I was wondering if anyone could help me here.:)

I am 21, 22 in a fortnight, and I have never had a job. I left school in Year 10, and was put through to Year 10 even after I was told by teachers that I should never have even been in Year 9. I have about a Year 8 education, or that of a 14 year old.:eek:

I have done courses in English and Maths, but now I'd really like to get a job. Trouble is, I have no skills whatsoever. I am not all that experienced with computers, I have a hard time talking on the telephone as my hearing is not that good, and it can take me quite awhile to get the grasp of things. I am a slow learner, you can say.:(

A few years ago I was told by a woman that I would not get a job anywhere else but in a supermarket.:mad: I hated her for what she said, she made me feel stupid.:( But she was right. I did work experience in a supermarket, and I was not hired, because the manager told me I didn't have any initative.:rolleyes:

I have no idea how to write an application letter, as I don't know the appropriate words to use, if I were to write my own application letter, it would look like a 5 year old wrote it.:(

I don't want to do any more courses, as I am afraid I will be too old when I enter the workforce that no one will hire me.

So, how do I go about looking for a job? What does one do when they have no skills to offer? And why does everyone seem to want people who have experience? Every job advertisment I look at, they all want someone experienced. Experienced with computers, with answering phones, with retail experience etc. I have none of that! Even supermarkets want people with previous cash register experience as they are unwilling to train someone who actually wants to learn.

What can I do?:confused:

Aw, hun, I feel your pain. For the longest time I could not find a part time job if my life depended on it. I would go to many interviews, but I would always say the wrong thing, or get nervous and stutter. So I did not actually land a job until this summer.
When I finally went to the interview, I just acted normal, and I was myself. The manager saw that I had NO experience what so ever, but said it was ok and that it did not matter.
So I guess she took a chance with me and it turned out ok.
You do not need a degree in English or Math to work in retail. I am sure that if you keep looking, don't give up hope, and think postive, then something will surely come your way!
Good luck Shaelyn
Luv,
Mare

I can relate to you, hile IM currently finishing up my educatio, my dad has no qualifications other than a highschool diploma, and he's an ex alcoholic/drug addict.
Though he's healed himself from 12 years of abuse very well, he's become very religious and spiritual and the nicest man I know. BU when it comes to finding a job, he's no thte smartest, one thing, he's always totally honest, which is not always plus side.
he's unemployed and he has 4 kids to support and a wife, life isnt easy, we have to cut corners and everything (im just letting you know that you're not alone)

his last job, another family member helped him find one, so dont be afraid to ask for favours, and push really hard, keep trying, someone will hire you eventually and when that happens, dont give that person a reason to fire you, do what you have to.

goodluck man, the whole world seems to be lacking jobs nowdays :(
keep your chin up. :)

Im 15, turning 16 next june, and am trying to look for a job. Its pretty hard becuase of my age, but also becuase my parents are divorced and my dad lives in Illinois and i live with my mom in NC. I go to my dads house during the summer for two weeks at a time, sometimes three, so thats why its really hard for me.

I found a job advert in the local paper this weekend, there is a new store opening in town, a fruit store, and the advert said that they are looking for people to operate the registers and all that. It also said you need no experience, so I am going to apply for it, and see what happens.
I am hoping I will have a better chance of finding work in a new store that has just opened rather than one that is just looking for a replacement for someone.:)

The only way to get "experience" or "skills" is to just do it. That may mean starting at the "bottom" but the only to go from there is up! Sometimes even having a degree doesn't qualify you for alot of jobs, unless you have something very specific in mind. Experience is the key. I have had a number of jobs from pumping gas to selling plants at a nursery to selling womens shoes at a department store.

Try the fruit store job, you might discover some interesting options from there. :cool:

I am 16 and I have 3 jobs - I manage to hold them all + School + My Band

The thing i find is organisation, you dont have to be the brightest person just pretend you are, look organised, be well prepared and take chances!I got my last job by saying to someone 'well hey if you like me so much why don't you hire me' and she said 'oh well maybe I will'
Ask around friends and family, the more people who know your looking for a job the better - people talk and stuff like that

Good luck with finding a job mate!

"A few years ago I was told by a woman that I would not get a job anywhere else but in a supermarket.:mad: I hated her for what she said, she made me feel stupid.:( But she was right. I did work experience in a supermarket, and I was not hired, because the manager told me I didn't have any initative.:rolleyes:"

Please don't let this one nad experience dictate your life. I've got a degree from a top English Uni and I'm a web designer but I can't work a cash register!!

