When we’re first starting out, we begin with very little experience to show for. It’s stressful and above all, discouraging when you know you’re running up against over-qualified candidates. But guess what? Estas bien. It doesn’t make you the “worste” candidate.
Honestamente, there is no good reason for you to be concerned about this because we’ve all been there. Todos empezamos en alguna parte. Besides, there are plenty of things you could do to make yourself stand out. Start by improving the self…
Shift the way you think
Make sure you highlight your strengths when updating your resume. If you have no work experience, try to accompany your strengths with a short description of relevant life experience. For example, if problem-solving is your greatest strength then talk about the time you settled a dispute among your assigned project group. It’s still admirable.
Mija, Don’t downplay your accomplishments (awards, programs, volunteer, etc.) even if they may not be related to the job you are applying for, your accomplishments demonstrate that you are a chica who gets things done! Ultimately, ten confienza in your abilities – confidence is key! Remember, it’s all in eye contact, body positioning, and more.
Read more about confidence in a job interview here.
Brand Yourself
When it comes to recruitment, a hiring manager may scour the internet to find information about you. If you want to publicly put yourself out there, assure that you do so the appropriate way. Your social platforms should be up to date and reflective of who you are. That’s why self-branding is crucial.
For more on self-branding, check out our previous blog post (link MIL blog). Although it centralizes primarily on LinkedIn, the advice can be applied anywhere.
Evaluate your Work Experience
Following up with strengths, you can talk about or include a list of transferable skills. This is also great to share when you don’t possess experience that directly aligns with your dream job. Transferable skills are any general skills you possess that are useful to employers across various jobs and industries, like adaptability, organization, teamwork, etc.
Volunteer
Take the opportunity to boost your skills by volunteering, interning, or doing some freelance work. Think about what you’d like to get out of these opportunities too. For example, if you’re looking to develop experience in graphic design, try to volunteer in a small business or social media work.
If the option is available, you can negotiate a reference or turn that volunteer role into a paid job! To find volunteer work, you can visit: Volunteer Match and browse through the options accessible by subjects like health, education, arts, and more!
Research and Identify the Company’s Gap/need
As you conduct your job search, identify what is missing in these companies. Do they have a weak marketing strategy? Are they struggling with sales? Create a strategy to address the need, and make a case for yourself by connecting your skills to the strategy, which will ultimately benefit the company. This sets up the impression that you have an interest in working with the company.
Be Eager to Learn
Expressing your enthusiasm to learn and to learn fast is always well received. Ask questions, be proactive, don’t hesitate out of fear that you might inundate the recruiter with too many questions. They’re there to help, and it only reflects on your curiosity and willingness to go above and beyond.
Whether you are at your dream job or still searching, use your downtime at work and outside of work to learn the language, the how-to’s, and the tricks of your desired trade. There are many sources you can look to like Lynda learning, a service-connected to LinkedIn, or Skillshare! Here is a list of 20 other Websites you should refer to for learning.
Network
Keep your LinkedIn profile on its A-game and connect with industry leaders. Review some of those profiles and take notes on their work experience, as they can serve as inspiration for you to make similar moves. If you feel compelled, message your network connections with questions about the field. For example, you can ask what they enjoy most and what is challenging. You can even ask for advice on how to break into the field by sharing a brief summary of your professional background. Most network connections on LinkedIn are happy to help. Don’t forget to send them a “thank you” note!
With confidence, extracurriculars, and learning, you are more than equipped to apply for any opportunity. No tienes que tener a resume that lists 8+ of work experience. In the end, that piece of paper doesn’t matter. What you say and how you present yourself, is what gets you to the front door. Go into this headstrong, good luck!
