I Have No Work Experience? What Do I Do?

So you're looking for a job. What if the job you want requires previous work or industry experience and you don’t have any? Depending on what job you're looking for, you might be required to have some work experience.

First and foremost, do not lie on your resume. This is one of the quickest way to remove your application from consideration and might even jeopardize your career later.

Our friends from Roper Personnel suggest getting a volunteer position or internship, even if only 1 day a week, to get some experience. They also suggest looking at a staffing agency, like Roper. Usually staffing agencies can place you in a entry level position that is related to the career you want. This will help you get some beginning experience and transition to the job you want.

The other option is to highlight your transferable skills. According to Dr. Mary Askew, transferable skills are:

…non-job specific skills that you have acquired during any activity or life experiences. Student activities and experiences include campus and community activities, class projects, and assignments, hobbies, athletic activities, internships and summer part-time jobs.

Transferable skills skills fall into three (3) groups: Working with people, working with things, and working with data/information.

Dr. Askew highlights the top personal qualities/skills (according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers) that employers seem to request the most. The top 10 are:

1. Analytical skills
2. Communication Skills
3. Computer skills
4. Creativity
5. Detail-oriented
6. Entrepreneurial skills/risk-taker
7. Flexibility/adaptability
8. Friendly/outgoing personality
9. Honesty/integrity 10. Interpersonal skills (relates well to others)

Read the full post and rest of top 20 skills here. You can highlight these skills when describing your job duties on past jobs, even if unrelated to the position you are applying for. Mention them in your cover letter as well. It is probably a good idea to highlight these skills whether you're experienced or not. You'll also want to find a way to reinforce these skills once you make it to the interview.

Transferable skills are a product of our talents, traits and knowledge. These skills determine how you respond to new activities, work situations or jobs.

See also:
Writing an Active Resume
The Creative Resume
Writing an Online Resume

- Rosie Reilman
Photo by Daoist56

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