How to look for a job with no experience
Looking for a first job can be daunting. Whether you’ve got a good internship under your belt or you’re looking for a job with no experience at all, there isn’t one right approach. Here are some ways to get started.
Just do (all of) it
So you have to do all of the things. Whatever you can think of. Apply to online postings? Yes. Look up companies that seem interesting and see if they’re hiring? Yes. Talk to your dad’s old friend (even though you don’t want to) because he had the same major as you one million years ago at a totally different school? Yes.
Look for the winning combo
Your odds will improve if you can find a job posting AND a person who works at the company. LinkedIn is great for finding connections through family members, friends, and alumni networks. And here’s a surprising thing: strangers totally want to help you. Your life is full of possibility! That’s intimidating when you’re living it, but other people will be excited for you at this point in your life. Just go with it. Make it easy for them to help by being specific about what they can do for you.
Taking the next step
When you reach someone, ask to talk to them (yes, with your actual voice). Ask them about their role and how they got there in their own career. Share that you’re interested in the company and tell them why you’d be good at the job. Hopefully they can put your resume in for you. They will probably already know this is what you want, but if they don’t, simply ask, “Would you mind passing my name along to the hiring manager?” People are almost always willing to do this.
The hiring manager isn’t HR, but the person who the job reports to. That’s the person you eventually want to reach, because they make the final decision. If your connection doesn’t know who this is but offers to send it to HR, gratefully accept. This is helpful too. You’ll also want to apply online on your own, with a short cover letter if there’s space for that. This makes it official and demonstrates that you’re interested.
Lastly, don’t obsess over any job application. Send it in and move on. Win or lose, your life is still full of possibility!
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I got my first job after attending a job fair at Soldier Field with thousands of other people. A few years later, I got an interview by sending a picture of a cool car to an HR person at the company I wanted to work for. A family friend walked up to an executive in a parking lot and handed him her resume. She got the job. Try everything!