck it out until I was offered a job that paid better. I got offered one that paid £6.70, then £7.20 and then £7.50 (when the living wage came in they didn't wan't to pay less due to age so kindly paid me living wage like everyone else but they don't HAVE to. Like I said, most places don't pay you more than the minimum they need to. I was just lucky).
I don't know whether this is the norm for everyone. But I found it easier to find other jobs while I was currently in one instead of umemployed and job searching.
I know it's sucky, but you really do just have to stick it out. In this job climate no one can be picky. If you can't stick out *****y, low paid jobs and can afford not to work then don't.
When I got my first job I was on £4.50 an hour. Then I moved to a job that paid £6 an hour but had to leave due to illness. When I got better, I wasn't taken back so I had to keep searching. I kept getting rejections like you, but got accepted to one that paid minimum wage (I was 18 at the time and it was 2015 so I think it paid like £5.30 an hour). I took the job because a) I needed the money and b) like you, I was getting bored at home. I simply stuck it out until I was offered a job that paid better. I got offered one that paid £6.70, then £7.20 and then £7.50 (when the living wage came in they didn't wan't to pay less due to age so kindly paid me living wage like everyone else but they don't HAVE to. Like I said, most places don't pay you more than the minimum they need to. I was just lucky).
I don't know whether this is the norm for everyone. But I found it easier to find other jobs while I was currently in one instead of umemployed and job searching.
I know it's sucky, but you really do just have to stick it out. In this job climate no one can be picky. If you can't stick out *****y, low paid jobs and can afford not to work then don't.
Original post by zayn008
I have a pretty decent CV with 2 months employment at Waitrose and a week of work experience in Theresa May’s Office. I’ve sent my CV off to numerous places but haven’t heard back/been rejected twice. Ideally I’d like to work in Tesco because of their Sunday pay and I’m not too keen on working for less than £7.90 since that was what I was paid in my last job. I’ve also got great AS levels and good GCSE grades but I just can’t seem to find a job
I was hoping people could recommend places to apply to and things to brush up my CV? I’ve included activities not linked to employment and school such as doing photography, charity and sports.
It just annoys me that I reckon I’m pretty well qualified and get rejected by Tesco (no offence but have you seen the people they employe? The amount of times I see them messing around, unable to help, unable find items when asked and unable to speak proper English when customer service is in their title, it’s just ridiculous).
Also is it acceptable to request feedback on my application?
I was hoping people could recommend places to apply to and things to brush up my CV? I’ve included activities not linked to employment and school such as doing photography, charity and sports.
It just annoys me that I reckon I’m pretty well qualified and get rejected by Tesco (no offence but have you seen the people they employe? The amount of times I see them messing around, unable to help, unable find items when asked and unable to speak proper English when customer service is in their title, it’s just ridiculous).
Also is it acceptable to request feedback on my application?
Call me picky but phrases like ....not keen on working for less than ...... absolutely no motivation........ have you seen the type of people Tesco employ...... makes me think that these types of jobs are beneath you.
Look at it from Tesco point of view ... you left Waitrose after two months... why will you not do the same to Tesco. They are inundated with applicants at this time of year.
My advice to you is to do charity shop work. It shows commitment, is always good on cv and scan be put on personal statement. You said yourself you don't need money, why not just get the best a levels and then you will never have to work in Tesco.
Original post by squeakysquirrel
Call me picky but phrases like ....not keen on working for less than ...... absolutely no motivation........ have you seen the type of people Tesco employ...... makes me think that these types of jobs are beneath you.
Look at it from Tesco point of view ... you left Waitrose after two months... why will you not do the same to Tesco. They are inundated with applicants at this time of year.
My advice to you is to do charity shop work. It shows commitment, is always good on cv and scan be put on personal statement. You said yourself you don't need money, why not just get the best a levels and then you will never have to work in Tesco.
Look at it from Tesco point of view ... you left Waitrose after two months... why will you not do the same to Tesco. They are inundated with applicants at this time of year.
My advice to you is to do charity shop work. It shows commitment, is always good on cv and scan be put on personal statement. You said yourself you don't need money, why not just get the best a levels and then you will never have to work in Tesco.
I said I had motivation to work at Tesco and their pay is good so I am keen, social aspects seem decent at the store I applied too. I made it clear on the employment history that I enjoyed my job but the travelling and commitment to education made it too big a challenge. With young people they always run the risk of high turnover, but I’d be able to get on with the job needing little/minimal training.
My friend worked in a charity shop and said it was awful, he did it for work experience and then extended the time period - he applied to so many places and got rejected, but he works at Sainsbury’s now which is alright.
