ANSWERS: 16
  • I make it up - and then live up to the legend. Honesty for the unqualified.
  • Internships are the way to go. Craigslist has dozens of internships in all areas. Check out your local craigslist and get going on one.
  • Volunteer work can be counted as work experience. If the job is one you really want, then, offer to work for free to gain work experience.
  • Though nothing is foolproof, a great start is to REALLY educate yourself about a particular job before applying. If you demonstrate a good working knowledge of the job, many employers will take a chance on you.
  • This is a catch-22 question. i have faced this delima myself, when i applied for my first job. i did not tell a lie and the information i submitted was honest and truthful. I was hired because of my honesty, not because of lack of experience. if you lie, they will discover it.
  • You could go on work experience/placement or do volunteer work. It all helps your CV.
  • That's what I want to know. I haven't been able to get a new job lately because I don't have experience. Now I'm poor.
  • I have the same problem. Spent the last four years getting the quals and three years volunteering for the experiance but still having trouble finding work. What else can I do?
  • Keep looking, and present your lack of experience as an asset - that you are willing and able to learn, do not have preconceived notions and/or habits. There are employers who think this already, too. Try not to get discouraged, though I know it is hard, but remember that we have all gone through this and most of us have felt this way at some time in our lives. Good luck.
  • See if you can work there for no payment for a few weeks or try and shadow someone.
  • Things that have worked for me: - voluntary work. It helps if you do a variety of different things and make them related to the work you want to do - rather than just making tea for old ladies (which is a lovely thing to do by the way, it's just not great for your CV) things like fundraising, organising events, giving talks on something are all good. If you can't find any, organise it yourself - find a couple of friends who'll help you organise a belly dancing evening, or start a readers' group in your local library, or ask your local school to let you have a room to teach people about motorcycle maintenance. Be creative (this is also good fun) - Talk to people. Often the old cliche of "it's not what you know but who..." is true. Tell people what your skills are and that you're looking for work. People who can help you are everywhere: meet them at your voluntary events, at information evenings, in the theatre, even in the pub. Ask your Dad or your friends if they know anyone in the industry you're interested in. Most importantly, talk to your college tutors, they often have links to people in industry in their subject area. A good word in from someone who knows you can often be a foot in the door. You have to be a bit shameless abot doing this, it won't work if you're shy or reticent - people won't come to you, and unfortunately if you don't ask you don't get. -Blag it. Learn to write a good CV and talk a good interview. Think of creative ways to match what experience you have got to skills required to the position. (Holding down a job in a pizza shop whilst doing your degree shows time management skills, playing football at the weekend shows you can work as part of a team, working as a life model shows you have confidence) If you word it well a lot of employers can be persuaded to give you a go on the strangest of criteria. - Try writing speculatively to companies you think you may like to work for and ask if they'd be interested in taking you on for some work experience. A friend of mine recently did a week with a national magazine to help get some journalism experience. You won't get paid, but it looks great on the CV and you might even be offered a job by the company if they like you. - check you're not aiming too high. A lot of new graduates start by applying for jobs clearly intended for people with far more industry experience and end up disappointed. Don't sniff at low wages or dull jobs- it's where most people start, and even two years as a typist looks better to a future employer than two years of bumming around.
  • i know not everyone wants to go to college but if you do they will put you on placement for 1 day a week. that way you get a qualification and experience at the same time. there is always voluntary work aswell
  • Trade schools usually have apprenticeships, or internships, to get you practical experience before sending you out into the job market.
  • You've no doubt heard people talk about starting in the mail room and working your way up...that's pretty much what I did. I was in college and got a job at a company that designed & installed computer networks, doing shipping & receiving. I stepped in a couple times when computers at the office had issues, next thing you know I wasn't just shipping things I was bench-testing them to make sure we didn't send dead equipment out to be installed. Things just evolved from there.
  • I have been a security guard for nine years because after college I couldn't find a decent job without having prior experience. I am still trying after nine years of struggling to make ends meet. I hope it doesn't take this long for you. I still refuse to give up hope because I don't like doing Security work and I have a knee injury that prohibits me from many security jobs.I'm turning 40 next month and I feel like my time is running out.
  • Not all jobs require experience. Many fast food places will hire just about anyone. It's a lot easier to get another job when you already have a job.

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