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How to uptain work experience

I am finishing up my degree in information technology soon. But have no work experience in the field. What can I do to get some relevant experiences?

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Victor’s Answer

Hello Danielle, congratulations first of all. I'm not sure how soon you are graduating, but one way to get work experience is by doing an internship with a company. There are many companies that offer internships, some are unpaid but a good number are paid. Another way to get experience is by participating in school clubs/projects that allow you to practice what you have learned in school and you would list these activities in your resume, make sure that you describe these so that future employers understand this.
Thank you comment icon Thanks for this information. I have been trying to volenteer, no success. I work full-time in radiology. So trying to get that experience on the side doesn't seem to work with my hours. I graduate in November with my BS in IT. Danielle
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Ryan’s Answer

Hi Danielle,

I found myself in a similar situation, eager to gain work experience but unsure of how to start.

One day, I came across a local nonprofit that needed help with its website. Seeing an opportunity, I volunteered my skills and time to assist them. This experience taught me not only about web development but also about collaboration and project management. I soon discovered that even small projects can provide invaluable learning experiences.

As I continued to explore the tech industry, I decided to attend hackathons and networking events to meet people. It was during one such event that I found a group that shared my passion for technology and social impact. Together, we collaborated on a project and that experience not only helped me build my portfolio but also exposed me to different areas within technology.

Throughout my career, I have worked across various verticals and industries. I have learned that sometimes, the most transformative experiences come from unexpected places. I worked with a lot of small businesses early in my career as a consultant and worked directly with the founders, CEO, and senior leadership, this gave me insight into business operations, cash flow, and innovative ways organizations generate revenue.

In the world of technology, the path to success is rarely linear. Embrace the journey and be open to new experiences, even if they seem unrelated to your field. Seek out internships, freelance projects, or volunteer opportunities, and don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. By doing so, you will not only gain practical work experience but also discover the true depth and diversity of the technology industry.
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Andrea G’s Answer

Danielle, congratulations on your pending degree in Information Technology. Is there a specific industry or sector you have an interest? If so, create a target list of companies and as others suggested, create a profile on LinkedIn and start building your network. Another option is checking out Angel List Talent, a site that lists tech jobs at startups and VC funded firms: https://angel.co/jobs. There are several resources available for Women In Tech, including Slack communities like Ladies Get Paid that offer mentoring channels and community forums on how to look for the right position. Whatever path you decide is right for you, remain positive and keep moving forward--you've got this!

Andrea G recommends the following next steps:

Check out Leap, a private online community for women in tech to network.
Tech Ladies is a worldwide community of 25,000+ women in tech with a Facebook and Slack presence.
Thank you comment icon Thanks so much for this info. I will be joining those communities. Danielle
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Rebecca’s Answer

Seek out internships! If not, look for a few unpaid volunteer-basis opportunities that are within your field. I didn't do internships until grad school, and I felt like I was behind because of it. So I'd strongly recommend looking for a small-scale opportunity to intern at a smaller company to gain on-the-job experience!
Thank you comment icon Your advice was so helpful! Danielle
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Atul’s Answer

Did you mean to state how to obtain work experience?
Your college job site or bulletin board is a good medium to start.
Also, expand your LinkedIn network and look for the companies that fit your profile or seeking candidates.
Get ready to pass the employer's test/exams before you are granted an interview.
Seek referrals from your friends, professors, or LinkedIn connections if they know you.
There are many jobs in the high-tech fields that are unfilled today - expand your horizon to MA, VA, CA, NY, WA, and TX.
Thank you comment icon This was super helpful, thank you! Danielle
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Katie’s Answer

You could also check out programs like YearUp, which pair some additional education with internships at big tech companies. That can be a great way to get your foot in the door!
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Steve’s Answer

Hi Danielle - congrats on finishing up your degree! What an exciting time to be entering the world of technology. Many of the responses above provide great suggestions. I might just also add that there are an increasing number of online, self-paced, programs that help to provide some real-world examples of problems/projects to get you "work-like" experiences. You will see this through things like Grow with Google or Forage. There are many others, but these give you some starting points. The key with these experiences is not that completing them will help you land a job, but it will give you something to use in your interview to provide examples of how you approach problems, how you navigate a challenge and how you are resourceful. The interview questions are not always focused on the answer or the product, but more so how you arrived at your answer. Having these examples will provide you with tons to talk about on your interviews! Good luck!!
Thank you comment icon I will check out the Grow with google and forage. Thanks! Danielle
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Pooja’s Answer

