Best Strategies For Landing A Job When You’re A New Graduate with No Experience

Getting a Job takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Will most people put a significant amount of effort into it? Probably not. Will most people get the job? No… so be the one!

If you’ve recently graduated from college, you know that the job market isn’t exactly stuffed with opportunities waiting for you. Sometimes it can be discouraging trying to get a job especially when you’re competing with others like yourself. How do you stand out in a crowd of other applicants?

Looking at yourself from an employer’s perspective, all they’ll know is that you have a degree and no work history. So, if you want to leave your mark on an employer, you don’t necessarily have to set yourself apart from the competition. You have to be the right candidate for the job.

Table of Contents

• Quickest Way to Gain Experience
• Tailoring the Perfect Resume and Cover Letter
• Tactics to secure that job
• Bonus Tip!
• Let the Perfect Job Find You

The Quickest Way to Gain Experience

Aim for Entry-Level Position

The best way to gain experience is to start from the bottom and work your way up. Identify the type of job you’re looking for. Try to look for something super basic, something to pay the bills while continuing to apply for/search for the job that you really want, or lower-level jobs that are relevant to your education and on the path to the job you want.  It’s Important to fill your resume a bit and have something to talk about when you’ve got an interview for a better opportunity. There are plenty of jobs out there that don’t require experience. No one has working experience before their first job, because If there weren’t jobs that would hire you without experience, none of us would have jobs. Essentially, you’ll find something, you just can’t be picky for now.

Get Your Resume Done Right

Your resume is key to kicking off a strong job search. Brainstorm some of the major projects you’ve undertaken at this point (school, clubs, sports, etc.) and highlight those on your resume in lieu of work experience. Other than Volunteer or Internship experiences, the biggest section of your resume should be “projects and awards”, then skills, followed by education.

Highlight your Skills and Explore New Ones

If you want to get a job, it’s important to make sure your resume is as strong as possible. One of the best ways to do that? Highlight your skills and learn new ones!

A good tip would be to find something that you are interested in or know a lot about—be it clothing, computers, art, etc.—and go from there. For instance, the job you want to apply for is an office job. Look into the job posting, see what they are asking for, and read more about the job on the internet. If the job requires proficiency in MS Excel, the internet is filled with resources that give free access to a plethora of lessons and tutorials that guide your learning process. Once you gain a grasp of the essential concepts, you can add that to the skill section of your resume.

Always look into your resume again, see if it looks attractive and professional enough. Remember, your resume is not a one-size-fits-all, so customize your resume for each job that you plan to apply for. That is, if they ask for a specific skill, modify your resume to showcase that skill in order to frame yourself appropriately. This gives you the chance to bring up relevant unpaid experiences and use that to describe your skills creatively

Create a Cover Letter

Keep in mind that the first impression you make on a hiring manager is crucial. Your cover letter is a chance to show off your skills and qualities, but it’s also an opportunity to showcase how passionate you are about the position. Put a lot of time into crafting a good cover letter for those positions. It is a great opportunity to “sell” yourself before anything actually happens. Make sure that your cover letter sounds like you’re genuinely excited about the role and will do anything to get it!

Tactics to Secure a Job

Apply for an absolutely ridiculous number of jobs. Job hunting is largely a numbers game. Fill out any online applications that they request and then go by and see the manager and leave your resume again.

Employee Referrals and Recommendations

Sometimes it seems like the simplest method is to just reach out to people you know and ask them for help. Well, it works! Employee referrals account for thirty to forty percent of hires. Statistically speaking, you are more likely to land a job by reaching out to people you know who are maybe connected with an employer in some way. If you’re acquainted with someone who works for a company that you’re applying for, having them recommend you is a great way to get a foot in the company.

The Interview

Do mock interviews and get your answers to the basic questions right. For any interview, be able to answer why you want the job and why you’d be a good fit within the company. Figure out how you are benefiting him by hiring you. Figure out how you can be really good at the job, by asking what the interviewer sees as the good person for the job.

When you do get an interview, the most important thing you can do is make sure the interviewer remembers your name. It’s a leg up from anyone who doesn’t, and it’ll make all the difference in your future career.

What else should you do during an interview? Be confident and happy! Smile, remember that you’re being judged, and show some personality. Above all: don’t try to sell yourself—the best thing about an interview is having a conversation with someone who wants to hire you. If they ask you questions about yourself or your experience, let them know what makes you special and why they should hire you over other candidates.

…and of course, a Bonus Tip!

Getting a Job as a new graduate entails a lot of effort and time spent on the entire job search and other preparations, but having no experience can make that even more difficult. What if there were a way to bypass all of that? What if it were possible to find a job without having to do all the legwork?

Well, there is! If you have a little time and patience, try getting hired by a temporary staffing agency. Jobbily will help you find a job fast even with no experience! They’ll also give you the opportunity to try them out before making any decisions about whether or not it’s right for you.

The best part is that it’s a win-win: not only do you get to see what working under someone else is like, but if you do really well, you’ll have an opportunity to earn regular openings at the temp agency itself (plus all of their clients).