After days of searching for the perfect job that best fits you and your needs, you finally find it. A big smile appears on your face, and adrenaline rushes through your body. But, as you scroll down to the requirements, the excitement goes away as fast as it came when you find out this entry-level job requires multiple years of experience.
Companies list multiple years of experience on their job requirements because they can spend less time training you and more time getting more bang for their buck. In addition, employers want to feel a sense of security when hiring someone with experience and someone who knows exactly what they are doing and is supposed to do.
These are understandable precautions for the company, but it also leaves you with a bad feeling in your stomach. It makes you question if you should even apply and how you can get this needed experience if the every-entry job you come across requires years of experience. Don't let this discourage you. Follow these next steps to get that confidence back when applying and searching for jobs.
- It is okay not to have experience
You are not the only one who gets discouraged and doesn't bother to click "apply" when they discover an employer requires multiple years of experience for an entry-level job. With that being said, if you apply, your application will be among a small pool of applicants that the employer will have to choose from. Although you might not have the experience that the employer wishes the applicants have, there might be something on your resume that stands out, for instance, a past internship or accomplishment, making them want to hire you. Therefore, it would be best to tailor your resume to the job description so that, although you do not have the experience, the employer can see how your achievements and goals align with the company.
Figuring out what career path is right for you can be challenging when you have not had the opportunity to experience real work-life while still in college. That is why internships are so important, as they allow you to see what a career is like without fully committing to a company or position. Therefore, internships are viewed as the "new entry-level."
- Find a Connection
When you are applying to a position, research the company you are applying to try and see if you might have any possible connection. This could be any aspect of your life, such as something you are passionate about, your education, an employee you might know, or a previous internship in the same field as the company you are applying to. If you can make this connection with the company, it might be the perfect one to get you in the interview seat.
Finding an “in” at your dream job
- Be Personal
Although you might not have the desired work experience of the employer, it doesn't mean you haven't faced and overcome challenges in your life. So, first, talk about those challenges and what you learned from them in your cover letter. Then, you can use these experiences in your interview as something to talk about.
For example, you might have worked for a family business. This experience could have given you the perspective of a business that most people do not have if they have never run a business before or have seen the other side of operations.
How personal should you really get?
No matter what the job is that you are applying to, employers know that as a fresh college graduate, you will not have multiple years of experience. So don't let their expectations for an entry-level job hold you back from putting yourself out there. You never know whose desk your resume might land on.
Regardless of what type of job you are applying to, employers know that you will not have multiple years of experience as a fresh college graduate. So don't let their expectations hold you back from putting yourself out there. You never know whose desk your resume might land on.
Endless opportunities await, but they all begin with you - Put yourself out there!
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