Getting a job

[rouseytastic]

It's not easy. I'm 35 and was made redundant in January. Would like to think I've got a pretty good CV and I apply for at least 5-10 jobs a day. How many interviews have I had?.....1! And turned down.
I'm going to start doing courses and will have to try and reinvent myself in some way. It's really tough out there

 

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

I run a personal and social development programme for AITC that might help you. It runs over the summer and will improve your employability. It's also a lot of fun and include 2 weeks of residential trips, one at an outward bound centre. It's only £35 for the whole thing (accom, food, travel, activities).

You get a lot of opportunities to work on key skills and also get to deliver a community project for a charity. All great stuff for your CV.

I've currently got 100 people your age signed up.

It starts soon and we only have a couple of spaces free so you need to move quick.

If you're at a loose end for the summer and want to enhance your CV this could be for you.

PM me if interested.

 

[dougdeep]

Where do you live?

 

[Jbanged]

I understand times are tough and there are a lot of unemployed people, but getting a job has really been getting me down. I'm 16, just finished school and am looking for a summer job. Every shop I go into either rejects my CV and tells me to apply online, which is literally impossible to find; or they don't get back to me even to tell me that I'm unsuccessful. Just makes me think I'm not good enough and has been getting me down, can anyone help me?

Just got to keep going mate. My girlfriend was told 2 months ago that her job would be finishing, she has been to over 20 interviews in that time. Even though at times it seemed impossible and she was getting down, she kept positive. Luckerly last week she was offered a job.
So just keep positive. You will get something

 

[Seagull]

Use any contacts you or your family have to ask around, seek information, look for different avenues etc. you never know what might turn up. Posting on here is a good start, well done.
When I was your age my brother and I had some luck borrowing my Dad's lawn mower and tools and then advertising in a local shop window for "garden services" - spent several days cutting a massive hedge!
What would you like to do or what can you do? Offering something may be more effective than just doing CVs which may not even be looked at (10 seconds max initially I am told by people I know in recruitment)
Recruiters see so many applications that look the same. Think of ways to make yourself stand out from the crowd. Do something different, it may just catch the attention.
And yes as others have said, show you have initiative and get up and go, by finding some voluntary work or anything that can be dressed up as experience. There are loads of projects that you could get involved in around Brighton - the AITC lead above sounds good for instance.
Something will turn up, keep going, don't persecute yourself, there's always luck involved as well.
Good luck!

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I've gone to both! The small shops take the CV and don't reply, whilst the larger chains tell you to apply online

I believe none of the big chains / supermarkets will look at anyone who turns up, it all has to be done on-line. It'll be policy I guess.

Good luck with it, keep trying. Do as many interviews as you can, even if you don't want the job, it's good practise. BTW - how can you have a CV at 16, what's on it, just your name ??

 

[WATFORD zero]

I've told this before, but my son was looking for part-time work when he was 16 a few years ago. Countless applications and got nothing. He went and worked voluntarily at the British Heart Foundation shop in western road every saturday for about 5 months. During that time he got experience with sorting and pricing stuff coming in, working on the till etc.

He then updated his cv with his experience and tried again. First application, he got the interview and job and they told him it was completely down to the fact that he had turned up every saturday and done a full day's voluntary work, off his own back. Good luck.

 

[countryman]

Good luck with it, keep trying. Do as many interviews as you can, even if you don't want the job, it's good practise. BTW - how can you have a CV at 16, what's on it, just your name ??

Name, date of birth, gcse's and a few cliches.

 

[Uncle C]

Good luck. You seem to be able to spell and constuct a sentance so that puts you above 50% of todays youth.

 

[edna krabappel]

i am looking for work and i am looking for bar work and retail work or leisure or anything else

B&Q are opening a store in Burgess Hill in September: there are banners outside saying they're recruiting at the moment if that's any use?

 

[edna krabappel]

good luck. You seem to be able to spell and constuct a sentance so that puts you above 50% of todays youth.

:d





...

 

[willyfantastic]

Im not much older than you and just found work after 9 months unemployed, was rejected for over 50 jobs in that period. At first the rejection is frustrating but once it happens a fair bit - you get used to it and dont care, think of it as its their loss that they dont get you !!

Frequently check Indeed.com - found this to be the best job website as it lists all jobs from the big companies/job websites/agency-style websites.

1 set of work I'd advise you not to do is marketing/field sales. Its commission only (which isnt clearly stated) and they lure you in with false things, you only get paid if you sell something and you can be treated pretty badly - I certainly was !! Was with a Hove based company for the record which does door-to-door in Sussex.

