How do I get experience if you need experience to start?

[kazza55]

Due to me getting in a rut and then getting married,having a child etc.and husband working nightshift, I have done c**p jobs for the last 20 years or so, working in factories/supermarket/warehouse jobs. Mainly shiftwork and weekend work. (you get the picture!) Last year I decided to study for the ECDL to update and widen my skills and have so far passed most of it. I am now 50, well presented,reasonably educated,well spoken (good on telephone) and know my way around a PC. I currently work in retail, so have good customer service skills, but retail is not for me. I have always made a success out of every job I've ever had, however menial.

All the office jobs that I see in the newspaper seem to want candidates with experience of at least 1 year. I tried a couple of job agencies today to see what they had to say and nearly ended up in tears afterwards as they didn't seem very helpful at all. One woman almost sneered at me and told me I was wasting my time, told me I'd never get an office job through an agency. Surely I have some qualities/skills to offer? I'm not afraid of training/hard work or starting from the bottom rung. I would be interested to know if anybody else on here has ever been in a similar position. How do you get experience if you can't get a job in that sector in the first place?

I now feel completly demoralised and bewildered. Am I just not persistent/tough enough? I am seriously thinking of not bothering to do the last 2 ECDL modules. I thought it might help me get a better job, but maybe I am kidding myself.

Sorry to be so pathetic, but I feel so down at the moment.Thanks for reading this.

I

[PatriciaH]

Hi kazza, have you looked on www.jobcentreplus.co.uk? depending on where you live ive seen jobs in offices for "office assistants" (im in manchester btw) once you "get in" somewhere you could work your way up so to speak.... good luck in finding something x

[camille79]

If you have ANY spare time then you could try volunteer work for a local charity doing admin or whatever you're keen to get into. You could then gain some experience (and references), which should help when you are applying for jobs.

[*ALFIE*]

Be careful with employment agencies, especially the private ones.I find the private the ones seem to mess you around by never getting back to you once you have made contact or registered with them.

[joko]

try to get a work placement, do some phoning or write letters and just ask - unfortuately you are not unique in what you do and there are lots of people who do the same thing - but have experience - and they will get chosen first unfortunately.

keep going with your studies - give up and you may be seen as a quitter

don't lose hope - it just takes time

[maximo]

Just barging in, I know, but I would like to know what Alfie meant about "private" employment agencies. Just curious.

[kazza55]

Thanks for all your helpful and encouraging comments. It is much appreciated. The weblink could be very useful to me. I have bookmarked that. I am not going to give up!