Job Search Tip: Is “No Experience” Stopping You From Getting Your Dream Job?

Is your lack of experience stopping you from getting the job you really want and know you deserve and would be good at? This happens to many people, and can be a huge roadblock, especially in our current job market. It does put you at a disadvantage, but there are things you can do.

If this is the case for you, the first thing you have to know is: Go directly to the hiring manager. You’ll never get past a gatekeeper or screener, whose job it is to only give resumes with particular qualifications to the hiring manager. Hiring managers can make the decision to go with a candidate who doesn’t quite “fit,” but screeners can’t.

You need to remember that experience does not equal success. There are a lot of people out there with lots of experience, but with little to show for it. In a lot of ways, it’s a confidence thing. You’ve got to have that level of confidence and be able to communicate to the hiring manager (quickly) how you’ve succeeded in other areas and you can succeed here, too. Here’s how: • Talk about how fast you’ve picked up things in the past, like how you completed a program 6 months faster than anyone else, or how you attained a certain goal that no one else has ever done in the time that you did. Talk about how quickly you’ve learned things in the past, and how no one has ever regretted hiring you. • And maybe put together your own training program. This is something that a 30/60/90-day plan can help you with. You can outline what you will do in the first 90 days to train yourself, as well as participating in the company’s training programs. • Complete a job shadowing experience, or conduct informational interviews. Both experiences will help you to speak more confidently and with more authority about the job. Pick up the vernacular and the language of what it is, so that it sounds more natural. • Offer to train for free. Say, “I know it’s a big risk, but hire me and the first two weeks are free. If you don’t think I’m working out, let me go.” In reality, they can do that anyway, but you’re telling them that you understand that, and you’re taking a lot of the risk out of the decision. • Use the vast amount of internet resources available to you: articles, blogs, YouTube videos, career coaches, and more. Some is free, and some isn’t, but any amount of investment you make here will be worth it. This is your life. You only get one shot at it, and you need to spend it doing something you enjoy and that you will be compensated fairly for, so you can provide a living for your family and have the life you want.

Just remember: everyone at some point had no experience. They got hired, and you can, too.