Handing out CVs to shops isnt the best way of doing things, posting your CV online is much better - more employers can view it then.

is this the same 'company' that spams all over Reed - i had an 'interview' with them where the first thing i had to do was get on a bus and go to a housing estate to sell wall insulation (i had to pay for the bus fare, lucky i had change on me, otherwise i guess i would have failed the interview) - to pass the first stage of the interview was to say i was ok with the fact you would only get paid in commission

needless to say i left after a couple of hours walking around - its sad to see people being exploited so badly by 'jobs' like this - but times are hard, and people are desperate

 

[Sam-]

is this the same 'company' that spams all over Reed - i had an 'interview' with them where the first thing i had to do was get on a bus and go to a housing estate to sell wall insulation (i had to pay for the bus fare, lucky i had change on me, otherwise i guess i would have failed the interview) - to pass the first stage of the interview was to say i was ok with the fact you would only get paid in commission

needless to say i left after a couple of hours walking around - its sad to see people being exploited so badly by 'jobs' like this - but times are hard, and people are desperate

I had the same thing ! Told them to shove it. And was told that hard work isn't for everyone. But we were selling charity donations. Made my skin crawl.

 

[Vegas Seagull]

Think whats needed right now : I bet if you walked into every shop from the Marina inc the Pier you'd get something before you got to the West Pier at this time

 

[strings]

is this the same 'company' that spams all over Reed - i had an 'interview' with them where the first thing i had to do was get on a bus and go to a housing estate to sell wall insulation (i had to pay for the bus fare, lucky i had change on me, otherwise i guess i would have failed the interview) - to pass the first stage of the interview was to say i was ok with the fact you would only get paid in commission

needless to say i left after a couple of hours walking around - its sad to see people being exploited so badly by 'jobs' like this - but times are hard, and people are desperate

This is all too common. My other half had an interview for a 'marketing' job a few years ago, she was already in a stable graduate job, but this job looked like a step upwards. The job description looked fantastic, however the 'interview' was selling perfume at the local high street and the advertised pay was actually 'what you could earn' through commission.

She decided not to partake in the 'selling' part of her interview, and learnt from the experience.

I guess the moral of the story is that researching a company is vital - not only will it give you an edge at interview, but it may also help weed out the timewasters and people that are blatantly trying to exploit people.

 

[Stat Brother]

I've gone to both! The small shops take the CV and don't reply, whilst the larger chains tell you to apply online

Are you going back to the independents a week or so later and asking if they had a chance to look over your CV?
There's plenty to be said for persistence.
Also are you handing them directly to the manager/owner?

(watch this NSC Stat gets old in one sentence)

Are you also dressed smart, none of this cap round the wrong way, trousers round your knees, showing your pants malarkey.
First impressions count, back that up with a bit of persistence and initiative, and you'll get there.

 

[hybrid_x]

go travelling mate - use Woofing or Helpx - then you dont need money.........last thing you want to do is get straight into the rat race - you might not be able to see any of the world till your in your mid 20's - and it might be an economic mess by then.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

is this the same 'company' that spams all over Reed - i had an 'interview' with them where the first thing i had to do was get on a bus and go to a housing estate to sell wall insulation (i had to pay for the bus fare, lucky i had change on me, otherwise i guess i would have failed the interview) - to pass the first stage of the interview was to say i was ok with the fact you would only get paid in commission

needless to say i left after a couple of hours walking around - its sad to see people being exploited so badly by 'jobs' like this - but times are hard, and people are desperate

Most of the jobsites really. They run a few campaigns, most recently was LoveFilm and now its a Deaf Childrens Charity. They actually sacked me after 2 weeks as they said I was "negative". It is exploiting at the end of the day. I worked 8 days of 9 hours a day and got paid £25 for the lot so them sacking me and me getting this new job with good hourly pay has been great for me !!

I had the same thing ! Told them to shove it. And was told that hard work isn't for everyone. But we were selling charity donations. Made my skin crawl.

Thats what this Hove-based company do. Making money from a charity is disgusting, felt bad going door-to-door and felt even worse "selling" it. I'd like to think there are hundreds of people this company have used.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Getting a job is no longer just a case of sending loads of applications off - you need to be bold.

When you apply for a job online follow it up with a phone call. Build a relationship with a few agencies - phone them a couple of times a week and speak to them, find out what they think of your CV, discuss the job market. You might feel you're being a pest but once you have these relationships in place your name will spring to their mind when they get a new suitable vacancy.

Also be a little pushy. For example, my partner was out of work for six months last year and she applied for a job online. When she phoned the agency she was told that the employer had decided that they had enough candidates for interview. She did no more than point out to the recruitment agent that her skill set exactly matched the required one and that the employer would be missing a great opportunity if they didn't at least see her. Hour later she gets a phone call inviting her for an interview - she then went and got the job !

Good luck - you need to be persistent.

 

[piersa]

I understand times are tough and there are a lot of unemployed people, but getting a job has really been getting me down. I'm 16, just finished school and am looking for a summer job. Every shop I go into either rejects my CV and tells me to apply online, which is literally impossible to find; or they don't get back to me even to tell me that I'm unsuccessful. Just makes me think I'm not good enough and has been getting me down, can anyone help me?

My tip would be, never ever give up. If you have the drive and ambition to work, as you seem to have, you WILL succeed. It may take some time but you will win.