Can't get a summer job

Hollister11

I can't get a job for the summer, I have been asking for managers and leaving CVS Into dunnes supervalue tesco power city and various pubs and restraunts since February and have got only 1 reply from a restraunt last week saying he will get back to me this week. Which he hasn't
I'm stumped what to do
Any ideas ?

B.A._Baracus

Keep trying Hollister11

Retail jobs and the like are jobs that anyone can do. You can train a monkey to work in retail (I say that as a person whos vast majority of work history has been in retail) Problem is then you get everyone applying. Students, College people, people unemployed... all throwing cvs in. The competition is crazy.

I say think outside the box. Thats what I am doing.
All those 'unwritten rules' of how a cv should look can be thrown out the window when so many cvs are being put in for a job. Obviously your cv should be easily readable and its all about the cover letter. Get an employers attention within 6 seconds of reading.

But for example, they say you shouldnt put your photo on your cv unless a job states. Well, it would set your cv apart. Also its said keep the 'classic style' of a cv .... why not have a nice looking graphical header, etc.

angwd

Hollister 11, is this your first job?
BA Baracus is right, the competition is fierce and it's good to set yourself apart from everyone else.
You're doing the right thing, dropping into places, asking to meet people, just keep it up, visit them again and again and keep your manner polite and friendly. Go back to the restaurant guy, ask him if he'd consider giving you a few hours free of charge, you can impress him and gain some experience, if he doesn't have a job he might know someone else who does and if nothing else, something you can put on your CV.
Remember that a lot of jobs are filled by contacts of existing employees, do you have friends/relations anywhere who can put in a good word for you, if not make contacts as you go.
Best of luck.

Hollister11

angwd wrote: »

Hollister 11, is this your first job?
BA Baracus is right, the competition is fierce and it's good to set yourself apart from everyone else.
You're doing the right thing, dropping into places, asking to meet people, just keep it up, visit them again and again and keep your manner polite and friendly. Go back to the restaurant guy, ask him if he'd consider giving you a few hours free of charge, you can impress him and gain some experience, if he doesn't have a job he might know someone else who does and if nothing else, something you can put on your CV.
Remember that a lot of jobs are filled by contacts of existing employees, do you have friends/relations anywhere who can put in a good word for you, if not make contacts as you go.
Best of luck.

Yea it's for my first job, I have work experience in my uncles shop which is a few hours week during summer and Christmas nothing much. I also get the odd day working with my dad in construction.
The guy from the restraunt emailed me,should I email him or go to the premises.
Also if I go to a shop with customer service desk do I still need to ask for the manger ?

B.A._Baracus

Hollister11 wrote: »

Yea it's for my first job, I have work experience in my uncles shop which is a few hours week during summer and Christmas nothing much. I also get the odd day working with my dad in construction.
The guy from the restraunt emailed me,should I email him or go to the premises.
Also if I go to a shop with customer service desk do I still need to ask for the manger ?

This is kind of a grey area.
On one hand yes always talk to a manager if you can. They're the ones that do the hiring and firing and sure if there is jobs going they could give you a little mini interview there and then (happened to me before when I was 17 and I actually got the job)

However, all too often when you ask for the manager the staff will ask you why. Generally when someone asks for the manager it's because they want to complain. So when you say "I just want to hand this cv in" 9 times out of 10 staff member will offer to take it off you.

Reality is 3 things generally happen at this point when you politely say you would rather give it to the manager:

1, staff member goes to get manager.
2, staff member says manager is busy or knows the manager isnt the type to want to talk to people directly when handing in cvs.
or
3, staff member feels snubbed (some actually feel that way :rolleyes: :pac: ) and says manager is busy. Reality is staff member doesnt know and doesnt care (its really bad i know)

So yeah, always ask for the manager. But anytime I did I generally never met them.

angwd

About going to the restaurant I think it depends on how the communication came about in the first place, did you drop in already and what did the message say? I'm more in favour of dropping in, so many people these days seem to do everything virtually, a personal visit (of the bright & breezy & not the stalking kind) would definitely be better.

BA Baracus is right re asking to see the manager, it can also depend on the size of the store. Getting to see the manager is definitely the best solution however I'd imagine staff/customer service people are drilled with the same response. If the manager is not available it's not the end of the world - remember the employees will know the pain of looking for work and might be helpful with strategy/information that might be useful and might also be in the position to put your CV to the top of the pile.

My neighbour got a job recently at the local supermarket, she had been trying for months, she brought in the same CV every 2 weeks until they finally called her, persistence pays and by the time she got that job she had already made friends with most of the staff there which is what I think swung it for her in the end.

Greenmachine

Keep trying OP.

hfallada

Are in Dublin city? Last year it took 3/4 weeks of emailing and responding to every single job( and I mean every single job) on every single site until I got an interview( which I nailed and finally got a job). I easily sent out maybe 300-400 job applications and heard nothing until I finally got an email for an interview.

Have you tried McDonalds? They give jobs to people who dont have work experience. Also maybe volunteer in a charity shop for the summer until you get a job. At least you will get experience in clothing retail. I know someone who got a job in Abercrombie because he had experience from working in a charity shop

Feedbackup

Hollister11 wrote: »

I can't get a job for the summer, I have been asking for managers and leaving CVS Into dunnes supervalue tesco power city and various pubs and restraunts since February and have got only 1 reply from a restraunt last week saying he will get back to me this week[b/]. Which he hasn't
I'm stumped what to do
Any ideas ?

I've heard that before. I'm sorry, that man is a complete liar. It wouldn't kill him to simply say "sorry no places" you should ring him and call him out on his bull****.