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impossible to get a job

Etoile2004

they say no experience needed but are always declining me, im 18, at university, no work experience. if I can't even get a job at McDonalds what hope is there for my life

Reply 1

Makai Sterling

Original post by Etoile2004

they say no experience needed but are always declining me, im 18, at university, no work experience. if I can't even get a job at McDonalds what hope is there for my life

I know its genuinely so frustrating, best hopes are going to small restaurants / shops in person asking for a job.

Reply 2

StriderHort

Something to remember is just because a job says there is no exp required to apply, in practical terms all applicants with any experience are going to be ahead of you.

Being a student will sadly put a lot of employers off, as they know they just will never be your priority. Likewise McDonalds are supposedly a fair bit pickier than a lot of people think.

As above If I had 0 exp on my CV I'd look at volunteering somewhere just to get that first CV entry and reference.

Reply 3

De Montfort University

Official Rep

Original post by Etoile2004

they say no experience needed but are always declining me, im 18, at university, no work experience. if I can't even get a job at McDonalds what hope is there for my life

Hiya!

It’s great to hear that you are looking for a job, but I am sorry to hear that it has been difficult so far. But let’s hope you can find one soon, especially one that is accommodating to the student lifestyle i.e not too many hours and / or late nights.

I would recommend getting in contact with your Career’s Team at the university (if you haven’t done so already) and looking at the university website for student jobs. By speaking to the career's team, they can inform you on any jobs within the university and possibly what's available in the area. In addition, the jobs advertised may seem more lenient if you haven’t got any previous work experience and understand the prior commitments you have as a student (e.g. attending lectures, reading weeks, additional readings etc.) For example, at De Montfort University we have Student Ambassador jobs (which is one of my part time jobs) and this role is incredibly flexible, optional and enjoyable as I have had some incredible opportunities presented to me through this role.

I would also recommend looking at some websites such as Indeed, LinkedIn, Unitemps and even Facebook.

If you have moved to a new city/ town for university I would suggest walking around with copies of CV to see if you can leave it anywhere because even if there is no part time work currently available there may be some soon or even temporary seasonal work. This may seem quite intimidating but the worse they can say is no, and I am sure they can relate to a time when they were looking for work. Even if it is due to yourself having no previous work experience perhaps see if there are any volunteering opportunities – whilst this isn’t ideal as a student at least you will be gaining experience plus volunteering always looks good on your CV.

From my friends’ experiences as students some of them don't work, some work in retail / food establishments, some work in their field of degree gaining experience and some just work seasonally. Why not also, ask around at university to your friends and peers perhaps they know of some work available.

And remember we all started from somewhere so even if you don’t have any work experience try and think about what you can talk about as an alternative and the transferable skills you have learnt. For example, you may have good organisational skills and you have demonstrated this by being a student, making sure you prioritise your lessons, hand stuff in on time etc.

I hope this helps, and I am sure something will be available soon

-Maddie, second year Health and well-being in society student at De Montfort University