How should I represent myself in a cover letter when applying for a job in which I have zero experience?

Question

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?

Answer 1

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.)