>How can anybody like me ever get their first job if everybody is (practically) only hiring people with prior experiences?
And that's the ten million dollar question of this generation. Networking, nepotism and luck.

>>17243470
You have to really sell the experiences you have. You need a script of high energy responses to interview questions. I like to practice by singing them.

>>17243470

I've hired a lot of first time workers in positions like this (a long time ago, I used to manage retail).

The trick is, you don't need to have this in-depth resume of all of the places you've worked before, just relatable experience. Have you been in a club, on a sports team, or part of a volunteering group (which you already said you have)? Okay, you have relevant experience working as part of a team.

The thing about these big chains is that they're designed to pretty quickly teach you the basics and make sure that no one is fucking up on a larger scale. Everyone's going to make some mistakes, even the guy who has worked in 3-4 different places.

What you want to pass on is that you're willing to learn and be a part of a team. Never be too scared to elaborate on your life experience with specific examples, and qualifiers. For example, "Well, I don't have exact previous work experience, but I assist in the setup of a local homeless outreach program by working with others to bag up supplies for those in need on weekends, and I love being a part of a team working toward a larger goal."

Boom. The other guy may say he stocked greeting cards or something, but it's not that different. It's all about attitude.

Good luck anon. I'll keep checking in.

>>17243500
You should also have a text file with all the standard information applications ask so you can blaze though applications. Try to do 5 a day.

>>17243475
This right here

I got my first job through my family. It really is mostly about connections.

>>17243500
Sounds promising but could you elaborate on what you meant by "high energy responses"?

>>17243508
I was in a sports team and a club.
I am bad with words, how could I express I am willing to learn and be a part of a team?
Will be have better chance not applying to places that aren't a part of a chain? I appreciate your example, thanks.

>>17243515
Text file? Could you post an example?

>>17243470
College student here, Anon.

I got my first job by coincidentally walking in during interviews and claiming I was a guy that hadn't shown up. It's at a Chipotle-esque restaurant, too.

>>17243542

Work on getting better with words. Rehearse a little bit. Try to lighten up. You're not as bad as you think.

So much of this is body language. Look the interviewer in the eye, be welcome, inviting, and not stiff. It'll come with some practice.

But to express that you're willing to learn and be part of a team, use SPECIFIC examples. I can't stress that enough. People try to be so vague, but that's not helping them. You're going to be asked questions in most interviews like "explain a time you had conflict with a coworker/manager/teammate/coach, etc. What happened, and how did you work through the situation?"

I'm sure you have some specific examples of that. It's a negative situation, but you should show that you learned something from it. Communication is normally a key point to hit on - that you sat down to discuss the situation, addressed it, and came to a common goal. (Apply liberally to your own experiences, of course.)

I think places that AREN'T chains are likely harder to get hired at, but I can't guarantee that without knowing the options you have in your area. Like I said in my previous post, chains are set up to make sure no one really fails all that much. They provide strong organizational training, and they expect to hire people with little to no experience. A small business may expect you to be more prepared to take a proactive role in your own development and take on challenges. They may need someone more qualified to take on things like cash handling and inventory duties.

>>17243573
I see. I had been ask questions like that before, however I work naturally to avoid conflicts and was very successful at it and as a result I don't actually have specific examples for this kind of experience therefore I can only guess and say what I would've done but never actually applied to real life.
What are some tips to not sound vague? I realized I sound pretty vague when I heard other people talk, but being vague-ish became like a habit of mine probably started as a means to avoid conflicts, I don't really remember.

>>17243620

Just tell a story about a moment, something that describes your general approach, without getting too general. Focus on the moment.

"I work naturally to avoid conflicts" is vague.

Also, I'm starting to fade off to sleep, so if you don't hear back, I'm not intentionally bailing, just asleep. I'll stay up as long as I can muster.

>>17243470
It helps to get a job with a family member or friend. They're already trusted by the managers if they work there, and they can give you a good recommendation.

>>17243627
Of course I don't say "I work naturally to avoid conflicts" to people, it's just that I only have hypotheticals (like how I would talk to the other party and understand what is wrong and work together with the other party to resolve the problem; but when I just say this it sound very very "fake" and vague) . I suppose I could say that I could tell if other people is irritated or similar and I maneuver to ensure I don't touch a nerve and thus avoid conflicts.

>>17243644
Unfortunately I don't have any family members that work in jobs that could hire part-timers. And I should probably ask my friends.