Employment Blog by Rhiannon

How to get a job with no experience

By: Rhiannon Schaub

Young people often find themselves in this sticky situation: need experience to get a job, need a job to get experience. Even many of the retail postings I see for part–time cashiers (where a lot of young people find their first jobs) ask for a minimum of 6 months’ experience. Fast food restaurants are famous for hiring young people with no experience, but fast food may not be everyone’s cup of tea, so here are a few tips for applying to jobs with no experience.

Fluff up your experience

I would like to start this section with a disclaimer: NEVER LIE ON YOUR RESUME!!! Lying to an employer can only lead to bad things (you get the job and they ask you to do things you said you could do but actually can’t, they call a place you claimed to work for and they have no idea who you are, thus destroying your credibility with two potential employers). However, you can make your experiences sound better by using the right words and elaborating on your experience. For example, if your only work experience is babysitting your neighbor’s toddler or cutting your neighbors’ grass, you could describe your experiences like so:

Work Experience:

Private Employer           Start date – End date/Present
Child Care Provider           Your town, ON

  • Provided care to children by maintaining a secure and clean environment to ensure child safety.
  • Met the needs of children by actively listening and fulfilling requests in a timely manner.

Private Employer           Start date – End date/Present
Lawn Care Worker           Your town, ON

  • Met the specific needs of customers by engaging in professional conversation about the work to produce the desired end result.
  • Ensured service provided met or exceeded expectations by welcoming and listening actively to feedback to ensure a positive customer experience.
  • Worked efficiently and with care by adhering to a schedule, allowing for maximum productivity and customer satisfaction.

These are all things you would have done as a babysitter or while cutting lawns; we simply elaborated and expanded on the skills. You are able to maintain a safe and clean workspace, you are able to listen actively to the needs of others, you have experience working with customers and the public, you are open to feedback, you have experience adhering to a schedule and managing your time productively. All of these skills are called transferable skills, or soft skills; these are skills that are required or viewed as assets in varying fields of work. A lot of young people possess these skills and demonstrate them through the odd jobs they do on their own, such as babysitting or cutting lawns, you just need to know how to format the experience on your resume.

Learning experience to work experience

Were you on the wrestling team in high school? If so, you probably have above average strength and endurance. Did you perform in the school play? If so, you’re likely very outgoing and a people person. Were you on the student council? If so, you’re probably an active listener who knows how to take other people’s ideas and opinions and incorporate them into your plans. Did you take a lot of computer classes? If so, you’re likely very apt with technology and varying software. All of these skills could be very useful in a workplace, you just have to know how to word them on your resume, and make sure you can relate the skill back to your experience if you’re asking about it in an interview. We can put skills like this in the “Highlights of Qualifications” section on a resume. Here is an example of how you could explain these skills:

Highlights of Qualification:

  • Able to lift 50lbs with ease.
    *Some job postings, particularly those for warehouse or general labour roles, will have a lift requirement. If you know you can meet that requirement, use the number they provide on your resume as some online job sites use algorithms to pick out keywords or phrases in your application.
  • Friendly and outgoing attitude, proven ability to interact with the public in a positive manner.
  • Active listener with experience taking in and incorporating the feedback of others.
  • Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as other standard computer programs and software.

Before putting any of these skills on a resume, make sure you have specific experience(s) to back up your claims to these skills if you are asked about them in an interview.

Network, network, network

While this may be more difficult for some, most of us have a network of people around us who could potentially be an employer or link us to one. A lot of young people get their first jobs through networking, by either knowing someone or knowing someone who knows someone. For example, say you help your friend’s dad build a deck one weekend. You work hard and do a great job, and he appreciates your work ethic and wants to hire you to help with his home renovation business, or he tells his friend who owns their own business or does the hiring for their company what a great worker you are and acts as a reference for you. Even small favours such as this one can provide the opportunity to demonstrate your work ethic and your skills to a potential employer or to someone whose word may carry significant weight to a potential employer.

Another way to network is through volunteering. Perhaps you really want to work for a company or organization, but they either do not have a position currently open, or you do not have the experience required to be hired. Offering to volunteer can gain you valuable experience and skills and can be a great opportunity to demonstrate your work ethic to a potential future employer. Showing you are willing to volunteer without pay also shows your passion for the field, which shows you as a promising candidate in the eyes of the employer.

Be Yourself

The final tip I want to give here is the simplest one: be yourself. And to do that, you need to show an employer more than just what exists on your resume. Sending your resume through online postings is great, but going into the businesses in person (when possible) is a great way to show an employer the friendly, mature, and committed person you are. Going into a business in person shows you’re willing to put more effort into your job search than simply submitting a resume online and allows the employer to put a face and personality to the name they are seeing on your resume.

This is so helpful if you don’t have the most experience on your resume. An employer can see in person that you would be a great fit for the role when you approach them with a friendly and warm attitude, and getting to witness your wonderful personality can speak much louder than experiences on a resume.

I hope some of these tips can be helpful to you in your resume writing and job search endeavors. However, if you are still struggling to draft a resume or aren’t getting the desired results from the resume you have, reach out to the Job Gym! Employment Counsellors and Student Employment Counsellors have the skills and the resume writing experience to help you create the best possible resume for your skill set, and can even help with your job search and interview skills as well. You can reach out here: https://www.jobgym.com/findmeajob/ to connect with an Employment Counsellor and get the resume assistance you need to help you get your first job, or the job you’ve been dreaming of!