A
female
 ,
anonymous
writes:I am 17 years old and i don't understand what i am doing wrong! Every time I apply for a part time job, the place never gets back to me and people with less qualifications than me get the job. I have been trying to earn some extra money for about 2 years now but I am just so unlucky! What do I do?/ I badly need to be independent Financially as I start uni soon and plan to move out...even if I wasn't going to move out i never have nay money to buy stuff with, any ideas on how to make money?thanks
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reader, anonymous, writes (19 June 2006): Hi ..I work in recruitment so I have seen all the mistakes candidates can make that you can imagine and a few more to boot! - Ensure that your CV is properly formatted - several online recruitment solutions will offer you free advice with this. In your CV and cover letter highlight your willingness to work hard - make up for a lack of experience by bringing personality traits to the fore i.e outgoing, pleasant nature, dedication, motivation. Clearly read the job description and tailor your application to suit. Ensure that all spelling and grammer is correct. TAKE YOUR TIME - silly mistakes will keep you out of the running. A strong application will get you to interview - be honest, be relaxed but upbeat. Best of luck.
A
male
reader, Dr T  +, writes (19 June 2006):
Hi ..I work in recruitment so I have seen all the mistakes candidates can make that you can imagine and a few more to boot! - Ensure that your CV is properly formatted - several online recruitment solutions will offer you free advice with this. In your CV and cover letter highlight your willingness to work hard - make up for a lack of experience by bringing personality traits to the fore i.e outgoing, pleasant nature, dedication, motivation. Clearly read the job description and tailor your application to suit. Ensure that all spelling and grammer is correct. TAKE YOUR TIME - silly mistakes will keep you out of the running. A strong application will get you to interview - be honest, be relaxed but upbeat. Best of luck.
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A
female
reader, Hopeful +, writes (19 June 2006):
 *Check out some of the careers websites that list jobs, often they have helpful tips on how to put together a more professional resume, interview techniques, possible questions etc.
*Think outside the box in terms of jobs and take the first step. When I was at uni I got a part time job by simply printing off a stack of resumes and going down to a local huge shopping mall and going in to different stores and seeing if I could leave a resume with them. This shows you are keen and can save them a lot of time if they need someone.
*Talk to friends and relatives, someone may know someone who is going on holiday or leaving and needs a position filled. Once people know, they can keep their eyes and ears open.
*Do practise interviews at home with a friend or relative. Get used to answering questions and thinking on your feet if you are asked a question that takes you by surprise.
*Consider some temp work. It often leads to more permanant positions. After I finished uni I took a temp job that only lasted a week when someone was on holiday and I got a full time job out of it because my temp boss told my new boss that I was good value and my new boss had just had someone leave and hired me immediately.
*Take a course to help you - if you are looking for secretarial work, do a shorthand or computer course, if you are looking for nanny work, take a child care course, if you are looking for hospitality work, do a responsible serving of alchol course. These courses are cheap and ran everywhere so you should be able to find one nearby. It is pretty impressive to an employer to say "I'm currently doing a course to improve my computer skills" it makes you look kean, ambitious and hard working even if you haven't yet completed the course.
Hope this helps a bit!
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A
female
reader, Helen Help! :)  +, writes (19 June 2006):
 Hey Huni
Im 17 to and it took me months n months to get a job when i left college finally a friend got me a job at her place so why dont u ask you friends see if theres anything goin.
Good Luck
Helen x
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A
female
reader, Bev Conolly  +, writes (18 June 2006):
 For about eight years, I used to interview and hire new starters for the Commonwealth government, so I'll tell you what I've learned from being on both sides of the interview table.
1. Be realistic in your goals. There's no point in applying for a job that requires 60 words per minute typing, if you hunt and peck. Or, if the job states that you need tertiary qualifications in greenskeeping, and you don't have that certificate, then you're wasting your time.
2. There are *always* at least ten applicants for every job vacancy, so when you're starting out looking for work, you might have to scale back your goals a bit at first, with a plan to work up to a better job when you're employed and getting some experience. Retail and fast-food aren't the best jobs, but they give you valuable experience that you can take elsewhere.
3. Get an adult friend to go over your resume/CV and help punch it up. There are hundreds of good websites that show you how to have an eye-catching, positive resume. Use those resources, and avoid being too humble about your past experience, with bland statements like "good PC skills" and "I like working with people". You need to stand out from those other nine applicants!
4. If you have extensive hair/flashy dress sense/piercings etc -- any deviations that make you stand out and maybe look a little strange -- decide whether they're more important to you than a job. Potential employers don't want any trouble from their staff, and even though you might be a great person and perfect for the job, if you come in with fifteen nose- and ear-piercings, the interviewer is going to think "I don't need someone who's going to be making a lifestyle statement every time I turn around". And you're likely to be passed over.
5. At interview, dress as nicely as you would deem appropriate for your best day at that job. We live in a very casual society, but you can still make a good impression with an ironed shirt and a jacket!
6. Make eye contact with the interviewer, smile and project confidence that says "I can do a great job here!" Try to avoid ever saying "I don't know" to an interview question. Instead, think of a parallel situation and talk about that. Part of the interview is for the employer to see how well you think on your feet, so they sometimes throw in a wild question to check that.
7. If you get passed over, you're allowed to ask why. Ring up the interviewer the day after, and ask in a friendly way if you could have some feedback to improve your interview skills. Most employers can talk to you over the phone, some will make an appointment to see you.
8. Keep trying. If you miss out once, that doesn't mean you can't apply again! To an employer, this shows you're persistant and interested.
9. Keep studying. If there's a coffee shop where you want to work, take a barista course some weekend, so that you can show up with a recent qualification. This goes for any job. If you're studying for the qualification, they'll take you more seriously than someone who isn't.
10. Finally, consider temp-ing. You can list your skills and experience with a temp agency, and they'll send you out to places that need people for a day, or a month. This is a wonderful way to get noticed by companies and to broaden your skills base.
Good luck with it!
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