If I did work, I’d like to have a decent earning like I wouldn’t work at Legoland for £7 given the nature of the job, I wouldn’t do call centres or McDonald’s.. I’m not that picky I just want a job I’ll enjoy and gain from. Although I don’t like charity shops, I’ll definitely start doing more charity work since I enjoy it
also, I’d definitely like to work at Tesco during uni since a Sunday morning shift would bring in like £85My first job was in Currys PC World on £4.41 an hour when minimum wage was like £3.50 at the age of 16. I'm certain that gave me the skills to get better jobs but god did I hate sales.
£7.90 does seem a little unreasonable for a 17 year old. Would you compromise for a job you enjoyed?
£7.90 does seem a little unreasonable for a 17 year old. Would you compromise for a job you enjoyed?
Original post by johannarebecca7
If you're not in it for the money so to speak, then why do you refuse to take a job that pays less than 7.90 an hour? I know that's what you used to get paid, but there are very few jobs that will pay over the minimum wage for people our age.
When I got my first job I was on £4.50 an hour. Then I moved to a job that paid £6 an hour but had to leave due to illness. When I got better, I wasn't taken back so I had to keep searching. I kept getting rejections like you, but got accepted to one that paid minimum wage (I was 18 at the time and it was 2015 so I think it paid like £5.30 an hour). I took the job because a) I needed the money and b) like you, I was getting bored at home. I simply stuck it out until I was offered a job that paid better. I got offered one that paid £6.70, then £7.20 and then £7.50 (when the living wage came in they didn't wan't to pay less due to age so kindly paid me living wage like everyone else but they don't HAVE to. Like I said, most places don't pay you more than the minimum they need to. I was just lucky).
I don't know whether this is the norm for everyone. But I found it easier to find other jobs while I was currently in one instead of umemployed and job searching.
I know it's sucky, but you really do just have to stick it out. In this job climate no one can be picky. If you can't stick out *****y, low paid jobs and can afford not to work then don't.
When I got my first job I was on £4.50 an hour. Then I moved to a job that paid £6 an hour but had to leave due to illness. When I got better, I wasn't taken back so I had to keep searching. I kept getting rejections like you, but got accepted to one that paid minimum wage (I was 18 at the time and it was 2015 so I think it paid like £5.30 an hour). I took the job because a) I needed the money and b) like you, I was getting bored at home. I simply stuck it out until I was offered a job that paid better. I got offered one that paid £6.70, then £7.20 and then £7.50 (when the living wage came in they didn't wan't to pay less due to age so kindly paid me living wage like everyone else but they don't HAVE to. Like I said, most places don't pay you more than the minimum they need to. I was just lucky).
I don't know whether this is the norm for everyone. But I found it easier to find other jobs while I was currently in one instead of umemployed and job searching.
I know it's sucky, but you really do just have to stick it out. In this job climate no one can be picky. If you can't stick out *****y, low paid jobs and can afford not to work then don't.
Because I want to feel like I’m spending my time well, at this age most jobs don’t give a huge amount of experience but you get some. I think a good pay compensates that so at least out of work I’ll be able to try new things, and I’d like to save up/become more financially independent, like I said there’s things I wouldn’t ask them to fund and some of the things I want are quite expensive and I’m not sure my parents would approve let alone fund it..
You’re right, I should just get my CV out there and take whatever comes because I’d be more motivated to look for a new job, and it looks better saying you’re currently employed rather than currently unemployed
it’s also about university, I realise my CV could be better and I don’t want this issue when it comes to finding a job in my first year.Original post by -=|Jay|=-
My first job was in Currys PC World on £4.41 an hour when minimum wage was like £3.50 at the age of 16. I'm certain that gave me the skills to get better jobs but god did I hate sales.
£7.90 does seem a little unreasonable for a 17 year old. Would you compromise for a job you enjoyed?
£7.90 does seem a little unreasonable for a 17 year old. Would you compromise for a job you enjoyed?
Woah! My friend worked there and said he didn’t enjoy it
I’m 18
and definitely. If the experience and enjoyment was high I’d settle for anything, but since at my age the main job is retail there aren’t many jobs that way
TESCO is incredibly hard to get a job at. As stated previously, everyone and their uncle applies to the big supermarkets because of their pay, especially TESCO because of their double Sunday pay. Unless you have extensive customer service experience then I would not waste your time on it. Gone are the days when you left school at 16 and could walk down to your local Sainsburys in person and ask for a job and they'd be like "yeah sure, stick on a jacket..". Now you are being forced to take psychometric and situational tests even before the interview stage. Lucky for me when I left school 6 years ago, my local Sainsburys was literally run by school leavers and so it was pretty easy to get a job there.
