Whilst experience can be a valuable asset, it isn’t always essential when getting a job. Everyone has to start somewhere, and whilst employers may outline experience as a necessary requirement when advertising, they can sometimes take a punt on inexperienced applicants if there are enough other good qualities to make up for it.
So that you may be in for a chance of getting into your dream career, here are just several ways in which you can win over employers without being experienced.
Educate yourself
Having an education behind you is the next best thing. Many careers don’t require you to have a degree, but having one may still give you the advantage when up against an applicant without a degree. This could be something to consider pursuing when trying to chase your dream job.There may also be other smaller qualifications that you can achieve to help build a broader sense of expertise. For instance, if you’re trying to land a job at an IT firm, you could try taking the 70-740 Microsoft test or attending a short course on cloud technology.
Take up relevant hobbies
A hobby that is related to your career could show passion and enthusiasm for the role. Starting a blog via Wordpress could be a great hobby to show your love of a career field – for instance, if you want to become a beautician, you could try starting a beauty blog.It’s possible you may also be able to join clubs related to your career of choice. If you’re eager to become a lawyer, being a member of a debate club could look good. Similarly, being a member of a wine tasting club could look good if you’ve got your eyes set on becoming a sommelier at a high class restaurant.
Show evidence of soft skills
Soft skills are personal qualities that are essential for a job but may not require previous training or job experience. A few examples include problem-solving, ability to work well in a team and creativity.Most employers will want you to provide evidence of these soft skills by mentioning things you’ve done in the past. These don’t have to be from a previous job in the same field. For instance, you may be able to show signs of being a good team-player by being a member of a successful quiz team or by regularly playing a team sport. It could be a way of showing that you have the experience requires - just not an occupational setting.
Highlight transferrable skills
Transferable skills are skills from other jobs. If you’ve never had a job before, you may not have any transferable skills to offer. However, if you’ve had an occupation in the past, no matter how unrelated it may seem to your dream job, there is likely to be a skill that is useful to both jobs.For instance, if you worked in a bar and are now trying to become a nurse, you may have experience working with difficult people, experience working odd shifts and experience being on your feet for long periods. On the surface, they may seem like very different jobs, but in reality there are similarities that you can showcase to argue your case when applying for a job that requires experience.
Volunteer
Volunteering could give you the experience you need. It may not be paid, but you can tell employers that you’ve worked in that sector. A voluntary position could even lead to a paid position if you prove yourself enough.Landing a voluntary job can be fairly easy – most employers when asked will quite happily let you work at their company unpaid, although it’s likely you’ll be doing low responsibility tasks. There are also sites such as Do It for advertised voluntary positions that you can look through.
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