HawMan

Ok so i have some time and i need to get this off my chest - and mabye hear some solutions.



I left College in January 08' and since then ive been looking for a job.

Last month i went for an interview which involved working for the Local tour buses ( Selling the Tickets ) however i didnt get the job.

Ive been looking at local computer shops and i have sent my CV to one that is located not far from me, but i've had no reply yet.

Not only is finding a job quite hard, my Mum & dad are getting rather annoyed at me sitting around the house. I dont think they understand how hard it is.

I didnt want to sit around all day working on tills, however ive got to the stage where i'll work as anything.


My Main problem is that im only 17 with no previous employment history / references. Everwhere seems to require Experiance.

So, Anyone got any solutions? I feel the only way to get some references is to work voluntary - but i need money .

Long story i know, but its starting to annoy me

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deejay100six

Keep your chin up mate, when i decided to try getting into truck driving a few years ago, one of the ads i saw in the local paper said, don't fall into the, "no job, no experience trap".

To get the job, you need experience, but to get experience you need the job.

Don't they talk a load of B......s?

In the real world, an employer would say, "ok, i'll give you a try for a couple of weeks and if your no good, bye bye." But there isn't an employer out there with the bottle to do that anymore. They are all dictated to by some knucklehead in Belgium, which, basically consists of a load of Pr..ks.

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Regards, Dave.



If it ain't broke, don't fix it..

mimo2005

Have you tried restaurants and hotels ?
They always hire on summer time .

Try to get a taxi licence and work as cabbie , you can make some good money .

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deejay100six

I am a British ex cabbie and he's right but lots of hours.

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Regards, Dave.



If it ain't broke, don't fix it..

gistek

Unless you've been a total net potato all your life, you do have some experience.

Have you ever:
babysat
had a position in a church - even alterboy and choir member are good
helped a slower student catch up on something (counts as tutoring or teacher's aid)
delivered anything - especially on a regular basis
helped a neighbor

If you truly have no experience, set yourself a schedule.
For example:
8:00 am - go through the help wanted's - not just the ones in the morning paper.
9:00 am - reply to ads for any job you think you can handle and reasonably commute to (it's no good getting a job so far away that the net pay doesn't cover the petrol)
These two tasks should take you until 11:30 or 12:00 so take a one hour lunch break when you finish them
10:30 am - head out to look for help wanted signs - don't shirk this unless the weather's truly dangerous.
After Lunch (12:30-1:00pm ish) - VOLUNTEER somewhere. Head out to local places that need volunteers and ask how you can help.
Finish up your hours @ 5:00pm and head home.

BE FLEXIBLE
If the place where you volunteer needs you in the am, switch to pm job hunting.
If they want you in the evenings, then take the afternoons as your off time.

Basically you should be spending about 4 hours a day actively seeking work and 4 hours gaining experience by volunteering. You might have more than one volunteer job, and that's ok.

Job hunting by looking for help wanted signs during bad weather can be very good. If you are interviewed at the same time that you apply, the manager is likely to be impressed that you didn't shirk your job hunting due to bad weather, It shows you're willing to come to work no matter what.

Build a resume. Any time you work - volunteer or pay, add the important info, including your supervisor's name and work contact info to your resume. Take it with you everywhere. You never know when oppurtunity will arise.

Dress for success. I don't care if your looking for a janitor position. Wear a shirt with a collar and nice - NOT JEANS slacks. Clean shoes, matching socks, and neatly combed hair. If your hair is long, tie it back. Be ready to have it cut if you are offered a job and the manager doesn't want long hair.

Basically, you'll be "working" 8 hours a day, 4 looking for work, and 4 volunteering, at least 5 days a week. You might consider rotating your 2 days off and doing some job hunting every saturday. But NEVER, NEVER take Monday morning off. You have to go through the Sunday paper EVERY WEEK.

If you can't find enough volunteer work, look for odd jobs you can do to help neighbors. Ask anyone you help regularly if they would be willing to be a personal or job reference for you.

