You’ve just heard about a vacancy for your ideal job but the company is looking for someone with experience you don’t have so how do you get a job when you don’t have the experience?
You have two options:
1. Forget it, who are you trying to kid, they will never even interview you let alone hire you when you don’t have the experience they are looking for.
or
2. Follow the steps below and go for it! This is your ideal job after all so why not, you really have nothing to lose.
Firstly, you need to be aware that some companies provide a list of job qualifications and experience requirements that actually exceed the real requirements for the job. The reasoning behind this is to make the recruiters job easier by reducing the number of candidates – they are hoping that talented and capable people like you will be put off applying.
Here are the 7 things that I believe can offset experience:
- A positive attitude coupled with determination – If you have a positive attitude it will immediately bring a positive tone to an interview and if you couple this with your determination and show that you are motivated by finishing tasks and achieving results, this immediately gives an employer an indication of your potential in a work environment.
- Know the industry – Be aware of current trends and what’s going on in the industry and the company’s position within the industry as this reflects a genuine interest in the job to which you are applying and gives an indication of your motivation and drive to get a job in the industry to which you are applying.
- Communication skills– I believe that good communication is essential to the success of any business. If you can communicate that you are confident, intelligent, motivated and reliable then you are capable of selling yourself to the recruiter even without the “necessary” experience.
- Enthusiasm – If you are enthusiastic about what you are doing, it will rub off on those around you. It highlights your drive and energy and will lift the spirits of your interviewer.
- Leadership and team management – If you can show that you have successfully led, managed and motivated a team whether in a work environment or not, this is one of the most transferable skills you can have and is always worth bring up at an interview even if you are not applying for a leadership position.
- Confidence – You need to show that you believe in yourself if you want others to believe in you; people will notice if your self-confidence.
- Education – while education does not necessarily replace experience, if your qualifications are relevant to the job you are applying then a recruiter may favour this over experience. Related to this is showing your willingness to learn, adapt and take on new challenges in order to get the job done.
The thing is, if you have the skills and strengths to do the job, this can actually outweigh experience in many cases; it’s all about how you sell yourself. If you know you can do the job, you are probably the employee they are looking for and all you have to do is show them your potential!
© Anne Galloway
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Anne Galloway is the Careers Consultant for those who want to put the fun and passion back into their working week. Find out how Anne can help you along your path to career success at www.power-to-change.eu
