Tips for a job noob? (1 Viewer)

WTF!bbq

if you have to ask
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Question tiiiime! Advice plaz :( cause I'm not very good at this kinda stuff.
Mum reckons I should get a job, just a couple of hours a week so I can stop spending all her money on silly things and spend my own instead. So, two things:
  • The three places I want to work (Big W, Target and *sigh* Supré) want me to apply online. I've tried this. It's gotten me nowhere. Is there any way around this? Should I waltz in to the service desk and be like "Hiiiii" *punch dude in the face* "Job plz kthxbye!!" Or do they tend to get the shits if people come in asking to talk to the manager when they've already got the internets thing going?
  • I don't have any previous work experience, my friends have told me to write about school achievements, debating, volunteer work etc. How far back should this stretch (two years? Three?) What other stuff could I talk about? Aaand seeing as I don't have any work references, how many teachers (if any) should I list as referees?
  • Whats the best way to go job hunting? Should I be giving out lots of photocopies of my resumé to a bunch of places or should I do the whole cover letter and lots-of-time-dedicated-to-impressing-them approach?
Any advice is muchly appreciated with hugs and kisses and chocolate chip cookies.

Cheers
Dani
 

grue

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Cover letters are unnecessary for the time being. Applying online for those places can take ages.. I guess the best way to approach it is to actually come up to them and give them your resume. Maybe they'll assume you don't have internet access or something thus you disabling you from applying online. :p So print a couple of those resumes and start giving'em to the store managers. You should also apply at more than just your preferences.. There are other stores like Cotton On, Valley Girl, Gloria Jeans, Starbucks, etc. You have to keep your options wide open for a higher chance in landing a career.

As for the resume, I don't know how far you should stretch your achievements. In my resume I've included stuff from when I was in yr7, so I guess that should be fine. You just kinda have to sell yourself out when applying for a job because you're trying to show them that you're better than the previous person, a reason to employ you instead of that other person. So list your achievements and participation in activities. I don't think there's anything else that you can add to it.. I suppose you can also try to put an "Objective" in the beginning just right after your personal details. Just write what your objective in the career is, like getting work experience, improving social skills, etc.

Hope that helps!
 

WTF!bbq

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Spankyou veddy much ^__^ I'm worried I won't be able to offer an awful amount of hours, for those of you who worked during your HSC, how much is too much?
 

^CoSMic DoRiS^^

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WTF!bbq said:
Spankyou veddy much ^__^ I'm worried I won't be able to offer an awful amount of hours, for those of you who worked during your HSC, how much is too much?
our teachers told us that if you worked more than 10 hours a week you will be unable to keep up with the HSC as well. it turned out to be true for a few people so keep that in mind. although i wasn't allowed to have a job during my HSC year so i didnt have this problem lol.
Big W gave me shit when i went to them in person. maybe that's just my store. but the dude was heaps unfriendly about it, like 'gosh, retard, use the internets why dont you' (not those exact words lol). so yeh. *sigh* i'm...still...looking for a job, not getting far. the online stuff shits me, i reckon its better to approach people with your resume and introduce yourself.
 

Scanorama

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WTF!bbq said:
Question tiiiime! Advice plaz :( cause I'm not very good at this kinda stuff.
Mum reckons I should get a job, just a couple of hours a week so I can stop spending all her money on silly things and spend my own instead. So, two things:
  • The three places I want to work (Big W, Target and *sigh* Supré) want me to apply online. I've tried this. It's gotten me nowhere. Is there any way around this? Should I waltz in to the service desk and be like "Hiiiii" *punch dude in the face* "Job plz kthxbye!!" Or do they tend to get the shits if people come in asking to talk to the manager when they've already got the internets thing going?
  • I don't have any previous work experience, my friends have told me to write about school achievements, debating, volunteer work etc. How far back should this stretch (two years? Three?) What other stuff could I talk about? Aaand seeing as I don't have any work references, how many teachers (if any) should I list as referees?
  • Whats the best way to go job hunting? Should I be giving out lots of photocopies of my resumé to a bunch of places or should I do the whole cover letter and lots-of-time-dedicated-to-impressing-them approach?
Any advice is muchly appreciated with hugs and kisses and chocolate chip cookies.

Cheers
Dani
I work at Woolies and I know at least a person in the grocery department handed his resume to my manager and not too long afterwards, I saw his name on the roster. So yeah handing resume to places where you need to apply online works, its a good shortcut too, instead of waiting forever, it only took him 2 weeks to start.
 

CieL

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I reckon face to face application is more effective.

Every job I've personally approached, I start working the next day [three times this has happened]

And the colesgroup, woolies, etc.. they either take 10yrs, or they dont reply you at all..

Oh.. just make sure you had it in to a manager or someone of high position.. I made the mistake of approaching other workers when I first started.. I bet you they just chucked my resume in the bin.. some of them had "___ HIRING NOW" sign, and when I ask the worker about it, they tell me the position's already been taken..
 

wuddie

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the best way around it, i reckon is to know someone from the inside (ie someone who's already working there) to recommend you. if not, try and approach the employer in person, or ring them up. because applying over the net gives them the impression that the job does not matter to you as much as the others, thus giving you less of a chance.

by the way, anyone wants to work at the SCG? pm me.
 

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