It doesn't matter if you're 16 or 36, the work environment at the moment is really tough, a careers advisor says. 

Craig Dyason has been working for more than 20 years as a careers advisor - he says now is the hardest it has ever been for young people trying to enter the workforce. 

When he asks his students what the most difficult part of trying to get a job is, the answer is unanimous. 

It’s getting someone who’ll take you on without any experience. 

According to Stats NZ figures there are roughly 93,000 people aged 15-25 not in employment or education. 

The figures show the average rate of unemployment in Aotearoa is 4.3% however for 15-19 year olds it’s 23% and for 20-25 year olds it’s 9.8%. 

“You need experience to get experience,” Dyason, who is a teacher and careers advisor at Albany Senior School as well as president of Careers and Transition Education Association, says. 

Focus on skills rather than experience 

Dyason says he has students that have applied for 10 jobs and would be lucky to have got one interview. 

His advice to those who have never had a job before is to create a skill-based CV rather than one based on experience. 

A skill-based CV shows prospective employers what skills you have that can transfer to roles, Dyason says. 

He said this can include things such as sports coaching or organising school activities. 

“For example a teenager who likes gaming. We all have our own ideas but when you break it down it’s ‘I communicate with my friends and we strategise’.

“It’s about looking outside the box and focusing on what you can do rather than what you haven’t done.” 

He also recommends thinking about who your parents know and who is in your network as that is often where those first level jobs come from. 

There’s also local Facebook community groups where he recommends posting that you are looking for work. 

“It’s great to go on the likes of Seek and TradeMe and see what’s there but the reality is that’s only 30% of available jobs and they get between 40 to 300 applicants per job.”

Dyason acknowledges the toll job hunting can take on someone’s mental health, especially for teenagers between 14 and 16, who he calls “our Covid kids”. 

Because of being in lockdown, Dyason says young people haven’t had the opportunities to develop soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and relating to others. 

“They’re having to catch up,” he says. 

“It’s easy to say ‘it’ll come’ but the reality is every rejection hits hard and hits home. It is really challenging, belittles self worth and is easy to get caught in a trap of 'I'm not good enough’.” 

‘Young people have a huge amount to contribute’

Chief executive and principal economist at Infometrics Brad Olsen says he only sees youth unemployment numbers getting worse. 

“As tough as it is, persistence is key. Young people have a huge amount to contribute.

“Over the next few years we’re going to see a lot of people exiting the workforce so we need to hang on to those young people.”

Olsen says young people have a lot to contribute to the workforce - they just need to pitch themselves differently. 

They are a generation of digital natives which would benefit businesses with how quickly the pace of work is changing and the amount of digitisation happening, he says. 

“But the challenge is that young people bear the brunt in an economic downturn and there’s no way to avoid that. 

“If you’re weighing up your workforce you’re going to look at someone who’s got 20 years experience compared with someone who’s got 20 minutes but I encourage employers not to  discount young people immediately because of their lack of experience.”

Think about getting unpaid experience

Tanya Gray, director of recruitment agency People Inc, encourages young people with no work experience to get out and try to get any experience. 

That could be volunteering, an internship, or free courses just something that shows you are reliable, can take initiative, and work in a team, she says. 

“It’s showing all those good things that a potential employer wants. It helps you to meet people too, helps you to network, and builds up referees.”

What’s your first impression saying 

Gray says employers will often check the job applicants’ social media accounts so make sure your profiles are something you’d be happy showing your grandmother.

Make your profile as private as you can, don’t have inappropriate images, and think about your email addresses, she says. 

“We get gmail accounts that are really inappropriate.” 

To set yourself apart be sure to tailor cover letters and communications, she says. 

Find who the best person to contact is, address them by the right name, and make sure you are talking about the specific role and how your skills are transferable to it. 

“I get called sir all day long,” she says. 

Practise makes perfect 

If you make it to the interview stage, congratulations! 

Gray says she knows this can be intimidating and overwhelming for a lot of people. 

Through People Inc she provides services like CV and cover letter writing, interview coaching, and helping with psychometric testing.

Her advice is to take your time and practice. 

“Get a free version of ChatGPT and get it to ask you a whole bunch of interview questions so you can prepare. 

“When you go to an interview and they offer you a glass of water, take it because it gives you a chance to reset.”

Follow up 

Gray says people are often too intimidated to follow up after applying for a job or going for an interview. 

But following up can be what sets you apart, she says. 

“There’s no harm in following up in two to three days and asking what the next steps are or the timeframes.”

“Following up doesn’t mean you have to be a pain, you’re setting yourself apart by showing you are persistent and you’re engaged,” Gray says.

Don’t give up 

Rejection is hard for everyone and feeling like you’re constantly getting rejected by employers can take its toll on mental health, Gray says.  

She says it’s important to remain positive, but acknowledges that can be hard to do. 

“Whatever gets you up and lighting a fire in your belly is what you need to be doing.”

“It gets really hard, it gets mentally challenging when you get a lot of knockbacks so it’s about getting a little bit resilient but getting in the right mindset,” she says.

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