How to Get Experience without a Proper Job?

A student freshly out of college always has this thing on his mind. Every job out there and every recruiter gives preferences to candidates with experience on their resume. However, with every job needing experience and no useful experience without a job, it’s a really tricky situation. Here is how you can work out your way of this conundrum. When the economy gets tough the first thing that gets affected is your job and the only thing that saves you is a gleaming resume with relevant work experience. It will be your experience that will make or break your chances of getting a new job. But what if you do not have a job to start with? Most students who graduate out of the college have to face the heat with people of all experiences and levels competing to make it to a single vacancy. Dr. Katharine Brooks, director of Liberal Arts Career Services at The University of Texas at Austin, author of You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path from Chaos to Career says, “Not acquiring experience while you’re a student puts you behind other candidates who did get experience,” So how can you make a difference? Gaining some experience beforehand of the real world working conditions of your field can definitely be one place to start.

Volunteering

The professional networking site LinkedIn has found that one in five hiring managers give due attention to volunteer work experience while interviewing candidates. Besides a number of career enhancing opportunity come through relationships and volunteering helps you get connected to people you wouldn’t get to meet otherwise.  The professional relationships formed during volunteering are usually very helpful as the individuals you meet are driven and motivated individuals who can act as a great referral.

A temporary work or internship

Internships are a good way of gaining work experience. Although fresh graduates aren’t the most desirable candidates but companies are willing to train them as interns and offer them experience they usually need to get a job. Interns are often viewed as prospective employees and many of them finish internships to continue working with the company full time. If you want to make the most out of the opportunity you need to find a field in which you are genuinely interested and make sure that the opportunity will allow you to develop the skills you need to get the job you want.

Include your college experiences in resume

Most college students underestimate their experiences and achievements from the college. Whether it is heading the literary club, or fund raising for a particular event or participating in robotics club, all these activities count as valid experience and will be viewed favorably by the employer.  You will have to make a list of all the activities and responsibilities undertaken by you in the college period and judge which of them are relevant for the job you are applying. Include them in the resume and it will surely get you attention of the recruiter.

Freelance on the Internet

Freelancing is a highly effective way of building a portfolio and accruing true work experience. Freelancing has its other set of benefits. You can work from anywhere and the number of assignments is just endless. It doesn’t matter if you are a science whiz or an English aficionado, there are jobs for everyone. Sites like Elance.com or Transtutors.com offer you a safe option to earn while learning. This makes for a credible experience in the resume, which every recruiter would consider. Some job opportunities such as proofreading, social media promotion do not even require any college degree or academic qualification. Armed with these tips any millennial can apply to fresher jobs with a greater chance of success than ever before.