Hmph. As the title says, I can't find a part time job and I'm starting to get majorly depressed about it (at the wrong time too! I have exams in 4 weeks and, truthfully, I can't stop thinking about a job... silly, I know). To give a little information; I had a job briefly working at a corner shop when I was 16. However I quit after about two months because I couldn't handle the work load (I live alone, so I have to do everything myself and also education, either GCSEs or now A-levels). And I feel like that's holding me down a lot; I'm literally one of the last people of my year to get a job, and I feel like it's because I didn't get in early enough, you know? I mean, I'm 18/nearly 19 and I've never had a 'real' job, and I feel like that looks shit on my CV! D:... plus I don't think my appearance helps either. I have a lot of piercings that, truthfully, I am rather unwilling to take out. Everything else though looks professional/good hygiene/etc. And I know it sounds bratty to say, but I don't see why piercings are discriminated against when tattoos are not. (I wouldn't have a problem if x place refused to hire me because of my piercings if they didn't hire people with strikingly obvious tattoos that their employees don't cover, you know? Both look 'unprofessional' so) So does anyone have any tips? In the past 3 months I think I've handed out atleast 150 CVs and only had 2 interviews, both of which rejected me because I didn't fulfill the criteria or some other stuff. I'm starting to think I play the angle all wrong; I try and go in as formal and educated as possible and maybe come off too rigid/unsocial. Should I stop focusing on my academic achievements and instead try and come across as friendly as possible? (Not that I don't try to be friendly... but I thought employers would want to see me as professional rather than buddy-buddy). Also, just a little random question. Since I'm 18, I've been thinking of going into bar-work but I'm a little terrified at the thought. I'm not the most social person going in a strange environment, and it's a very social job, and I have absolutely no experience what so ever in that field of area. However I read online that most bars/clubs are happy to train you up and such, and in conjunction working in a club would most definitely let me keep my piercings. So do any empty-closet users have any insight on the matter? Would my lack of experience hold me back too much so I shouldn't even bother (and would my awkwardness hold me back? I think I'd only be awkward for the first month or so, but I'm worried that I would get fired in that amount of time >_>) So ye, does anyone have any tips outside of spam the crap out of your CV and hope for the best? So far that hasn't worked; it feels like I'm trying to hammer a square peg into a round hole and it's left me feeling really deflated and un-hirable. D: Edit: Also if this is the wrong place, please do move it. I just couldn't find any sub-forums that seemed suitable >_> and I wanted advice from ec and not a different forum or something because the people over here are much, much nicer! ;p
I had to give up my bar job to move to Spain, I had been working there since I was fourteen (not doing the bar until 18 though) and honestly you don't really need to be that social, just polite, quick and know how to handle a bit of banter. I just heard new owners took over in March so I don't have any job when I go back home next month either which is pretty crap. The only thing about bar/club work is that you really need to be able to hold your own, things can get messy at times. Piercings, etc. would definitely not be an issue in the vast majority of pubs and clubs. It feels crap being out of work, I haven't been able to find anything over here, even though I'm still in uni I like the sense of independence a job gives me. But with the way things are at the moment, finding a part time job is next to impossible unless you know people who know people and that sort of thing. Good luck though!
Some people do some voluntary work whilst they are looking for work, this looks good on your CV & gives you experience, some people go for agency work, which can be temporary or on going, bar work is good, I know someone who used to walk all around an industrial estate, knocking on doors asking for work & he always got a job
That seems easy enough! Thank you, you've definitely relieved some of my concerns about bar work. I think that type of job is best for me; works well around college hours/enough money to get by/still enough time for a social life. ^^ And good luck to you too in your job search. Hope it goes better than mine! ye I've considered that but I just don't have the time to do unpaid work at the moment. If I haven't found a job after my exams, I'll have more time and definitely do that. ^^ Really? Like, actual living areas? Not gunna lie I would never have considered that haha. Cheers for your help guys, but I have one more question that my friend made me consider earlier... She told me she flat out lied on her CV; she gave a fake reference/her brothers number and the place were she now works actually checked it out, and believed her brother. She said she swears down, it was that reference that made her get the job (like me, she never had a job before). Is that how people get jobs these days? (I also googled it and a huge forum came up where people said that CVs are basically filled with lies. One woman put on her CV that she had only been out of work for a year, but it was actually 7 years or something! )
To be completely honest, it doesn't matter if you don't understand why people with piercings are "discriminated" against; the fact of the matter is is that it is unprofessional and therefore disrespectful to the work environment. That being said, kudos to you for taking on so much responsibility. I would never be able to do that all on my own! I don't know how it works in England, but at 18/19 no one really has a "real" job in the US.
