Workplace Zero experience

[gayboy]

Scenario:

I'm a British born American immigrant. I'm 20 years old. Due to my relationship and the immigration process, after I turned 18 and finished college in the UK and married my husband, I didn't have time to work. In the UK the minimum wage for under 18s was £3/hour, which meant it wasn't worth taking time out of study for. I have zero experience.

I heard employers are fine with taking on 18 year olds with no experience, as they may have just finished school/education, I'm guessing they look down on 20 year old and are more reluctant though?

In the uk volunteer work is sometimes seen as better than experience as it shows you are willing to go above and beyond and like to help. Is this true in the us too?

 

[ap.]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but in the US, they cannot ask you your age and you are not required to volunteer that info. They can, however, surmise it from information on your resume/cv but you can drop graduation dates from that - this is often done by older workers because they have a ton of experience and that's more important.

As for volunteer work, you can put down any sort of experience (paid or not) as long as it's relevant. By that I mean it shows you've taken on responsibility that has grown over time. It doesn't have to be doing exactly the same thing that you want to be doing as long as what you're going for is not technical. (I.e. Your camp counseling experience is fine to put down, but if you're applying for actuarial/computer programming/etc positions you better show you know your stuff first - listing relevant courses taken help.)

 

[jellyv]

What does "college" mean in UK--equivalent of US high school? A degree (4 year college, 2 year, whatever's appropriate) or career training needs to be your next move, if you have any hope of a career and lifestyle above minimum wage. You can do that while working.

Also, you must have done something between 18 and 20 that relates to some career skills. You didn't just stay home, right? If you can describe those skills on your resume, that's a starting point.

In the US, volunteering is not something you'd put on a resume, unless you can package it as acquiring relevant job skills.