Who knows, you might even be able to start your own business helping folks out. One of my favorite Robert Heinlein stories is about a boy who started earning money by walking dogs. Folks he walked dogs for started asking him to help with other stuff. Eventually this grew into a huge corporation that provided all kinds of assistance for people. The company motto was, "We Also Walk Dogs."

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Kalim

You'll need experience in everything because a company in there to make profit for itself doesn't want to waste time/money training you or with the lack of your skill proficiency - that's what they guesstimate when they see no Resume work experience.

Within UK you can try and land agency work. This is an easy starter although it has many downsides to it. You should have many callups this way, many times pay might not be good. OTOH many times you can land very well paid starter jobs this way. After a little bit of experience keep looking to find something on your own outside and it won't be long before you can land it. Don't be fussy about them though or you get no where. Try and get at least 2 months experience under your belt with your first employer, one thing a potential employer will look to is your past commitment record.

Personally I started off long ago but I really never wasted time neither was I fussy. I worked 3 jobs a week while studying and took whatever came within a wide field, then kept moving to achieve my aims. That was since turning 16.

WereBo

Funnily enough, I'm presently on the 'New Deal 25+' scheme (a nice compliment - 25+ when I'm 54!!! ), run by my local Jobcentre. They sent me to a 'Training' company that helps with having lots of daily newspapers, PC's for job-searching, help with composing a good-looking CV, writing application letters, interview techniques and even free stamps and envelopes etc. They even pay travel costs to the training centre and any interviews you get

They've put me on a 'Work Placement' at the same training company, but at a different branch, where I'm having a truly wonderful time, helping the tutors, filing, making the 'Induction Packs' and generally making myself useful and (hopefully) indispensable. If they don't give me a job at the end, at least I'll have lots of extra skills to update my CV with.

One thing you can try though, is to find a company that you would like to work for - and feel confident you could either do the job or quickly learn what's needed, then either write or phone and ask for a 2-4 week 'work trial'. OK, it'll mean working for that period with no pay (just your unemployment benefits + £15 if you get onto the 'New Deal' Scheme), but if you impress the boss enough, and he offers you the position full-time, it's well worth the voluntary time spent there.

Don't worry too much though, you think it's hard finding work at 17? wait until you've turned 40 it's a lot harder. Reach 50 and finding a job is like looking for hens teeth . I've even been rejected for a job because I was 'Over Qualified'!!!

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DonaldG

First of all, I applaud your courage to front up with the personal problem in public. Even more for wanting to do something about it and having the gumption to seek help like this.

One way to gain experience is to work as a volunteer. I know that Social Services are desperate for personnel to work in establishments that care for people with learning difficulties. It takes a special type of person to take on this type of job. However, If you want to give it a try & investigate it contact your local County Council Social Services.

Until she retired recently, my wife was involved as a full time employee (not as a volunteer). She has had many 'volunteers' who worked for free and then offered a full time paid job.

Think about it - You get the experience and you get to hear about full time employment prospects that will never be advertised because it is offered to suitable volunteers...

What ever, I really wish you well and hope that employment will come you way very soon. Good luck, matey...

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sinclair_tm

Speaking of experience, my problem was that I had it, but not the college degree, so I got passed over. You may not what to hear this, but I'd say go back to college. I've been lucky in that I have been able to gets jobs over the years, but the pay is never that good. And now as a single father, it isn't cutting it, so I'm going back to school to get a degree. And most schools have job placement services for students that are close to graduation. And there are also summer interships for many degrees that you can get into that will give you experience.

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justpassingby

Hey, I heard that...

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HawMan

Thats what annoys me, I would love to get into being a computer Tech, but i need experiance just to get the job.


My dad worked in a restaurant and a hotel, He said it was a nightmare and that i should try and avoid them if i can.

