Find out how to get one when you may have zero work expertise

Grace Pickett has been making use of for part-time jobs for 2 years now – with no luck.

The 18-year-old from Corby is hoping to move to Liverpool John Moores College to check historical past in September, and now her A-levels are over, she’s ramped up her job hunt.

However she’s discovered herself dealing with the identical difficulty many different younger individuals throughout the UK say makes it exhausting for them to get their first part-time or summer season job – not having sufficient earlier expertise.

“It is extremely irritating,” says Grace, who has been informed by a number of firms they can not rent her as a consequence of a scarcity of prior work expertise.

Lauren Mistry, from charity Youth Employment UK, which helps younger individuals discover jobs, says it is “a vicious cycle”.

“To have expertise, you want expertise.”

Grace volunteered at a charity store for six months and says she does not perceive why some employers do not assume that is sufficient. She’s been dropping off her CV in pubs, emailing potential employers, and filling in purposes on job web site Certainly – however hasn’t discovered something but.

A few of Grace’s associates have “given up” on their job hunts as a result of they do not assume they’re going to ever discover something, she says. She’s not reached that stage but, however she’s began to really feel pessimistic about whether or not she’ll discover a job earlier than the summer season ends.

Oliver Holton, a 17-year-old faculty pupil in Retford, can be struggling to discover a summer season job, regardless of almost 4 years’ expertise doing a paper spherical. Many employers within the retail and hospitality sectors need him to have extra particular expertise, he says.

Summer season jobs are extra aggressive than they have been 20 years in the past as a result of on-line purposes imply there are usually extra candidates for every job, says Chris Eccles, from jobs web site Employment 4 College students. Will increase within the minimal wage and Nationwide Insurance coverage have additionally affected hiring, in keeping with Lauren Mistry.

In addition to incomes cash, working part-time whereas at college, faculty or college, or throughout holidays may also assist increase your CV when the time comes to use to full-time jobs.

However figures from the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics present fewer younger individuals have jobs whereas learning than 30 years in the past. From 1992, when data started, to 2004, greater than 35% of 16-17 have been employed whereas in full-time training every summer season, in comparison with fewer than 20% in summer season 2024.

For these aged 18 to 24, a couple of third had jobs final summer season, which can be decrease than within the late Nineties and early 2000s.

We requested careers consultants what that you must do to to land a summer season job, and how one can stand out – even with no work expertise.

Many younger individuals get their first job in retail or hospitality. There are additionally part-time roles in healthcare, warehousing and workplaces.

Although many roles get posted on jobs boards like Certainly, LinkedIn and Reed, some employers solely promote them immediately on their web sites or social-media profiles.

Is it old style to drop your CV off speculatively at native pubs and cafes? Careers consultants assume it is nonetheless value attempting, particularly at smaller companies.

“I really want it when individuals are available,” says Edward Frank, supervisor of the Brewers Arms pub in Berwick-upon-Tweed. “It exhibits initiative.”

Jane Meynell, proprietor of Olive and Bean cafe in Newcastle, agrees. She says when candidates pop in with their CV it does not simply present their curiosity within the position, it additionally permits her to seek out out extra about their persona than she may over e mail. And if she does not have any vacancies, she usually retains the CVs on file, she says.

Even when employers checklist earlier work expertise as fascinating or required, they could be versatile when you discover different methods to show you have acquired the identical expertise, in keeping with Matt Burney, an advisor at Certainly.

“You are not going to be anticipated to have a very packed CV at 16, 17, 18,” he says.

Take into consideration how one can present you have discovered the abilities employers are on the lookout for -like teamwork, communication, problem-solving and group administration.

Careers consultants say this might be by means of volunteering at a charity store, being on a soccer group, delivering a presentation and even taking up caring obligations at dwelling.

When you’ve by no means written a CV earlier than, there are numerous examples on-line demonstrating how you can format them, in addition to templates.

Embody your contact particulars, then checklist your work expertise, when you’ve got any, adopted by your training and any volunteering or extra-curriculars. Matt Burney recommends conserving it to at least one web page. “Do not pad it out only for the sake of it,” he says.

“Make it simple for them to seek out your finest expertise and achievements with out having to wade by means of massive blocks of waffly textual content,” Chris Eccles says.

Present some persona however maintain the looks easy. Go for a dimension 11 or 12 font and “avoid highly-designed PDFs”, which CV-scanning software program could wrestle to learn, Lauren Mistry recommends.

And make the doc simple for the employer to seek out by saving it with an acceptable title, which incorporates your title, she provides.

Some jobs additionally require a canopy letter. This could summarise why you are within the position and why you are appropriate for it.

“It’s extremely simple to waffle,” Matt Burney says, however individuals ought to maintain it “quick and particular” as a substitute.

Cowl letters a bit like exams with marking standards, in keeping with Chris Eccles. Examine the job advert fastidiously to see which expertise and expertise the employer is on the lookout for – and be sure you embrace this data, he says.

It’s best to tackle the letter to the particular person recruiting, if you will discover their title on the job itemizing or firm web site, Matt Burney says. In any other case, open with “Expensive Hiring Supervisor”, and finish with “Sincerely” or “Greatest”, he recommends.

Some individuals use generative AI to craft CVs and canopy letters. Attitudes in direction of that change between firms, Lauren Mistry says – some massive firms scan CVs for AI and mechanically reject candidates who’ve used it. However others do not thoughts.

Sam Westwood, individuals expertise director at KFC UK and Eire, says AI is a “actually good place to begin” for writing a CV or cowl letter, and that recruiters at his firm “actively embrace” the know-how.

Careers consultants advocate that when you do choose to make use of AI, it is best to examine for accuracy and be sure you refine outcomes to point out your persona.

Do not stress an excessive amount of about your GCSE and A-Degree grades if you’re making use of for a summer season job. For part-time roles in retail and hospitality, “maths and English GCSEs should not be a barrier”, although the significance of examination outcomes varies by employer, Lauren Mistry says.

Most employers simply need to know that an applicant has good numeracy and literacy expertise, which they will exhibit by means of their CV, emails and job interview, she says.

Matt Burney advises individuals ask associates or household to conduct a mock interview with them or get an AI platform to generate some questions, and consider particular examples to your solutions. Chris Eccles recommends structuring your solutions utilizing the STAR reply technique – scenario, activity, motion, consequence.

Analysis each the position and the corporate as a lot as potential too. When you can, go to the place you are making use of to earlier than your interview – cafe proprietor Jane says the primary query she at all times asks candidates is whether or not they’ve been there earlier than.

It may be exhausting to know what to put on for an interview as a result of costume codes fluctuate a lot by firm. Lauren Mistry advises in opposition to carrying trainers, and recommends conserving your shoulders lined and avoiding blue denims. When you’re not sure what’s acceptable, ask the corporate how it is best to costume, she says.

Careers consultants say interviews are a two-way course of. It is not simply a possibility for an employer to seek out out about you, it is also a possibility for the candidate to be taught extra in regards to the position and the corporate. Asking questions exhibits your curiosity within the position too.

You’ll be able to ask about coaching, the corporate tradition, and what a typical day within the job appears to be like like. You may also ask in regards to the subsequent steps within the software course of and if you’re more likely to hear in regards to the end result.

And do not simply save your personal questions till the top – asking them all through the interview exhibits curiosity, Lauren Mistry advises.

Be sure to’re well mannered if you’re chatting with different employees on the firm. Managers usually ask different staff, like receptionists, what they considered the candidates, she says.

Matt Burney recommends sending a brief, well mannered follow-up e mail after your interview and says it will assist set you other than different candidates.