Hi Danielle - Congratulations on big milestone, I would recommend creating a one page resume with your skills, educational background, projects, certifications, extracurricular, any past internship experiences etc. and start applying for positions via your college's career portal or job portals like LinkedIn, Indeed etc. If you are interested in joining any particular company then you can directly go to company's career website and start applying. I would also advise to keep your LinkedIn profile up to date and you can always opt for premium version to build stronger network and get recommendations aligned with your interests & skills sets. Good Luck with your search and keep upskilling yourself. You will do great!
Thank you comment icon Thank you for giving me advice. Danielle
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Amanda’s Answer

Hi Danielle,

Congratulations on finishing your degree in information technology. My first step would be to identify the kind of experience that you are looking for. Do you want a position in a certain location? Do you want to travel? Do you want an in-office position, a work from home, or a mix of both? Ask yourself these direct kind of questions to see what you are looking for in a job.

It's also helpful to create a LinkedIn (if you do not already have one) and search for open entry level jobs for information technology. That will give you an idea of what is available and what kind of jobs align with your degree. If you find some positions that interest you, feel free to look at the company's LinkedIn and see which workers are currently in that position. You could send them a short message to express your interest and perhaps ask to have a chat to gain more information about the role.

Best of luck!
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Sunitha’s Answer

Congratulations!! Some ways to get started can be to explore the opportunities with the University's career forum - where you can get some leads about which companies are currently hiring , required skills, currently offered internships etc. Also, can find more information from different career boards and company website. With those baseline information, you can start to build your resume to determine what you are looking forward to do after graduation, if there is any skill area that you would like to upskill that can be helpful in the job search.
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Brendon’s Answer

Hi Danielle,

Here are some opportunities:

- Get an internship.
- Volunteer to help companies with their projects.

Good luck!
Thank you comment icon Thank you for the advice, Brendon. Danielle
Thank you comment icon Thanks, I have been reaching out to companys near me to try an volenteer. So far no luck. But good to know the thought was not a crazy one. Danielle
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Akshay’s Answer

Hi Danielle, Hope your are doing well :)
According to me, you should explore about niche technologies like Cloud Computing, AI/ML, Blockchain, etc.. Also about Cloud Providers and their services such as AWS, Azure, GCP, etc.. "Because, Practical knowledge is more important then theoretical knowledge".
Search for each of the technologies and understand "Your Interest (Important)" in technology and after that you may search for the course of that particular technology on Udemy, Coursera etc.. kinds of websites/Applications to get subscription for the course.
Meanwhile, Explore job opportunities or internship on LinkedIn(Jobs search area) or Company's job career portal.
(Important) Create your profile on LinkedIn and update it everyday, also start connecting with the IT professional, discuss about the opportunities if they have or share your skill sets and ask them for the references.
Thank you comment icon Thank you for the advice, Akshay. Danielle
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Guinevere Tiara’s Answer

Hello Danielle,

Congratulations on finishing your degree! One of the best ways to gain experience is getting an internship! This will allow you to have hands on activity for your major and allow you to develop new skills while polishing your current ones. A great way to start is setting up your LinkedIn and building connections, joining groups, and overall getting involved. Through this, you can narrow down your searches to be within the area, look for entry level jobs or internships, pick between remote or on-site, and select locations you desire. A short job description will be displayed along with contact information if you have any questions as well. Something important with job search is to stay active and update it consistently! If you are waiting for acceptance of what you have applied to, it would be great to consider volunteering or working on personal projects to help develop skills to try to stay ahead of the game.

Best of luck to you!
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much, Guinevere Tiara! Danielle
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Rebecca’s Answer

Thank you for your question. I am glad to hear that you will graduate soon.
I suggest you can consider below :
1. Internship - The Technology Corporate may have intern opportunities that posting on their website or college career office. You can keep an eye on it.
2. Explore any freelance opportunities
3. Graduate Program - Similar to the internship, the large corporates may offer graduate programs for fresh graduates. They may post this on their career portal or school career office.
4. If you have any corporates that you have interest on, you can send an email together with you cv to explore the opportunities.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
Thank you comment icon Thank you for giving me advice. Danielle
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Sikawayi’s Answer

Hello Danielle, thank you for your question if you are looking to gain experience you could start by going online so you can reach out to the local tech community and let them know your graduating, you can also meet with you advisor at school and see if you can be placed on the tech mailing list. Most school do have programs to help students to get started with their career. Best of luck
Thank you comment icon Thank you for the advice. Danielle
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