This is a very common question/problem, so if you’re wondering the best way to find jobs without any work experience you’re definitely not alone… and you’re in the right place.

Let’s get started… I’m going to show you the best ways to find a job without any experience.

1. Tailor your resume and job application for every job

Even without experience… think about courses you’ve taken, projects you’ve completed, internships, volunteering, etc. And think about how all of this relates to the job you’re applying to. What seems most important on the job description? Leadership? Problem solving? Ability to work without close supervision? Now highlight what they’re looking for in all of your past experience on your resume.

Yes, tailoring your resume is going to take longer but you’ll get far more responses. Would you rather send 100 applications and get 1 response? Or send 20 applications and get 5 responses? Plus it doesn’t take as long as it sounds if you use this tailoring method.

2. Email companies that aren’t hiring or don’t have a position that’s a perfect fit

Spend 20–30% of your Job Search time sending emails to companies that aren’t advertising the perfect-fitting job. Why? Less competition. You never know when a company is about to start hiring, or growing and open to adding new entry level people even if they don’t “need” it right away.

One of my previous companies always did this. Sometimes they actively recruited recent graduates or people without any work experience, and sometimes they stopped or paused the recruiting efforts. But if someone great emailed us, or was referred to us, we’d ALWAYS Interview them.

3. Network like crazy!

I just mentioned referrals. That’s one of the most powerful ways to get into a company because if you come recommended, you’ll immediately be more trusted and seem like less of a risk to hire.

If you need a good place to start, here’s an article on effective job Search networking.

If you’re a recent graduate, one of the best places to start is asking your former classmates and friends who already found jobs. Find out if their companies are hiring.

Don’t be apologetic or timid when you ask them either. Sometimes these companies offer a BIG referral bonus to the current employees if they refer a new hire. So you might be making your friend hundreds or even thousands of dollars (seriously!)

I know it’s a little nerve-racking to ask people for help, or to network in general. But trust me it could be the difference in finding a job, and searching months without any good job offers. One or two phone calls (or emails, text messages, etc.) can literally turn your job search around overnight when it comes to referrals.

4. Get in a routine

Decide on set hours that you’ll apply each day (yes, it takes hours per day). Keep a consistent routine and hold yourself accountable. It’s like a job, but you’re the boss and you need to be honest with yourself about how much effort you’re giving, and if it’s enough you need to do something about it.

None of the other steps in this article will help you get a job without work experience if you don’t put in the time.

That said, there ARE some ways to save time…

5. Use this fast/easy method to apply for jobs on LinkedIn

This is one of my favorite time-saving methods for job seekers. It’s going to save you HOURS when applying for jobs, I’m not joking.

It works through LinkedIn, and don’t worry – you don’t need a ton of connections. In fact it works with any amount.

Here’s an article and video showing you how the method works: How to find a job fast on LinkedIn

6. Follow up and stay organized

This is another place you can save yourself a ton of time in your job search.

Track where you’ve sent applications and send a follow up if you haven’t heard back in 5 business days. It takes 10% as much time to follow up as it did to send the initial job application, or probably even less. Definitely worth it.

But you can only do this is if you stay organized and actually track where you’ve applied and when.

I recommend keeping a simple Excel spreadsheet with a few columns:

• Company name
• Date you applied
• How you applied (email, online form, LinkedIn, job board, etc.)
• Followed up yet? (yes/no)
• Response? (no response, declined to interview me, interested in interviewing me, interview scheduled for __)

“Okay, I’m Getting Invitations To Interview! Now How Do I Prepare?”

Here are some of my best interview resources to help you make sure you get the job offer.

It takes a ton of time to get interviews lined up, and nobody likes job hunting. So don’t leave it up to chance. Make sure you do everything you can to get job offers when you do get invited onto an interview.

Best interview resources for finding a job without any work experience:

Our new complete guide to job interview answers.

List of the top 128 most common interview questions to practice.

How to prepare for a skype or video interview.

105 great questions to ask the interviewer to impress them (when they say “what questions do you have for me?”)

And one other resource that isn’t related to interviewing, but I recommend reading:

Timing your job search – when to begin applying.

That’s it! These are the tips, action steps and resources I recommend to find a job faster without any work experience. If you have a question leave a comment below!

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