Original post by addingishard
why would they pay a 16/17 year old 7.90 when the min. wage is £4 and they can employ a 25 year old for £7.50 who will work full time and not leave because of college
But they do.. I’m not being unrealistic. This is the starting pay for Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, I think Tesco’s is £7.80. Most supermarkets pay teens well and employ a large number of them
P.S. If I was an employer in a supermarket and saw someone had written experience working in Theresa May's office I would laugh and then throw their CV in the bin. Maybe delete that from your CV. Supermarkets do not care about that kind of thing. When I worked at a pub, we used to get a lot of CVs handed in to us and the staff would read and laugh at them because of how pretentious and idiotic some of them were before handing them over to the management (it was quite funny to be fair, lol).
Original post by PepticSalve
Get yourself registered with every employment agency in the region. Take WHATEVER work they offer you, no matter how degrading or unattractive.
In my early years I worked in curry factories (gross), call centers (suicidal), warehouses (exhausting) and in shops stacking shelves (tedious). The point is that a job is a job, and at your point in your life I'd take anything you can get.
And I stuck out all of those jobs for at least 2 weeks. The call center was the worst though, by the second week I was just about ready to jump out of the window and end it all! The curry factory was a close second...
In my early years I worked in curry factories (gross), call centers (suicidal), warehouses (exhausting) and in shops stacking shelves (tedious). The point is that a job is a job, and at your point in your life I'd take anything you can get.
And I stuck out all of those jobs for at least 2 weeks. The call center was the worst though, by the second week I was just about ready to jump out of the window and end it all! The curry factory was a close second...
What do you do now and what did you study? (Not that it matters; I've seen unemployed engineers, I am just curious).
I'm 18 (just finished a levels) and spent the whole of year 13 working in a pub/restaurant and am still there now, although the pay is only £6.50 an hour I've saved nearly £3000 this year and have shown commitment to one employer. You should really lower your wage demands as jobs are hard enough to come by and you're ruling out most of the people who would employ you by dismissing them as being low pay. Lower wage demands, get any job you can, get experience, save and it will lead to more opportunities in the future.
Original post by Cubone-r
P.S. If I was an employer in a supermarket and saw someone had written experience working in Theresa May's office I would laugh and then throw their CV in the bin. Maybe delete that from your CV. Supermarkets do not care about that kind of thing. When I worked at a pub, we used to get a lot of CVs handed in to us and the staff would read and laugh at them because of how pretentious and idiotic some of them were before handing them over to the management (it was quite funny to be fair, lol).
I was thinking the same but it was kind of the main reason I got my job at Waitrose
since it’s all the lady asked about in my interview. now she’s embarrassed herself there’s really no point, I guess I’ll brush over it
thanks 👍🏼Original post by zayn008
I was thinking the same but it was kind of the main reason I got my job at Waitrose since it’s all the lady asked about in my interview.
now she’s embarrassed herself there’s really no point, I guess I’ll brush over it thanks 👍🏼
since it’s all the lady asked about in my interview. now she’s embarrassed herself there’s really no point, I guess I’ll brush over it
thanks 👍🏼Waitrose is a completely different kettle of fish than TESCO. The two supermarkets have two completely different cultures and customer demographics. I'm sure as you know Waitrose is a very middle-class customer base and the people who work there tend to be of that ilk also, and so would probably appreciate that kind of experience. Whereas TESCO are aimed at more the everyday person.
I was in Waitrose once and someone's child was crying and having a tantrum because her dad refused to buy her some sushi... It just shows the complete difference between the two stores.
Anyway, good luck with your search!
Original post by PepticSalve
I'm currently chief radiotherapy engineer in the NHS (earning > 30k), been a radiotherapy engineer for 8 years now. I'm about to retrain as a clinical scientist though, and go back to university (hence why registered on TSR). I have two degrees, my first was Computer Science, which I graduated with a 2:1 way back in 2007. Then I joined the NHS on a technical training scheme in 2009, part of which included a 6-year part time Electronics degree through Anglia Ruskin University, which I graduated with a 1st in 2015. Also did a 3-year diploma in Radiation Engineering with IPEM (distinction) and about to do an MSc in bioinformatics as part of clinical scientist training...
It's amazing what good qualification & work experience can get you in life! The 1st class electronics degree especially opened up a lot of doors. This is why my advice to anyone who will listen is work your socks off at university and get that 1st! It's extremely valuable, especially in STEM.
It's amazing what good qualification & work experience can get you in life! The 1st class electronics degree especially opened up a lot of doors. This is why my advice to anyone who will listen is work your socks off at university and get that 1st! It's extremely valuable, especially in STEM.
Congratulations, you're a winner.
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