You may feel as though it is difficult to get a job without any experience and as you would expect, employers do look for previous experience but if you haven’t got any and are looking for a starting block then you need to be able to focus on what you can do and what you can offer to a potential new employer.
Below are some tips about what you can do to get yourself employed.
# Look at job adverts carefully
Read the job adverts carefully. You will need to look in the newspapers, in shop windows or anywhere that advertises roles, in the job centre etc. If you look carefully and keep on top of all the adverts as soon as they come out then you will find one that you may be able to do with little or no experience. It could also give you some ideas about the types of roles you would like to do or the types of companies that you would like to work for.
# Can you do some job training to help improve your skills
Have a look at the job centre and have a chat with an employment adviser to see if there is any training available to boost your skills and improve your chances of securing some employment. Any extra training that you can do will add to your skill set and give an employer something else to know about you and what you can do for them.
Related: The 10 Skills Employers Most Want
# Visit the job centre
Talking to an employment adviser at the job centre may help you with deciding what you can do with the skills you have which could be from school or college. The job centre may be able to help you with a placement, work experience etc which could lead to a job.
# Visit recruitment agencies for manual and no experience roles
Go round your local town centre and seek out all the recruitment agencies and take a copy of your CV and ask if you can talk to someone about your predicament and what you want to do or would like some help in beginning some work.
# Offer your services on a free week trial basis
If you live near somewhere you could offer a business your services for a free days/week trial so that they can see what you can offer to them and see if they would be prepared to take you on afterwards. This could get you a foot in the door if you do a good job and impress them.
# Do an NVQ qualification
By enrolling with a college and doing an NVQ qualification could lead to a placement which if you do a good job and prove yourself to a company then you could end up with a permanent position even after you have done your NVQ. It’s worth discussing it with your local college and seeing if there is something that interests you.
# Word of mouth
Do any of your friends or family know any employers that would be prepared to give you a chance and see if you are able to gain some experience by working with them? It’s always worth asking as people know more people than you realise and could help.
# Look for apprentice roles
Once you have an idea what you are hoping to do, start looking for companies that want to take on apprentices and will train them up and help them to learn about their business. This is easy if you know what you want to do but remember you need to come across well as being an apprentice at a company is a big investment for a company investing in your future.
# Take your CV and covering letter to local businesses
If you live somewhere where you can drop in your CV and covering letter at local businesses in the hope that one of them might look to take you on then by doing speculative applications will help your job search greatly.
See also: Job Search Tips
# Sign up to job websites
Register on job websites and ensure that your profile sounds great to build up your skills to a potential employer. Make sure that employers can search for your skills so that they may target you direct. It’s always worth a shot.
photo by: newsusa
