We all have to start somewhere. Be it for reasons it may be, we all start our careers as green recruits with nothing to our name but good intentions and a college degree, sometimes not even that. The question of companies looking exclusively for experienced personnel is present and blatant, causing righteous anxiety among first-time job seekers.
This article will be about hunting for those opportunities that require very little to no previous experience, the perfect place to kick-start your career.
Where To Start?
Starting can be difficult when you’ve no experience to include in your résumé. However, not all avenues into employment require previous experience. Several posts solicit no prior experience at all. Here are some examples of opportunities you can keep an eye out for if you’re still working on building up that career experience:
A common way for students and fresh graduates to amass job experience is to set out on an internship. An internship is a work experience offered by an organization, lasting for a fixed period, anywhere between a week and 12 months.
They are typically undertaken by students and graduates looking to gain relevant skills. Typically, these internship posts earn the minimum average wage wherever you are. They’re just a starting point, like extended university work in the field.
Many internships are unpaid. You must watch for these if you can’t afford to allocate hours to unpaid work. Since the pandemic, online internships have become increasingly popular and are a way to harness experience while working on something else.
Similar to internships, Apprenticeships are a way to get hands-on experience while starting a profession. Typically, they involve an apprenticeship contract with a company and are all about learning while doing.
Apprenticeships are available for various professions and industries, from accounting and business to engineering, construction, and artisanal work. Like some internships, apprenticeships often conclude with a job offer from the benefactor company.
Lastly, if you’re unsure where to set out for, perhaps no internships in your area call out to your heart. There is always the option to volunteer. These positions are a sure-fire way to boost your employability, especially if you have no relevant experience. Although unpaid, you’ll profit from the skills and contacts you gain, not to mention the life experience you’ll gather.
Volunteering experience shows commitment, initiative, and a strong work ethic, all valuable, appealing traits to prospective employers. You might want to seek volunteering opportunities with something related to the jobs you’re hoping to get in the future. Still, if you can’t find one, any volunteering opportunity will make your CV stand out against the lot positively.
Emphasize What You Do Have
When you’re starting to write your CV, do not be bogged down by the weight of having no experience. Focus on what positives you have instead of the void of experience you want to start filling.
Whether you’re starting fresh or changing career paths, your soft skills will almost certainly be among your most transferable skills. Soft skills include things that are not industry-specific but are still essential for doing the job well. And the cool thing about these is that you’ve worked on them your whole life. You need to realize that to start including them.
Start Solo
For some career types, especially the creatives, sometimes you need to start by doing. Even if no one hires you, starting personal projects showcasing your abilities to future employers is a good idea. In this fashion, you can start building a portfolio that future employers can check up on. Remember, you don’t need a job or experience to create wonderfully.
A personal website is great for this and an excellent addition to your CV. Suppose you’re an artist or a designer. In that case, your website can be an online portfolio you can start by filling out with either work you did in university or personal projects you started on specifically for your portfolio.
If you’re a writer, the same deal applies. You don’t need previous employment to show what you’ve got; express ideas or write mock-up articles and display them on your website for future employers to see when they evaluate you.
Conclusion
Whether you’re starting from zero or changing career paths after a long-debated decision, lack of job experience can be a source of insecurity and anxiety for job seekers. Fret not, there is always a way to get started, and opportunities waiting for those who know how to find them.
See more articles by Haward Méndez.
