Finding a Job When You Have No Work Experience

Many people, especially new graduates, find themselves in a difficult situation when looking for jobs: you need experience to get experience. It is difficult to start when you’re competing against job seekers with years of experience. However, there are some tips that can help you to get started.

Have the Right Profile/Resume:

Change your LinkedIn profile/resume to highlight your strengths and downplay your limited experience. If you are looking for the right job without experience, having the right profile/resume that shows your capabilities in a positive manner is very important. These can be highlighted in your LinkedIn profile under ‘Summary’ and ‘Specialities’ section. It is also important as pointed out in the post "Let the Recruiters come to you" on the OTEN Group discussion page to include the job title of the job you are looking for in your profile, so when recruiters search LinkedIn (which they often do) you will come up in the results.

Work experience

Consider volunteering or doing work experience in the area you want to get into. You will gain experience doing real work in that area, and you may be able to turn that work experience into a full-time job – either at that organisation or through someone you meet there.

Networking:
Having connections in LinkedIn will give you leverage when looking for a job, see post 2; "Use LinkedIn to Connect" in the discussion tab. Find as many connections on LinkedIn as possible, through people that you already know (do a search) and through LinkedIn Groups where you have something in common such as a professional interest or alumni group such as the OTEN group.

Low paying jobs.
There are several jobs in these categories that might be relatively low paying ones. Low paying jobs can take you to the first step up the ladder, to get needed experience. Entry level jobs can provide you with the initial experience you need, and you can be promoted to a higher position in that company.