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How should I represent myself in a cover letter when applying for a job in which I have zero experience?
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I was recently informed about a job at a kitchen, working as a general assistant; the tasks would be simple: clearing tables, preparing food, washing up, etc.
However, I've never formally worked in a kitchen environment, but I have some personal experiences with food handling and safety in a kitchen. The job itself was only advertised as word of mouth. I know that I can handle the environment properly, and that I am more than capable of doing the job.
I need to write a cover letter (an email) for it, and because of my lack of experience, I have very little to write about. What I could write about since I have zero formal experience in this area?
resume applications work-experience cover-letter
edited Aug 13 '12 at 17:06
yoozer8
4,10442955
asked May 31 '12 at 11:06
Steffan Donal
1686
add a comment |Â
up vote
13
down vote
favorite
I was recently informed about a job at a kitchen, working as a general assistant; the tasks would be simple: clearing tables, preparing food, washing up, etc.
However, I've never formally worked in a kitchen environment, but I have some personal experiences with food handling and safety in a kitchen. The job itself was only advertised as word of mouth. I know that I can handle the environment properly, and that I am more than capable of doing the job.
I need to write a cover letter (an email) for it, and because of my lack of experience, I have very little to write about. What I could write about since I have zero formal experience in this area?
resume applications work-experience cover-letter
edited Aug 13 '12 at 17:06
yoozer8
4,10442955
asked May 31 '12 at 11:06
Steffan Donal
1686
1
As an update - I didn't get the job. However, I did go onto getting a job for which I did have experience for less than three months later. Three years later, still at it!
– Steffan Donal
Mar 23 '15 at 13:21
add a comment |Â
up vote
13
down vote
favorite
up vote
13
down vote
favorite
I was recently informed about a job at a kitchen, working as a general assistant; the tasks would be simple: clearing tables, preparing food, washing up, etc.
However, I've never formally worked in a kitchen environment, but I have some personal experiences with food handling and safety in a kitchen. The job itself was only advertised as word of mouth. I know that I can handle the environment properly, and that I am more than capable of doing the job.
I need to write a cover letter (an email) for it, and because of my lack of experience, I have very little to write about. What I could write about since I have zero formal experience in this area?
resume applications work-experience cover-letter
edited Aug 13 '12 at 17:06
yoozer8
4,10442955
asked May 31 '12 at 11:06
Steffan Donal
1686
I was recently informed about a job at a kitchen, working as a general assistant; the tasks would be simple: clearing tables, preparing food, washing up, etc.
However, I've never formally worked in a kitchen environment, but I have some personal experiences with food handling and safety in a kitchen. The job itself was only advertised as word of mouth. I know that I can handle the environment properly, and that I am more than capable of doing the job.
I need to write a cover letter (an email) for it, and because of my lack of experience, I have very little to write about. What I could write about since I have zero formal experience in this area?
resume applications work-experience cover-letter
edited Aug 13 '12 at 17:06
yoozer8
4,10442955
asked May 31 '12 at 11:06
Steffan Donal
1686
edited Aug 13 '12 at 17:06
yoozer8
4,10442955
edited Aug 13 '12 at 17:06
yoozer8
4,10442955
edited Aug 13 '12 at 17:06
yoozer8
4,10442955
4,10442955
asked May 31 '12 at 11:06
Steffan Donal
1686
asked May 31 '12 at 11:06
Steffan Donal
1686
asked May 31 '12 at 11:06
Steffan Donal
1686
1686
1
As an update - I didn't get the job. However, I did go onto getting a job for which I did have experience for less than three months later. Three years later, still at it!
– Steffan Donal
Mar 23 '15 at 13:21
add a comment |Â
1
As an update - I didn't get the job. However, I did go onto getting a job for which I did have experience for less than three months later. Three years later, still at it!
– Steffan Donal
Mar 23 '15 at 13:21
1
1
As an update - I didn't get the job. However, I did go onto getting a job for which I did have experience for less than three months later. Three years later, still at it!
– Steffan Donal
Mar 23 '15 at 13:21
As an update - I didn't get the job. However, I did go onto getting a job for which I did have experience for less than three months later. Three years later, still at it!
– Steffan Donal
Mar 23 '15 at 13:21
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
up vote
14
down vote
accepted
That's a typical entry level job. My daughter trained as a chef and the people in the restaurants where she works who do the job you've described often have not finished high school. They don't have previous experience doing that work, or sometimes any work.