I am terrible at remembering sequences and added with the pressure of taking peoples money, giving them the correct change, dealing with impatient customers and the prospect of screwing up and causing a huge line of people waiting to be served....well, it's time to get out the valium for me in that situation!

I used to work in a highstreet music store called HMV as a christmas temp and I was put on the cash register only in emergency situations after it was realised I suffered cashier fright and could never remember the procedure for printing a cheque.

Initiative comes with experience - some people are blessed and born with intellect and foresight, the rest of us have to make mistakes and apply the lessons learned until we snuff it.:p

I think any experience is good experience so definately apply for this fruit store job. If you get it, or something similar it will give you confidence in dealing with people and is a good indicator of whether you would be happy working in retail. Once you've worked in one store you've worked in them all, and you'll have business knowledge and people skills to apply to future jobs.

Thanks for all your encouragment.:)

I have just realised that this job I want to apply for needs an application letter, as well as a resume. I have the resume, but I have no idea how to write an application letter...I wrote two lines, then my brain shut off, and I had no idea what to write, what words to use...:(

Any tips on application letter writing?:cool: :confused:

I have never written an application letter in my life, but I am supposedly learning how, in my Critical Writing class. But, all an application letter is, is you telling the boss WHY you want the job, in hopes that they will give it to you. You have to write it in such a way that it says "Give me the job" instead of "You might want to hire me." Obviously you are writing that letter only because you want the job. If you didn't, you wouldn't be writing it. Right? So just be honest when you write it. You could start it off "In this world, it seems you need experience to get anywhere, but where is one supposed to gain experience? It is those jobs that offer bottom rung postitions that give people a chance to make something of themselves, and it is those jobs that unfortunately are most under-appreciated. But it is those people who hold those low-end jobs who make a difference in the world. Without them, there wouldn't be anyone to hold the metaphorical carreer ladder up. Without them, there would be no upper level jobs at all...." Then you might go into how you feel you would benefit from having the job. You can say "I" in this letter, too, because its supposed to be about you and how you would fit into the job position.

Hope that helps a little. Anyone can add or correct what I've just said, but at least I hope it gives a little insight into what will need to be done.

If i remember rightly the rough guideline for an application letter is....

to explain what the job is that you are applying for and why you feel you could do well in the job should you get the oppertunity.

Then say about what qualifications or previous job experience you have. If you don't have any job experience then say about school. If you have done something in general life that you feel will be of interest to them and could make you seem a good candidate for the job mention that as well.

Describe the good qualities about yourself and why you think these would make you perform well in the role you are applying for should you be offered it.

Thank them for their time and say you hope to hear from them soon.

Write yours sincerely and then put your name.

Also if possible type your letter and make sure you use the letter writing format you should have been taught in school

Alright this is kinda random and it's DEFINATLY not for everybody, but I easily got a job as a nanny at www.greataupair.com. You can set your price range, how many kids you're willing to watch, whether or not you're willing to do housework or what. I had a similar problem, so I got this job while I lived in California, and I now I live in New York in an apartment that I don't pay a penny for, where I take care of a 6 year old girl and get paid decently. I wasn't really in it for the money, more for the experience, but you can set your price range as I said...so maybe you can find a job where you can save up for something bigger and better. It's kinda tough at times, because I do a lot of commuting and I cook and clean as well. But you can make it clear what you're willing to do. Okay it's random and not for most people like I said, but it's just a suggestion...and it helped me!

If you've got the cv/resume done then the application/covering letter is the easy part. There is no need to waffle in the application letter, the shorter you keep it the less convoluted and fake it sounds. You want to come across as a no-nonsense person - not a chump who blatantly swallowed a thesaurus.

Follow the link below for a guide on writing a covering/application letter and an example, or just do a search for "covering letter" in google.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife/.../letters.shtml (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife/work/applications/letters.shtml)

Libraries have books on cv/resume writing, the internet has tons of guides on how to look for work, what employers want etc.

Spiderfall is write, don't gone on in your app letter. 5 sentences max. Employers look for attitude and some of it comes through your app letter. Briefly sell yourself, leaving them wanting to know you. In the interview, smile! Be relaxed and make a friend of the interviewer.

For all it's worth, you have very good grammar skills and I believe you will eventually land yourself a job you will love. Life is too short, go get them!;)

If you're really desperate for some kind of a job, I'm positive that you'd be able to get hired at a cleaning service or a plant. But I would strongly recommend trying to obtain a diploma at least in your spare time (otherwise you'll be very limited in jobs the rest of your life, especially in this day and age). Trust me, it's never too late to try and get a better education... employers do not look as much at how long it took you to get your education, all that matters is that you have it. (Unless the specific jobs requires younger folk or something, but c'mon... you won't be that old if you just go for your diploma.)

