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Can I get a placement year with no work experience (not even retail)?

I'm a first year econ student hoping to get into something data analytical or finance related.
I've been applying to part time jobs (probably like 50+) since September but had no luck and I want to apply for a placement august-october.
I think my CV was the problem and now I've improved it and booked a meeting with a careers advisor for tomorrow but if I don't get a summer job, then the only things I can add to my CV are that I'm student ambassador (but I've only done 2 shifts as there's not many available) and I was a volunteer when I was 16 at a charity shop for a couple months.
When I look at example CVs of people applying to placement years, they all have a part time retail job in the work experience section.

I was thinking of learning some coding and excel and doing some data analysis projects over the next few months but would I be be able to land a placement like this?
I feel like every CV has a part time retail job but me and I want one but I struggle to get a part time job, I haven't even had a single interview.
Hopefully this will change after I see the career's advisor but just in case I dont get one, I want to know if I would still be able to land a placement.

Reply 1

I don’t know as I am also struggling. I decided to take gap year before pursuing university and am applying to different part time jobs. Unfortunately hardly had a single interview.
Ended up doing Volunteer work at British heart Foundation.

Reply 2

Original post
by ILSA NADEEM
I don’t know as I am also struggling. I decided to take gap year before pursuing university and am applying to different part time jobs. Unfortunately hardly had a single interview.
Ended up doing Volunteer work at British heart Foundation.

Dang 😔 getting a job is so rough. Good luck
Honestly - just try and do more volunteering. I had only temp work (i'd been a christmas temp twice) uni ambassador work, and volunteering (but a lot, like 2 years of volunteering off/on) on my CV. I hadn't been able to have a regular part time job at college cause I was usually seeing my dad at weekends, and at uni i was doing ambassador work but absolutely shattered from studying most of the time.

I also think it isn't the end of the world if you don't have retail type work experience if you have other stuff on your CV to show you are reliable, because that's the main thing that work experience shows (that you will show up on time and generally be a safe pair of hands) - whether or not you actually get it will nearly always come down to your other skills (do you have the tech ability, do you have the right mindset to learn, are you going to be a nice person to work with). Other ways to show you are reliable might be including how you worked together on a group project in your cover letter, or if you had any unique responsibilities at university (like as a course rep, or something).
(edited 8 months ago)

Reply 4

Original post
by aspalax
Honestly - just try and do more volunteering. I had only temp work (i'd been a christmas temp twice) uni ambassador work, and volunteering (but a lot, like 2 years of volunteering off/on) on my CV. I hadn't been able to have a regular part time job at college cause I was usually seeing my dad at weekends, and at uni i was doing ambassador work but absolutely shattered from studying most of the time.
I also think it isn't the end of the world if you don't have retail type work experience if you have other stuff on your CV to show you are reliable, because that's the main thing that work experience shows (that you will show up on time and generally be a safe pair of hands) - whether or not you actually get it will nearly always come down to your other skills (do you have the tech ability, do you have the right mindset to learn, are you going to be a nice person to work with). Other ways to show you are reliable might be including how you worked together on a group project in your cover letter, or if you had any unique responsibilities at university (like as a course rep, or something).

that makes me feel a bit more relieved and hopeful 🙂 thank you

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