No work without experience

I can find no work without experience and can get no experience without work. How do I get round this trap? It has been suggested that I do voluntary work but I cannot afford to work 6 months without pay. Even the most menial jobs seem to require 6 months experience. Any suggestions?

Ah HA, the chicken and the egg. What are your qualifications and what sort of job are you looking for?

Just GCSEs. I am literally looking for anything. Even shelf stacking in a supermarket seems out of my reach.

Have you tried places like Waterloo Job Shop?
http://www.waterloojobshop.co.uk

I have been to waterloo jobshop. I do not meet their criteria for help.

It is mad how much people require experience for jobs where it just isn't relevant.

I suggest that you first try to get a job through someone that you know, who can personally recommend you or, failling that, lie on your CV to get a foot in the door. You certainly wouldn't be the first to do so (I've worked in recruitment for the last 17 years so I am basing this on experience!)

Lastly send your CV (probably best without lies) to companies which you think you might like to work for - again - ask around for suggestions. Where you have a lack of experience you could give a personal profile explaining your hopes career wise and your attributes (such as hard working, keen & quick to learn, outgoing, logical... whatever is appropriate).

Also - get registered on the online Job Boards such as Monster.com - many firms source new employees directly from these.

Good luck in your search for work.

Birdie wrote:

... or, failling that, lie on your CV to get a foot in the door. You certainly wouldn't be the first to do so (I've worked in recruitment for the last 17 years so I am basing this on experience!)

Sound advice. Nothing too fantastic - for now anyway :o)

Or, if you are just looking for casual work (you mentioned shelf stacking) - try bar work, quite a few of the bars round here are looking for people.

Good luck!

Sorry to be personal, but how old are you? What gender? what GCSEs did you get? (I'm asking because if it was Maths and Science it's one thing, if it's Communications and Bottle Washing that's something else). Experience for SHELF STACKING??? Are they BONKERS?

have you tired to get some temping work - it may not be exciting but dare I say it with christmas coming up there may be some opportunities for work and experience.

persilultra wrote:

Even shelf stacking in a supermarket seems out of my reach.

Must resist comment about getting a box to stand on....oops.


I confess I'm guilty of this - when I was recruiting recently there was a perfectly good candidate but it would have been her first job and I didn't offer her the position. If you're really not fussy what you do there must be something surely? What experience are supermarkets saying you need?!

Birdie's suggestions are (needless to say) spot on.