Don't feel too down about not being able to job. I don't know what it's like over in the UK, but it's pretty tough to find one here in the USA. I've had my job since I was 19, I'm 23 now. It's been my first real job and I don't dare wanna have to find a new one. Sadly in a year I will have to when I move to university, but for now I'm content. Just keep looking and applying anywhere and where ever you can! One will cross paths with you soon I'm sure! And as far as bartending, I'm a server, so it's a pretty social job.. but it's not as terrible as you think. Some people don't like to talk anyway, they just like to enjoy themselves. I think as a bartender you will spend most of your time listening to your customers, not talking. But good luck to you on your search!
i got my first (and only lol) job when i turned 18 so youre not too old nor did you not get in quick enough, things take time when i got hired i went to the interview smart but i still had my lip piercing in and my tunnels and i still got hired, so i dont think its your piercing/tattoos. relaxxxxx. dont stress over it, i went in to my first and only job interview lol and i wasnt nervous at all, nor did i act like i reeeeally needed a job lol cuz that can come off as desperate (not saying thats what you do but ya). they either want to hire me or dont i didnt stress over not getting the job but luckily i did. dont try to 'impress' just be yourself i guess thats the only advice i can give really as thats all i did lol. say that youre willing to learn and are quick to learn bring your cv with you even if they may already have one from when you handed it in to them, it just shows youre prepared smile a lot that might help too and if they do talk about your piercings just say youre willing to cover them up, dont mention being unwilling to take them out covering up should be enough if youre working part time i guess but if youre working with food then youre gunna have to take your piercings out for hygiene reasons as someone said voluntary work is good as it gets your foot in the door slightly
Re: tattoos and piercings. It'll obviously vary from place to place, but tattoos and piercings are (IMO) both pretty frowned upon in any professional environment. Tattoos might be less so because depending on the location, they're easily covered up. If your piercings are facial piercings, you don't really have a choice in "hiding" them beyond removing them. I wouldn't call it "bratty" to not want to remove them, but I think you need to realize that having your priorities in that order will realistically affect your chances of finding (and holding) a job. People do all sorts of things they don't like in order to get a job and get paid; if we're being honest here, removing your piercings is rather small potatoes in comparison. Food for thought: if you're already spending time looking for a job with no success, why not put that effort towards volunteering instead? You'll feel more accomplished and it's something that'll actually look good on your resume/CV. Maybe I'm missing something here, but if you didn't hold your last job because the workload was too much (being on your own and in school), what's changed about your situation now that makes you more confident about holding one? And if the workload isn't an issue, then why can't you spend the time you have volunteering instead of working? As another bonus, volunteering is pretty easy to "quit" if you have to (for whatever reason). A job isn't.
About the piercings: Don't get me wrong, I do understand that in different types of work, they aren't appropriate. Like, I understand why food restaurants want them removed (very obvious health and safety problem with them maybe falling out into food xD) and such, but I was more talking about one event in particular. I had an interview (one of two) with a clothes store that is very 'alternative'; the people that work there are very tattooed, and the woman interviewing me had two full on sleeve tattoos and snakebites. And in the interview she said something like 'Of course, you'll have to remove your piercings', and I just laughed because I thought she was being sarcastic. Yeah, she wasn't and I didn't get the job... but that's what I meant in my OP; I don't understand why she objected to them when she herself had both piercings and tattoos, and her workers have tattoos? Like, is it a newbie thing where you can only get/keep piercings/tattoos after x amount of time working there? xD So don't get me wrong, I understand why some places want me to remove them, and I'd probably do it if there was a job involved. But I've been deliberately applying to places that I thought would be more accepting of piercings, and nope! Apparently they too want them removed haha. Yeah I get what you mean, but I'm operating under the pretense that it'll take me a while to get a job. A volunteer job would be instant, and I have exams to revise for. Like, I know my logic is weird, but I don't mind giving up revision time for money, but in a selfish way I don't want to give up revision time for nothing. However after my exams, I'll definitely be looking into volunteer work if I haven't already got a job. Well two factors: 1) I'm older now and far better at time management. Jobs that drained my energy before at 16, I can now do in a far less time with minimal energy involved, so purely because I'm more mature I feel more 'ready' for a job and 2) My work load has changed. . At 16, I was doing 12 subjects, and the obvious secondary school routine of 9 to 3 Monday - Friday. And last year, my college time table sucked (Had three, three hour gaps so 9 hours wasted a week and didn't have a single day off), so I still didn't feel 'ready' for a job. However this year has been less hectic, and I'm doing another year at college next year but only doing 1 subject, so I'm going to have massive amounts of free time available. So, work load has reduced/will reduce even more in the foreseeable future and I'm better at time management. ^^ Thank you all for the help, it's certainly helped my confidence! And I already have an interview next week at a club, and the hours are perfect for me (Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 9 pm to 5 am) so hopefully I get it! And they let me keep my piercings (or so my friend says anyway, haha )
working in a bar could be dangerous at our age. If you become a bartender, you may encounter difficult customers and cannot leave your position when something's gone wrong. as you said you are a student, jobs in a bar may exhaust you greatly and you may be unable to get enough sleep for lessons on the next day. also, work experiences at bar may not be beneficial to your CV, if you want to apply for a "profession" next time.