The employer will be evaluating you mostly on things like attitude and fit for the culture. Or possibly not investing any time at all evaluating you, just hiring whoever applies and firing you if you don't work out. That's a reasonably popular approach in that industry. A resume and a cover letter are almost certainly overkill, but in your email, put the emphasis on your work ethic ("if you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean"), point out that you know a little about cooking or the like (some applicants will live with their parents and not cook or clean in their own homes) and the fact you want to do this for some reason other than just the money. (Get started in the industry, or whatever the truth is.)
answered May 31 '12 at 11:27
Kate Gregory
105k40232334
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
14
down vote
accepted
That's a typical entry level job. My daughter trained as a chef and the people in the restaurants where she works who do the job you've described often have not finished high school. They don't have previous experience doing that work, or sometimes any work.
The employer will be evaluating you mostly on things like attitude and fit for the culture. Or possibly not investing any time at all evaluating you, just hiring whoever applies and firing you if you don't work out. That's a reasonably popular approach in that industry. A resume and a cover letter are almost certainly overkill, but in your email, put the emphasis on your work ethic ("if you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean"), point out that you know a little about cooking or the like (some applicants will live with their parents and not cook or clean in their own homes) and the fact you want to do this for some reason other than just the money. (Get started in the industry, or whatever the truth is.)
answered May 31 '12 at 11:27
Kate Gregory
105k40232334
add a comment |Â
up vote
14
down vote
accepted
That's a typical entry level job. My daughter trained as a chef and the people in the restaurants where she works who do the job you've described often have not finished high school. They don't have previous experience doing that work, or sometimes any work.
The employer will be evaluating you mostly on things like attitude and fit for the culture. Or possibly not investing any time at all evaluating you, just hiring whoever applies and firing you if you don't work out. That's a reasonably popular approach in that industry. A resume and a cover letter are almost certainly overkill, but in your email, put the emphasis on your work ethic ("if you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean"), point out that you know a little about cooking or the like (some applicants will live with their parents and not cook or clean in their own homes) and the fact you want to do this for some reason other than just the money. (Get started in the industry, or whatever the truth is.)
answered May 31 '12 at 11:27
Kate Gregory
105k40232334
add a comment |Â
up vote
14
down vote
accepted
up vote
14
down vote
accepted
That's a typical entry level job. My daughter trained as a chef and the people in the restaurants where she works who do the job you've described often have not finished high school. They don't have previous experience doing that work, or sometimes any work.
The employer will be evaluating you mostly on things like attitude and fit for the culture. Or possibly not investing any time at all evaluating you, just hiring whoever applies and firing you if you don't work out. That's a reasonably popular approach in that industry. A resume and a cover letter are almost certainly overkill, but in your email, put the emphasis on your work ethic ("if you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean"), point out that you know a little about cooking or the like (some applicants will live with their parents and not cook or clean in their own homes) and the fact you want to do this for some reason other than just the money. (Get started in the industry, or whatever the truth is.)
answered May 31 '12 at 11:27
Kate Gregory
105k40232334
That's a typical entry level job. My daughter trained as a chef and the people in the restaurants where she works who do the job you've described often have not finished high school. They don't have previous experience doing that work, or sometimes any work.
The employer will be evaluating you mostly on things like attitude and fit for the culture. Or possibly not investing any time at all evaluating you, just hiring whoever applies and firing you if you don't work out. That's a reasonably popular approach in that industry. A resume and a cover letter are almost certainly overkill, but in your email, put the emphasis on your work ethic ("if you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean"), point out that you know a little about cooking or the like (some applicants will live with their parents and not cook or clean in their own homes) and the fact you want to do this for some reason other than just the money. (Get started in the industry, or whatever the truth is.)
answered May 31 '12 at 11:27
Kate Gregory
105k40232334
answered May 31 '12 at 11:27
Kate Gregory
105k40232334
answered May 31 '12 at 11:27
Kate Gregory
105k40232334
answered May 31 '12 at 11:27
Kate Gregory
105k40232334
105k40232334
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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1
As an update - I didn't get the job. However, I did go onto getting a job for which I did have experience for less than three months later. Three years later, still at it!
– Steffan Donal
Mar 23 '15 at 13:21