The jobs I mentioned above will usually hire people that are over 18. The key is that you do not want to let an employer know that you do not believe you have any skills. You must have some kind of abilities or something that you can beef up into something that sounds real great. Are you good at memorization, organization? Are you a hard worker, determined, focused? Can you lift heavy loads? Can you retain lots of information, follow orders/directions well (this is a BIG one nowadays)? Are you a quick learner? Think of something that you do, nearly everyone has talents that they can use to their advantage to say that they have "skills" and I know that you have some.

Just remember to never make it out to be like whatever skills you have can be a negative. For instance, if you say that you're a quick worker and you can get things done in time, you'll want to make sure that you don't give them the impression that you rush to get things done and that your end results are usually sloppy. Be clever with it... and make sure your skills can be applied to that particular job.

The most important advice I can give is to be persistent. You have to keep on applying, keep on asking for an interview, show up in person as much as possible, look presentable, etc. If you fight for a job, the employer will take notice. So whichever jobs you're interested in... you'll have to work hard to get them. Remember, you can't expect to get that much of a high-paying job unless you go for the cleaning service/plant/factory jobs. You won't be able to do all that much better than minimum wage at most places with a lower education (though your being an adult helps a lot).

I hope I helped you out a little bit... good luck, and let us know when you get a job! ~.^

End.

In a cover letter:

* Emphasize your skills, elaborate on those skills that you believe will be the biggest benefit to the company. Generally your resume will contain a bulleted list of your skills, but won't have how experienced you are. The cover letter is a good place to emphasize that.

* Don't be afraid to use a bulleted list in your cover letter.

* Don't talk about why you need the job. They don't care that you really need it to keep citizenship or that your children will starve without it, they care about whether you can do the job. The most you can reasonably do is establish a reason for your job search,and even then don't belabor the point.

* Keep it under 1 page.

* State whether you are willing to relocate, along with any other criterion that may be important to the employer.

The cover letter is basically a "letter of introduction" between you and the employer, so make a good first impression. If you are applying for a job where writing is a requirement, the cover letter is particularly important because it is the first example they will see of your writing ability.

So i picked up an application for Carvel (if any of you know what that is?)

keep your fingers crossed!

Yeah finding a job is not fun. It takes just as much work to find and you don't even get paid for it! Most of the time these days the best and seems like the only way to get a job is by knowing someone. Ive sent in tons of applications over the years and I had maybe 2 interview from them. Most of my jobs have been from people I've known and I've been out of work for awhile now. It sucks and it's hard but something will happen. I'll keep my fingers crossed for both of us :)

I was wondering if anyone could help me here.:)

I am 21, 22 in a fortnight, and I have never had a job. I left school in Year 10, and was put through to Year 10 even after I was told by teachers that I should never have even been in Year 9. I have about a Year 8 education, or that of a 14 year old.:eek:

I have done courses in English and Maths, but now I'd really like to get a job. Trouble is, I have no skills whatsoever. I am not all that experienced with computers, I have a hard time talking on the telephone as my hearing is not that good, and it can take me quite awhile to get the grasp of things. I am a slow learner, you can say.:(

A few years ago I was told by a woman that I would not get a job anywhere else but in a supermarket.:mad: I hated her for what she said, she made me feel stupid.:( But she was right. I did work experience in a supermarket, and I was not hired, because the manager told me I didn't have any initative.:rolleyes:

I have no idea how to write an application letter, as I don't know the appropriate words to use, if I were to write my own application letter, it would look like a 5 year old wrote it.:(

I don't want to do any more courses, as I am afraid I will be too old when I enter the workforce that no one will hire me.

So, how do I go about looking for a job? What does one do when they have no skills to offer? And why does everyone seem to want people who have experience? Every job advertisment I look at, they all want someone experienced. Experienced with computers, with answering phones, with retail experience etc. I have none of that! Even supermarkets want people with previous cash register experience as they are unwilling to train someone who actually wants to learn.

What can I do?:confused:

You should go back to a school that after you graduate, you are guaranteed to an internship. That's the best idea that I can come up with. Make sure you go to a college that has a field that you would enjoy working in. Best of luck to you and all the other people trying to find a job. (btw, i work a McDonal's. Fabulous, huh?)