It can be tricky to land a job when you do not have much prior experience as often an employer will be seeking somebody that has a certain level of experience – this is a Catch 22 situation. This can make it hard to get your foot in the door and it is easy to become disheartened, but you should know that there are opportunities out there and there are a few different ways to show your value to an employer even if you do not have much experience in the field. Read on for a few tips for landing a job with little to no prior experience:
Apply For Internships/Apprenticeships
It may not be ideal, but completing an internship or apprenticeship will give you a good amount of experience and show that you are employable and passionate about the industry you are looking to enter. Additionally, it is a chance for you to see if it is a field of work that interests you and gives you an opportunity to grow your network (more on this below).
Grow Your Network
Often when it comes to employment, it is who you know that will get your foot in the door and open up opportunities. Try to grow your network as much as possible by attending industry events for the line of work that you want to enter, growing an online network and even speaking to friends and family to see if they know somebody. The more people that you know, the more likely it is that they know someone who will be willing to give you a shot.
Work On Interview Technique
The interview is your chance to dazzle the employer and show why you are the right person to hire despite a lack of experience – try to communicate that what you lack in experience you make up for in skills, determination and willingness to learn. There are a lot of helpful interview tips available online, but the key is to be prepared and to try a few practice interviews that cover all of the more common questions. Being nervous is understandable (it would be strange if you weren’t), but try to remember that you are also interviewing the company to see if it is the right position for you.
Develop & Emphasis Key Skills
Employers want to know that you will be up to the demands of the job which means that having a range of key skills can be just as important as experience. With this in mind, take the time to develop key skills related to the industry and emphasis these skills on your application and in the interview. This will depend on the industry, but there are often online qualifications that can help to bolster your resume while developing important skills.
These steps will help somebody without much experience to land a decent job. You must prepare yourself for a lot of rejection and this can be disheartening, but all it takes is for one employer to give you an opportunity to show why you are the right person for the job. It is also important not to be picky and to look to get experience and to develop your skills while looking for that ideal job.
Did you land your dream role without experience? Shar ewith us how you managed it in the comments below.
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