Here are 8 ways to find work experience when you’re unemployed. Your resilience will help you build self-belief AND your CV when getting a job feels like a challenge.
Trying to find a job, whether you’ve just recently become unemployed or been out of work for some time, can be a challenge at the best of times. Competition for roles can be fierce and, if you don’t have as much relevant experience as other candidates, it can seem impossible to get your foot in the door.
But did you know there are ways to gain work experience while you’re unemployed? This experience improves your skills, looks great on your CV, and gives you things to talk about in job interviews. It also boosts your confidence.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few ways to get work experience if you’re currently unemployed.
1. Get Work Experience through Jobcentre Plus
Did you know that the Work Coaches at Jobcentre Plus can help you find work placements as well as employment and training opportunities?
If you’re getting Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or Universal Credit, you can get work experience through Jobcentre Plus.
Work experience can last between 2 and 8 weeks, and you’ll normally be expected to work between 25 and 30 hours a week. You’ll carry on getting your JSA or Universal Credit payment as long as you continue to look for work.
You may also be able to get help from Jobcentre Plus for costs related to work experience, for example for travel or childcare.
2. Volunteer
Experience still counts even if you’re working on a voluntary basis rather than getting paid. In fact, volunteering has a host of benefits. Aside from providing valuable experience and giving you a way to showcase your transferable skills when you’re job hunting, it also shows that you’re a caring and conscientious person who is engaged with the world around you.
Approach organisations whose mission you care about and ask about volunteer positions. Some will also advertise opportunities on their websites. Volunteer positions might involve fundraising, support at events, answering the telephone, handling post, basic administrative tasks, or working in a charity shop. Consider your career goals and try to choose a voluntary position that aligns well with them.
It’s important to treat a voluntary role as a serious commitment, just like a job. This means being there when you say you will, following instructions, and behaving professionally at all times. A supervisor from a voluntary position can be incredibly valuable as a reference when you’re applying for jobs.
You can even volunteer with us here at Youth Employment UK, wherever you live in the UK.
3. Apply for Internships
An internship is a time-limited, entry-level placement within a company designed to allow you to learn “on the job”. An internship might last anything from a week up to a few months. While some internships are paid, many are not.
If you have a strong idea of what kind of job you want or what industry you want to work in, an internship can be a fantastic way to gain experience and get your next break in your chosen field.
Internships tend to be quite competitive, so you will need to apply in plenty of time and put together the best application you can. If you’re lucky enough to land an internship placement, treat it as seriously as you would a job. Internships can sometimes lead to paid work when the programme is completed but even if yours does not, it can be a valuable source of experience and positive references.
Browse the gallery of employers below – you’ll find lots of youth-friendly employers offering internships, apprenticeships and work placements.
4. Consider an Apprenticeship
An apprenticeship is a scheme that trains you to work in a particular job or trade and allows you to earn a wage while you’re learning. An apprenticeship lasts between one and four years. You will spend most of your time at work, but you will also spend around one day per week at a college or other educational site to supplement what you’re learning on the job.
Apprenticeships are open to anyone over the age of 16 and are a great choice if you know what job you want to do. You’ll earn at least the National Living Wage (if you’re 19 or over) and at least the Apprentice Minimum Wage (if you’re under 19 or in your first year) and be entitled to all the same benefits as any other employee.
An apprenticeship is a nationally recognised qualification.
5. Search for an Interim Job
You might have heard that it’s easier to find a job when you already have a job. This is true even if your current job isn’t related to your eventual career goals. Finding an interim job is a great way to boost your skills, avoid long CV gaps, and show prospective employers that you’re able to get and keep a job. And, of course, you’ll be earning a wage while you look for a more permanent role.
Retail, hospitality and catering, bar work, waiting, cleaning, food delivery, call handling and childminding are just some of the examples of short-term interim jobs you might be able to find. Some of them can lead to rewarding careers, influential roles and big salaries in ways you never expected!
6. Freelance
Do you have skills that you can offer on a freelance or self-employed basis? Even if working for yourself isn’t in your long-term career plan, freelancing can be a great interim step. Freelancing and self-employment looks great on a CV and shows that you are self-motivated and have marketable skills.
Freelancing is particularly common in creative industries such as writing and graphic design. It’s also common in many technical fields, such as IT and website design, and in marketing and social media roles.
You can find freelancing jobs through online jobs boards, via your existing network, or by networking with local businesspeople who might need the skills you’re offering.
7. Use the #CreateYourFuture Opportunities Finder
The Create Your Future opportunities finder lists all kinds of great work experience placements and opportunities near you. Take a look.
8. Keep Educating Yourself
If you’re unemployed, you can still build your skills while you look for a job by continuing to educate yourself. Local colleges and universities often have low-cost (or even free) adult education courses, as do some local libraries and cultural organisations. You can also find many valuable courses online, though do your research thoroughly because not all online education is legitimate.
If you’re over 19 and do not currently have a Level 3 qualification, there are many qualifications you can take for free via the government’s Department for Education.
Stick with It
The most important part of successful job hunting is perseverance. Keep improving your skills, do whatever you can to get experience, and stick with it. You’ll have a great role before you know it.
Good luck!
