How to Get a Job When You Have No Experience – Overcome The “No Experience” Dilemma Easily.

Confidence Macaulay 

Every job posting seems to end the same way.  “Experience necessary”  “Experience preferred.”  Some of them even say, “5+ years’ experience.”  To even make matters worse, some may go as far as saying 25 years of experience in the field, Now that, is what most of our fathers don’t even have.

Even when job market is flourishing, it can still be hard to find a job. But finding ways to land a job with no experience, well, that’s a whole other story.

Like I will always say, “Experience is not what you learn; it is what you create by virtue of venturing into something. It really doesn’t matter whether you fail or win; just get something done and your bag of experience gets stacked up”

Many recent graduates are facing the same conundrum:  How do you get experience if you have never had a job?  How do you get a job with no experience?

It seems nearly impossible to find a job when you’re just starting out in a career, It can be frustrating and scary for sure. But don’t worry, there are ways around this troubling oxymoron – you just have to get creative.

Know your worth – Stack up your Self Confidence

Remember the song “If you have faith, you can move mountains”? Yeah, that’s it. If you don’t believe in yourself or have confidence (not with arrogance though), then your possible future boss might not believe in you either.

You might not have years of work experience, but what else in your background can demonstrate your worth to an employer?

Believe you can do it, act with confidence, and answer every question with boldness. If at some point you start losing confidence, you can always remember and use the 10 self confidence boosters to help put you back on track.

Focus on Your Most Valuable Skills + Talents And Shift The Interviewers Attention Away From Your Lack of Experience.

According to founder and CEO of Pocket Mentor Caren Merrick, “Don’t let your resume hinder you from getting jobs. Sit down, Figure out what your most valuable skills and talents are and bring them to the table. “Everyone has valuable skills and talents, but we often underestimate them or forget what they are. If you can’t articulate them, no one else will,”

In an interview, one thing you should not do is to focus on the things that you don’t have.

While I don’t encourage lying about your strengths and experiences, you do want to share what you can bring to the table and how you can make a difference in the organization, company or industry.

Make it a reminder in your heart that you are already bringing something unique — and that’s you.

“Most of your strengths are ‘transferable skills’ and you want to shift the attention away from your perceived lack of experience in one area, to these valuable skills that you offer,”

Re-discover Your Strengths, Identify Your Skills

There are two ways to work around this dilemma.  The first is to focus on things you have done and show how they translate into work experience.  The second is to do more things to create more work experience.

Focus On the Things you have already Done

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last several years, you must have in one way or the other done things that can be called experience.  Any clubs, organizations, or activities you have participated in can be considered experience.

Try to highlight any of the accomplishments these types of groups have had, even if you did them as a team.  Fundraising, recruiting new members, presenting ideas to other people, all can be considered work experience.

Even babysitting family members, helping neighbors, or volunteering in groups can be considered experience. You simply need to tailor these experiences to meet the needs of the job posting you are applying for.

Do More Things to create Work Experience.

There are ways to discover your strengths even if you don’t currently have a job or enough experience. The first is to be a self-starter and create small side gigs or hobbies to see what your possible dream job could be.

This is a great way to discover what your strengths are and where you may be lacking. “Take a bit of time to discover or re-discover your strengths so you can articulate the value you bring to a new employer.

Experience doesn’t have to just come from traditional jobs; market any skills you’ve developed in other areas of your life.

Network;  Ask employers for informational interviews.

Many working professionals are willing to share their experiences and help young people get started in the field.  They can give you direction on how to gain the necessary experience.  Be sure to attend any job fairs and take advantage of career centers that your county maintains.

Join professional organizations and network with as many people in your area of interest as possible.  You never know who you might impress or who may provide that first job opportunity.

Consider joining the Peace Corp, looking at internships, or study abroad opportunities. 

These can be life changing experiences that open the doors for many job opportunities.  While you are building a resume, you will also be making a contribution to the world and learning about yourself and your abilities in ways that you could never do from the comfort of your home.

Although these are usually considered volunteer positions, you may be given room and board and a monthly expense allowance.  You will gain experience and skills in ways that are not possible at home and make connections with people that can last a lifetime.

Maximize and Show Off your Soft Skills

Often ask yourself when faced with an interview “What will make me stand out from the rest” “Am I even as qualified as these other people here?” “What is it that will even make me get this job, I don’t have any connection or anything” and other self challenging and killing questions?

Always remember to showcase qualities like friendliness, professionalism, responsiveness, and follow-through. Strong soft skills can go a long way, because they can’t really be taught.

Keep Learning and Continue to Invest in Yourself.

I remember back in the days when I was learning internet fraud AkA yahoo yahoo that I never used to put food at the top of my table. Even if i didn’t get to use it, I am still not a novice in that area and can at the same time protect myself and those around me from some scam/fraud schemes.

It may be that you need more education to qualify for what you really want to do. For example, if you discover an interest in the WEB field, then it may be time to apply to a computer, web/ graphic design school.

But even outside of formal education, find ways to keep current and expand your base of knowledge–take noncredit or audit classes, enroll in professional development or special training courses, such as the “Road to Victoria Island by Jarus” or just do a lot of reading in your fields of interest.

“No knowledge is a waste”

And lastly,

Write a Great and Somehow Customized Cover Letter

Writing a one-of-a-kind cover letter can really make you stand out from the rest. The Ideology is to Discuss what you can bring to the table and how passionate you are about the job, as well as why you love the company.

Bear in mind that whatever you do, it’s not good to just use a generic cover letter that you always use to apply to all your jobs. It usually won’t get you anywhere because it will sound robotic and not genuine. –Source, US Money—

Gaining experience and building a resume is certainly a challenge for most people just starting out in the work force.  With some creativity and perseverance, it can be done.

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