Unpaid Work Experience

sh0597

As I'm mid-twenties and have very little work experience and nothing in the last 4 years, I've agreed to do some unpaid work experience.


Has anybody done this sort of thing before and what advice would you give?


Is it acceptable to list it as "employment" on a CV?

Affynity

All your employment history on your C.V is is a sector-based account of situational transferable skills and traits.
Whether you do the job for free or for money is immaterial.
Although it never hurts to have a willingness to work and voluntary work is one extra thing in your arsenal, that the next applicant might not have.

I assume this is a positive step forward for you?
You haven't been bullied into working long hours for unemployment benefit by the jobcentre plus, or something similar?

SailorSam

Do some voluntary work somewhere, you never know wherever you go may at sometime be looking for proper paid staff and if they think you're any good, you've already got one foot in the door.

sh0597

Affynity wrote: »

All your employment history on your C.V is is a sector-based account of situational transferable skills and traits.
Whether you do the job for free or for money is immaterial.
Although it never hurts to have a willingness to work and voluntary work is one extra thing in your arsenal, that the next applicant might not have.

I assume this is a positive step forward for you?
You haven't been bullied into working long hours for unemployment benefit by the jobcentre plus, or something similar?

It's something I chose to do. My personal circumstances are a bit complicated, but essentially I am looking for temporary work, have great school and college grades but only 10 year old work experience and a casual job from 5 years ago (with no reference).


It's some sort of administrative work. I was hoping it would give me a chance of getting work through an agency perhaps. It is not the career I want to dedicate my life to but I don't want to be unemployed for next 6-12 months.

Affynity

sh0597 wrote: »

It's something I chose to do. My personal circumstances are a bit complicated, but essentially I am looking for temporary work, have great school and college grades but only 10 year old work experience and a casual job from 5 years ago (with no reference).


It's some sort of administrative work. I was hoping it would give me a chance of getting work through an agency perhaps. It is not the career I want to dedicate my life to but I don't want to be unemployed for next 6-12 months.

No chance that this employer might hire you if you impress them and a vacancy opens?
It would be nice if you could work somewhere you can comfortably work than in some dump like I do.

noelphobic

I've been doing voluntary work for 6 months and am now looking for paid employment. I put my voluntary jobs down as my most recent employment on applications. I was with my previous employer for 23 years but the voluntary work is more relevant to the type of jobs I'm looking for. I have got interviews for most of the jobs I've applied for (but no job offers, which is another story!)