How do you get a job without any prior work experience?

Hi Brianna,

This is a really great question as I encountered this same frustration when I was applying to full time jobs for when I graduated college. I would find all these awesome entry level jobs that required 2-3 years experience; like how can this be an "entry level' that has an experience requirement of 2-3 years...moving on.

I am not sure if you are in college or high school now, but I would suggest getting involved in volunteer activities, clubs at your school, leadership activities, and part time jobs if you are in high school. Many employers don't expect you to have oodles of work experience but some volunteer work or demonstration of leadership goes a long way in establishing your credibility as a person.

Now, if you are in college you have more opportunities than a high school student to gain work experience and demonstrate your qualifications. One way to gain vital work experience, demonstrate qualifications, fill your resume, and land a great job upon graduation is through internships. Internships are perhaps the best way for undergraduates to demonstrate to an employer that they are qualified to perform a job. Getting internships in your relevant field of study that pertains to what you want to do after graduation will make you much more competitive compared to a person that has nothing of the sort.

When I was in undergrad (I graduated last year), I had three internships with the Federal Government and they were perhaps the best decision I made in college. They allowed me to figure out what I do/don't like, helped me build out my professional network, and allowed me to gain marketable professional experience. Two of them were overseas and one was in Washington DC. There are so many great internship opportunities out there waiting to be discovered. If you have yet to do an internship, I highly suggest talking to an academic adviser/college counselor who should be able to assist you in finding and applying to one. Your school's career office should have some fantastic resources that will be able to help you in your internship hunt.

I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck!!

Best,

Austin

The only work experience I had was a few summers working as a Paddleboard instructor, and was looking for a job in accounting (the two could not be further apart). But by getting involved in campus interviews and activities thrown by Big 4 firms I was able to land an interview where I bridged the long gap between instructing adults in a somewhat-dangerous activity as a high school student, and auditing the financial statements of a multi-billion dollar company. The most important thing is to be well-spoken, know how to present yourself professionally, and establish your resume as one of a someone with a promising future. Always give the impression that this company wants YOU working for them.