Getting a job in today’s climate is hard, and we are competing against so many people to get small part time jobs as waitresses or sales assistants that we can’t be picky, and constantly have to be on the ball.
I have recently got a job. It took a long time, but finally I have found myself with hours of experience and small pockets of money. Since my effort has finally gotten me somewhere, I thought I would share some tips as to what you can do to help yourself get a job.
1) Keep your CV on one page
As a student, you aren’t going to have bags of experience or qualifications. You just need a small section with your details, a section for education, one for qualifications and other achievements, and 2 references. Employers don’t want to have to trawl through pages and pages of irrelevant information.
2) Tailor your CV to each job
If you’re applying to a job in Debenhams, look on their website for what they look for in an employee, and pick the attributes you have to put in your CV; don’t just use the same CV for every application.
3) Print your CV onto coloured paper
I don’t actually know if this one works, but I have tried sending my CV in to different shops on blue paper or green paper in an effort to stand out compared to other applicants, and secure a job. The key is to stand out, so anything that will achieve this is worth a shot.
4) Job websites are the new Twitter
Before I got my current job, I was scrolling through www.indeed.co.uk like it was my job. I would wake up and check for new vacancies when my eyes were just opening, and it was the last thing I checked before I went to sleep.
5) The scenario questionnaires
I have 2 tips for these: “I Always put the customer first”, and “I enjoy working in a team”. These are usually the right answers. I know this because for 2 applications I filled out, I had to do a quiz which told me if my answers were right or wrong.
6) You can’t be too picky with your hours
If you’re asked what hours you are willing to work, the more hours you give, the better your chances are. I put down any hours outside of school hours, knowing that if I did get a job, I would have to give up other commitments. This is about how far you are willing to go to earn a little extra cash and get some experience.
I hope this helps, and if you have any further suggestions, leave them in the comments.