As for a Taxi licence, I cant drive yet. And to get driving lessons i need money, and to get money i need a job


Unfortunatly i have pretty much been a net potato The only past experiance i have is being a paper boy around 6 years ago. However, the advice you have given me is MUCH appreciated. Thanks for taking the time out to help.

I didnt think about asking them to give me a few weeks on trial. That Seems a good thing to try. Like i said in my first post i have email a few places and none of them have emailed back. Phoning and asking for a 'Trial' may be a great Idea.

My Mum works with BUPA healthcare looking after people with Dimentia (sp). Voluntary work there may be possible, but again like i said im 17 and i need some money for going out / driving lessons etc, But if need be i feel voluntary work may be a good idea. Thanks for The Nice words and i too hope i get a job very very soon.

Funnily enough, my friend who was in my old college class says the next computing course starts in August. I loved college so much i wish i never left. So im very tempted to go back, Even if i done voluntary work from now till august that would be something for my CV. By The Way - I hope everything works out for you too. Good luck.



Once again, Thanks for all the info & Replys.

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Kalim

Computer Techy needs much experience in the UK?

Try Time Computers if you can, seriosly
Nearly every school leaver youngster I know starts work there or in similar places. At first in their call centre and then you move up if you show some expertise and fight for a position. I would definitely advise you to seek a certification in the field if you want to go further. IT does and will rule the future on earth.

Restaurant and hotel, very nasty work. Very. If you want experience, you can try it but I wouldn't advise it you.

Taxi in the UK? Minimum 3 years of license needed "I think" (?). Usually 21 is a requirement in many world places. Again unhealthy for you at such an age and a backache causer. Can make your driving good though...

WereBo

I'm not certain of how the system works in Scotland, but I managed to get my MS A+ certification from my local community college, whilst unemployed. I started out by getting the NVQ II - C. & G.II in PC repair/maintenance at night-school, and that convinced the community college that I was serious about going for the MS A+.

The course was for 6 months, but with having the knowledge and experience (both from the last exams and having been using/repairing PC's for several decades, I finished it in approx. 6 weeks and 'sat in' on the Cisco networking course, just to grab what I could learn.

I must admit, most of the networking stuff made a wonderful 'Whoooshing' sound as it went straight over my head. Being partly 'numerically dyslexic' wasn't helpful with understanding networking protocols, IP addresses, sub-net masks etc.

At 17, the world is your oyster so don't rush into a career, just because it's convenient. OK, take any job just for the money, but use that as a means to an end and keep focussed on your goals and dreams - they'll happen, eventually

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Garryson01

Hi Hawman,

I'm 21 and, until this job I have now, I had no experience of working in IT. I quit uni January 08 and for 7 months, I was sat at home doin nothing apart from working Saturday and Sunday at my local argos. Eventually I got a random job for 5 months that turned out to be really horrible but it gave me chance to look for a good IT job. Here is the solution I used:

Don't be afraid to sign on at the job centre, no matter how horrible it makes you feel, its £150 a week so its worth it!

Secondly, sign up to as many recruitment agencies as possible. If you have IT qualifications and are good with a keyboard, they will absolutely adore you and will get you loads of work. You have to ring them once a week to keep them thinking about you but its worth it. The work might only be temporary admin work but its work and it sets you up for the next part....

Apply for any IT jobs there are. I used the job centre plus website every day seeing what had come on. The job I have now was advertised as an experienced network administrators position but they re-wrote the job spec and here I am. Even if you go for a role askin for an experienced person, It may be that they like the sound of you and create a junior role.

Remember, in Britain, there are more IT jobs going round than there are people to fill them so, if a company sees someone they like who doesnt have the right qualifications for that role, they may take them on in a junior position and then train them up for the future

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Russell Bates
Network Administrator,
ATI Garryson,
Ibstock, Leicestershire

Kalim

Exactly. Don't get scared or hold back from fancy long titles. Go for them, most of the titles have little relevance to the job in question and overall you will find nearly every low-technicality IT based profession will accept you no matter how hard they make it look and sound.

l_b_rex

I believe that