Getting your first job can be a scary prospect. The good news is that there's lots of help available.

Look for vacancies

The first step is to know what you want to do. The Decisions page might help, and you can also find information about different jobs in your local library or the library at your school, college or Connexions centre.

You should also look for job vacancies, which you can find in your local paper, online and at Job Centres and Connexions Centres.

There are also lists of local opportunities on the Oxfordshire Connexions website, updated weekly.

• Key Link: Jobs, Apprenticeships, Training, opportunities, courses and more from Oxfordshire Connexions

Job-seeking skills

Besides hunting for job vacancies, finding work will involve some or all of these:

• writing a c.v.
• filling out application forms
• attending interviews
• telephoning about a job
• writing a covering letter

Clicking on these links will open Connexions worksheets on each topic.

Connexions can help

Your local Connexions Centre can put you in touch with lots of opportunities, as well as help you with CVs, interview skills and more. Some local Young People's Centres also have Job Clubs or Connexions Clubs which help you build the skills you need to get a job.

For more information about what's available, talk to your Connexions PA or your school careers coordinator.

• Key link: Connexions Opportunities page lists job vacancies for young people in Oxfordshire

Experience

I started looking for a part-time job by walking around town centre to see the different shops and enquire if there were any vacancies. One shop gave me an application form and I filled it with a lot of detail as I thought it was a good way to stand out from other applicants. I was given an interview shortly afterwards. I dressed smartly and brought a notebook which had a few questions in it for example the pay and the uniform. I also brought my Record of Achievement because I could show them certificates and photos from my hobbies. I tried to be confident and not give one-word answers or look at the floor but at the interviewer. A week later I was offered the Job. – Hannah Wolf, 16, Witney

The Right Job

It takes all kinds of people to make the world of work go round, and to find the ‘kind’ that fits them best employers focus on specific characteristics. At the Oxford branch of HMV, for example, they look for knowledge and passion.

‘We want somebody who is passionate about something we sell whether it’s a genre of music, films, games or whatever,’ said assistant manager Kate Gater. ‘Having the product knowledge is quite important. They need to show some commitment to the company and understand the importance of customer service.’

First impressions do matter, Kate said, but she wouldn’t be put off by dress or grooming in an interview. ‘If someone makes an effort to be relatively smart it comes across that they care about the job they’re going for. So presentation is important but not critical. At the end of the day our priority is the customer. Anyone we offer a position has to appreciate the need to be suitably dressed, just purely for the customer.’

To find a workplace you’ll fit in, do some detective work. If possible visit the company and talk to or observe employees doing the job you’re after. Check out the company website or printed information, looking for clues about the type of employee they want. If you think there’s a fit, apply for a job.

You may not get the first or even the tenth job you apply for. But what you learn along the way takes you one step
closer to getting the right job for you.

• Key link: Your local Connexions Office can help you with your CV and finding opportunities .