How on earth do i Actually get a part time job

I'm 17 years old. I only did a 2 week work experience program because of my secondary school and i have had no luck finding any job, everything requiring at least a year of experience whether it is retail, catering, cleaning whatever. It's literally almost impossible to find a job there unless you know someone who works there but the thing is I dont know anyone who works at any place so how the hell do i get a job when most places on indeed or whatever outright decline or just not even look your way.
Literally how do i get experience when every job needs experience.

Reply 1

YSJ_Alex

Official Rep

Original post

by windowmaker50

Hey!

Part time jobs can be super stressful to find when you’re just starting out, so I totally understand. Like you mentioned, a lot of jobs (including some of those that I’ve worked) can require knowing people, and it can feel unfair at times.

If you can’t find anything through people you know, I’d go around and ask in person to any small or family-owned pubs, cafes, restaurants etc. if they have any opportunities for a summer job. Smaller businesses typically won’t advertise online, so it’s best to ask in person. Also, oftentimes if you ask for a temporary job like a summer job, employers might be more inclined to take you on, because it means if they’re not keen on you, there’s a set time you will be leaving and it saves them the hassle of firing you. If you’re good at the job, they’ll most likely offer to keep you for longer as they’ve become used to relying on you. It might be rubbish work, like pot washing or cleaning, but unfortunately it must be done! As you said, it’s difficult times for jobs at the moment, but younger employees can be more appealing to employers because you’re cheaper to pay (totally sucks but unfortunately the truth), and oftentimes you’re willing to work weekends, which is a huge appeal. It might be worth going into a couple of chains such as McDonalds, Burger King etc. as they’ve been known to hire students/young people and train them up. Showing your face in-person shows enthusiasm and confidence that the employers don’t see from behind the screen.

Good luck job-hunting!
Best,
Alex
Student Ambassador

Reply 2

small-drug

I was in the same predicament as you about two years ago. I feel ya

Last year of college and I started to look for part-time. If your town is anything like mine, it will take a while. Mine took a year, so I had to take a gap year 🧍

For some reasons, dumb a** local governments in small towns keep building lots of apartments without investing in the town itself. Stores are closing left-right-and-center here; the building prices are stupid; big corporations keep deciding, yeah, i need two stores in this town so let's take up space; the stupid it now costs to park 24/7 that discouraged people travelling here. And obviously this means there is not enough jobs to support people, but they're so out of touch and greedy that nothing will be done about it.

Look in the nearby towns. Sainsburys, Mcdonalds (do not recommend it, worse 3 month job of my life), Starbucks, Costa, Waitrose, Home Bargains, Holland and Barrett are a few names off the top of my head that I know don't ask for experience. Waitrose, Costa and Home Bargains you need to directly look on their job website to see vacancies. Many other businesses are like this and as the other post said some don't advertise online. Mainly independent stores, but I've walked past a Waterstones in another town and saw the vacancy on their window saying to ask for email inside, checked later and there was nothing about it online so some big retailers do it too. Some do it online but don't use indeed, like Robert Dyas.

Redo your CV. A lot of my friends had really bad CV's, honestly. Plain and boring and ordinary and not very informative. Just stated their education and work experience and a few short bullet points of hobby and skills. I helped my friends build a new one by making it and structuring it on word and then asking for the relevant information, and ended up having to make one for my older sisters friend, too. So, don't be afraid to ask people for help :]

I had been out of college for a few months and had been ghosted 95% of the time by jobs (seriously, why do they expect us to be professional when they aren't themselves?) before I applied to Home Bargains Evening Team. Got an interview and was hired on the spot, so they must have been desperate and sometimes it'll be like that. But, I am being paid £13.55 an hour with an extra £1 each hour due to being in the London region, so I am not complaining. Got it by a stroke of luck of being there at the right time, and the job is nice with a smaller and close knit team than the day shift.

But, yeah, it took a whole year.

Reply 3

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

Original post

by windowmaker50

Hi,

Part-time jobs are hard to get when you’re starting off with little experience but here are some tips that helped me:

• Try applying to places that often hire young people with little to no experience like Nando’s, McDonald’s, KFC, Greggs, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Primark, H&M, JD, Sports Direct, cinemas, or leisure centres.

• Go into shops or cafes and ask to speak to a manager. Talking face-to-face can make a big difference.

• Put your two-week work experience on your CV. Even a short placement counts.

• Volunteer if you can at charity shops, libraries, or community centres. It’s a good way to get experience and sometimes leads to paid work.

• Ask friends, family, or teachers if they know of any jobs. Personal recommendations help a lot.

• Keep applying and don’t give up. The first job is always the hardest to get.

Make sure your CV and cover letter mention things like teamwork, communication, and being reliable, even if you learned those at school or through volunteering.

Hope this helps.

Tayba
Student Rep

Reply 4

nawfside

Original post

by small-drug

I was in the same predicament as you about two years ago. I feel ya
Last year of college and I started to look for part-time. If your town is anything like mine, it will take a while. Mine took a year, so I had to take a gap year 🧍
For some reasons, dumb a** local governments in small towns keep building lots of apartments without investing in the town itself. Stores are closing left-right-and-center here; the building prices are stupid; big corporations keep deciding, yeah, i need two stores in this town so let's take up space; the stupid it now costs to park 24/7 that discouraged people travelling here. And obviously this means there is not enough jobs to support people, but they're so out of touch and greedy that nothing will be done about it.
Look in the nearby towns. Sainsburys, Mcdonalds (do not recommend it, worse 3 month job of my life), Starbucks, Costa, Waitrose, Home Bargains, Holland and Barrett are a few names off the top of my head that I know don't ask for experience. Waitrose, Costa and Home Bargains you need to directly look on their job website to see vacancies. Many other businesses are like this and as the other post said some don't advertise online. Mainly independent stores, but I've walked past a Waterstones in another town and saw the vacancy on their window saying to ask for email inside, checked later and there was nothing about it online so some big retailers do it too. Some do it online but don't use indeed, like Robert Dyas.
Redo your CV. A lot of my friends had really bad CV's, honestly. Plain and boring and ordinary and not very informative. Just stated their education and work experience and a few short bullet points of hobby and skills. I helped my friends build a new one by making it and structuring it on word and then asking for the relevant information, and ended up having to make one for my older sisters friend, too. So, don't be afraid to ask people for help :]
I had been out of college for a few months and had been ghosted 95% of the time by jobs (seriously, why do they expect us to be professional when they aren't themselves?) before I applied to Home Bargains Evening Team. Got an interview and was hired on the spot, so they must have been desperate and sometimes it'll be like that. But, I am being paid £13.55 an hour with an extra £1 each hour due to being in the London region, so I am not complaining. Got it by a stroke of luck of being there at the right time, and the job is nice with a smaller and close knit team than the day shift.
But, yeah, it took a whole year.

Hi,

I know this is random but how do u make your CV stand out?