How to Get Your First Job With No Experience
“I find my life is a lot easier the lower I keep my expectations” — Bill Watterson
I was 14 when I got my very first job. It was at a smoothie store in a corner plaza near my school. The only responsibility I was tasked with was preparing all the fresh ingredients for the day. Think of it as real life Fruit Ninja but without the fun and all the mess. Even though it may not be the most glamorous job in the world, I was ecstatic. Earning my own income made me feel like an adult and I could finally afford to buy all or at least some of the things that my parents had refused to pay for.
There is truth behind the humor by the American cartoonist, and trying to not have too high of an expectation for your first job is very well a first step in landing a job in the first place. If you also find yourself struggling with finding your first job, here are some tips to help you break out of the catch 22 situation.
Lower Your Expectations
Volunteering and internships are a great way to learn new skills and gather some experiences. If the opportunity exists, startups are also a great way to accelerate your learning. You’ll likely be given a lot more responsibilities and held to high accountability from the very start. Paid work is great but remember that you’ll have a long time ahead to earn money. Focusing your attention on getting the right experiences in the short-run will be a lot more valuable to your career development in the future.
Don’t Skip the Cover Letter
It seems that traditional cover letters are becoming obsolete. But if an employer asks for one as a part of the job application process, always send one in. Even if it may no longer be a prominent aspect of the recruiting process, it still gives recruiters insight on your ability to follow directions while on the job. In fact, send one regardless of what they specify, the rule is always to overimpress than under impress.
Don’t Forgo the Details
Here’s a funny story for you. I once received an email from a fellow classmate who had mistaken me as the recruiter for the company he was applying for. He had proceeded to type out a lengthy introduction and attached his entire application package and transcript. Might I add that this was almost an impossible task to do because I had an email under the university domain. The moral of the story is to always read the job description and applicant descriptions multiple times. If you wrote “attention to detail” as one of your fortes in your resume, this is the first opportunity to demonstrate that.
Do It In Person
If the employer has specified that you can apply for a position either online or in-person, always choose the face-to-face approach. These days when large organizations are using ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) to streamline the recruiting process, chances are your resume may never make it to the end and be reviewed by a real person. Since you probably don’t hold the same level of experience that other applicants may have, you’re going to have to sell them on your personality and work ethics. And we all know it’s almost impossible to be convincing over the web.
Apply Early
If you see that the application deadline for a job posting is in a week, don’t wait until that final moment to apply. Employers frequently evaluate applications on a rolling basis (and sometimes a job position can get filled within the first few days it goes live). So apply early to maximize your chances.
Work Hard, Play Smart
You should take advantage of timely opportunities as they come. If you want to work retail, a great time to apply is right before the holidays when managers are looking to bring on a bunch of seasonal sales associates for the busy shopping season. Another great way to increase your chances of being hired is to look out for new business establishments and store openings within your area. These places will likely be looking to hire a large amount of staff quickly so that could be your key to landing your first job.
Do you have any other tips that we missed? What was your first job experience like? Share with Wirkn !