
How To Get Experience Without Experience
Answering job-huntings most annoying riddle…
âRequired Qualifications: 3 yearsâ experâŠ.â
* clicks âNextâ*
If youâre looking to change career, it can feel like Catch-22. You need experience to get a job. But you need a job to get experience.
Donât give up â this is how to get the experience you need (or repackage the experience you have) so that your application makes it past the cut.
Internships
Even if itâs unpaid, the benefits of an internship or work shadowing could be worth the financial hit. As well as giving you something for your rĂ©sumĂ©, thereâs nothing better than spending time âon the insideâ when it comes to working out whether a career is really the one for you.
Many internships arenât formally advertised, and arise instead out of more informal meetings and connections. Which bring us to âŠ
Getting some face time
Whether or not you believe that âitâs not what you know, itâs who you knowâ, itâs pretty clear that networking â meeting people in the industry in person â can help get a foot in the door. 50 â 80% of jobs are reportedly never advertised at all, but come instead through personal contacts.
It will always be easier to explain your situation and show your passion in person than on the page. Plus, with each conversation youâll understand more about the industry, which can only help your future applications.
Volunteering
Charities and non-profits are always looking for volunteers, often in âtraditionalâ roles like marketing, IT or business administration.
Theyâre likely to be less concerned about past experience, but the experience that you gain could well be enough to get you over the first hurdle for paid roles.
Plus youâll get the satisfaction of helping a good cause!
Be Creative
No, weâre not telling you to lie on your rĂ©sumĂ©!
Instead think â âWhen they ask for experience, what skills are they actually looking for? And can I show Iâve got those skills through other means?â A course youâve completed, say, or transferrable skills youâve acquired.
Then use your cover letter or refocus your rĂ©sumĂ© to highlight that. Make your diverse background a positive selling point: after all, itâs what will make your application stand out from the rest.
Are You Experienced?