How to Get a Part-Time Job With No Experience 

Looking for a part-time job with no experience? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Whether you’re a university student, new to Canada, or changing careers, you may find yourself without any work experience. While it can sometimes feel challenging to find a job in this situation, know that you have options and resources to lean on. In this blog post, we’ll tell you how to get a part-time job even if you have no current work experience.

Scope out your options

First thing’s first: you have to know where you can apply. Not all industries will be able to take on employees who don’t have experience, but many will. The industries where you’ll find a lot of entry-level job postings include:

• Warehouse and manufacturing
• Retail
• Hospitality and food service
• Trades

Be sure to research online for job postings in these industries. You can also look at employment agencies who focus on these sectors, such as Noble Human Resources Solutions. This way, you can apply for multiple entry-level positions at once.

Put together a simple resume

Regardless of which industry you’re interested in or which agency you apply to, you will need to have a simple resume. Some employers will require you to fill out a job application in addition to or instead of your resume while others will just require a resume. Either way, it’s good to go through the exercise of creating a resume so you have the important details employers are looking for all in one place. Keep in mind that it’s perfectly normal to not include previous employment details on a resume if you have not worked anywhere before. There are lots of other helpful details you can include.

On your resume, be sure to:

• Showcase your skills: There are many transferrable skills you may have picked up while in school, taking care of your kids, travelling, or doing odd jobs around the house. For example, employers want to know whether you have strong communication, initiative and drive, teamwork, and organization skills. Be sure to list these types of transferrable skills on your resume.
• Talk about your activities: Are you on a sports team? Do you take or give piano lessons? Are you part of the local theatre troop? Your activities and interests help employers get a fuller picture of who you are and how well you work with others.
• Mention your leadership positions: In any job, taking leadership is of the utmost importance, even in entry-level roles. If you’ve been captain of a team, run a group of volunteers, or been a camp counselor, for example, you’ve honed your leadership skills.
• Don’t forget odd jobs: Even if something doesn’t feel like a real job, you can include it in your resume. For example, did you babysit the neighbour’s kids or help your dad build a fence? You can include those on your resume if you don’t have any other work experience.
• Add in your references: Often, employers want to talk to others who know you and have worked with you in different capacities. Provide 2-3 professional references.

Be confident in your abilities

Sometimes, the things that we feel are holding us back from success are mostly in our minds. While not having work experience may seem like a potential barrier to getting a part-time job, it also presents you and your new employer with a great opportunity. You have a fresh slate from which to begin, you can learn new skills, and your employer can teach you how to do certain processes in their specific way.

When you’re applying and interviewing for positions, have confidence in your ability to learn new things. Talk about your transferrable skills such as communication and teamwork, and relate your past activities to the workplace. For example, if you’ve been on a sports team, you can talk about how you understand the importance of a team dynamic and know how to work well with others in stressful situations. If you excelled in school, talk about how you are a strong communicator, can follow instructions well, and are good at organizing competing priorities.

Follow up after your application

Many employers, such as local restaurants or retails, require you to submit a job application online for a specific entry-level position. For employment agencies like Noble Human Resources, you can apply to a specific position on our job board or apply to any open position in general by filling out a job seeker form. Regardless of where or how you’re applying, be sure to read the instructions carefully so you provide all the relevant details the employer is asking for.

After you have submitted your job application or resume, it’s important to follow up with the employer. Give them a few days or a week to receive and go through the application. If you don’t hear back after about two weeks, call or email the employer to ask about the status of your application. Sometimes, applications and resumes can get lost or go to the wrong person, so it’s best to make sure the employer has your file.

Be courteous and polite when you follow up about your application. If you sound aggressive or rude, it’s likely the employer will not want to work with you. Following up once is a good idea, but following up multiple times can seem inconsiderate.

No experience? No problem.



Looking for a part-time job when you don’t have any work experience can be stressful – but it doesn’t have to be. At Noble Human Resources Solutions, we work with hundreds of candidates who are new to the job market. Some of them are students, some are parents, some are new to Canada, and some are changing careers. Regardless of their situation, we help them find employment with one of our clients in the warehouse, manufacturing, or food service industries.

If you’re interested in landing a rewarding part-time job, check out the postings on our job board. You can apply directly to any of these positions online. If you don’t know what kind of position you want, be sure to fill out this short form. We’ll be in touch with you to discuss your skills, interests, and availability.