One of the key criteria when applying for any job, however how can you ever get any experience if you cannot get a job?!?
This is one of the many problems that I have faced when applying for jobs, this problem becomes even more of an issue as I am a graduate.In the past three years, where most of my time has been taken up by lectures, library and even more library, I have not had the time to have a job whilst studying.
Now, I have never had any experience in a retail environment, any experience I have ever had was swimming teaching related - fun, but not appropriate experience (apparently!). I have tried so, so many times in the past to get a job in any retail place - be it: Sainsbury's, Accessorize and Boots, to name a few. However I have always been unsuccessful, and therefore I gave up!
Now graduated and still unsure on what career I would like to pursue, I have applied for many Finance Graduate Schemes in many large, well-known stores. Let me just highlight the position I have applied for: finance, NOT retail! However I have been turned down countless times due to my lack of experience in retail. I had spent days on an application for Arcadia Group, and wanted my cover letter to be perfect and really make myself sound enthusiastic and gloss over my lack of retail experience. This application was completed online, and one of the mandatory questions asked (you guessed it!) was:
"Do you have experience in retail for a minimum of 3 months?"
I clicked "No". This I clicked before spending hours on my cover letter, so after proofing my cover letter and finally finding the courage to submit my application I felt relieved and confident. This was met by an automatic response e-mail saying, I quote:
"Unfortunately, on this occasion we are not able to consider your application as you have not met the minimum education and work experience required for our Finance Graduate Programme."
1. I did meet the minimum education required for the role; and
2. They didn't even read my cover letter!
Because I have decided to apply for Finance Graduate Schemes for many retail companies, I NEED retail experience! So this is what I am trying to get, with no luck :(
How are you meant to get retail experience when no retail job will employ you because you have no retail experience!!!!
Rant over.
