Can You Land a Job When You Have No Experience?

At UTS:Careers Drop-In, a very common question to be asked is “How can I get a job when I have no experience?” Students often bring in their resume with their objective and education, and say that they have no experience but really need a job. If you are concerned about your lack of experience… read on!

Everyone has experience

First of all, everyone has some kind of experience. It is just a matter of thinking back over your past activities. Some examples are:

• Have you been a part of a student club and helped organise events? This shows some great teamwork, organisation and interpersonal skills!
• Did you take part in any volunteer work in year 12? Depending on what type of volunteering, this can show a huge variety of skills, from communication through to emotional intelligence!
• Did you do work experience at the end of high school? This gives you office experience! Perhaps you were helping with administration, involved in meetings, or simply observing. No matter what it was, this is something you can include on your resume.
• Have you played a certain sport for several years? This shows fantastic teamwork skills, commitment and discipline!

The list can go on and on, but at the end of the day it is unique to you. Think back over your final years at high school, early years at university, and what you do now. Make a list of all the different activities you took part in, no matter how small or insignificant they might seem! Now, go through each of those activities and branch out into what skills were involved and how you used or developed those skills. Voila! Before you know it, you have a list of your experiences and what skills you developed by doing them! This can be included in your resume, but also is a great source of examples to draw upon during an interview.

Read more: Internships: When You Need Experience To Get Experience

Still struggling?

If you have thought about this and still are struggling to think of any experiences you can include, then now is the perfect time to start gaining some experience! There are infinite opportunities for you to gain experience, skills and referees that make finding a job much easier. Some examples are:

• Volunteering with a charity to help with general administration and events.
• Becoming a Peer Networker at UTS and helping with orientation in 2017.
• Join a club at UTS and assist in its organisation and events.
• Talk to your peers, friends, tutors, lecturers, and family to see if they know anyone in your industry that may have an internship or work experience program – this is how you start networking!

No matter what stage you are at in your professional career, there is always a way to gain experience and find your dream job! Remember that the UTS:Careers Drop-In service is available to you and can help you refine your resume, write your cover letter, and show you some great places to find the right job for you.

Featured image courtesy of Pexels.