No experience? That's how you get the job anyway

It can be quite confusing to try to find your first job after graduation. And at first it may feel as if the lack of previous work experience will make job placement impossible. But the truth is that you possess great knowledge and no experience that employers are looking for - it's just a matter of marketing them effectively. Here are some tips to help you along the way.

Do not underestimate your experience

Jobs are not the only way to gain experience, and it is easy to ignore leisure activities during your studies. In fact, they may be more important to lift than you think. Whether you had a podcast with your friends or wrote articles for the student magazine, there are lots of things you learned that can be attractive to an employer. If you have some time left, can you take it a step further and aim for an internship at one of the companies you would like to work at? Then you can create contacts that can lead to a full-time job and get references that can make your application stand out from the crowd. In addition, you are better equipped when you get (because you will get it!) Your first job.

Focus on your personal skills

When we are still on the subject: disregard formal requirements, such as work experience, and highlight your personal skills, the qualities that make you the type of person a company wants to hire. These qualities play a huge role in Academic Works' competence-based recruitment, where, among other things, drive, willingness to learn new things, flexibility and ingenuity play a greater role than previous experiences. You may have great examples of situations from your studies that you can highlight during a future interview: different school projects, internships or some leisure activity when you had to be flexible, think creatively and show leadership skills to solve a problem. Do not underestimate those skills - potential employers will definitely not do it.

Make a good impression online

Whether you like it or not, the first impression is important. This also applies online where potential employers are often looking for new staff. See it as an opportunity: you may not have several years of experience, but a professional LinkedIn profile shows that you are a serious candidate for your dream job. You can thus make a positive impression before you have even met for an interview. Make sure you have your Academic Work profile updated with your latest experiences and new skills.

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Be tough on your resume

Time to write a CV? Try to see it from the reader's perspective. Employers are guaranteed to plow through hundreds of applications and if you were in their place, what would make it easier? Be tough and trim away anything unnecessary that is not relevant to the job you are applying for (but think of tips 1 and 2!). Although the study counselor at school may have thought it a good idea to include leisure activities in your resume, your preference for Netflix series may not be the most important information for an employer who is happy to shorten the list of potential candidates to interview.

Refine your search

It is easy to get tunnel vision when you need to find your first job. Maybe you have a dream job you want, a favorite company or a certain place. There is nothing wrong with that, you should always apply for your dream job, even if you think it is unlikely that you will get it. But it is also important to broaden the search before that first job and dare to try something else. For example.

• A new city, region or even country can be an exciting adventure.
• Explore jobs that may not be directly related to your skills but that have similar skills requirements. This can lead to you finding a dream job you have not even thought of before.
• If you really like a specific company, maybe you can apply for different jobs there.
• If you like a certain professional role, do not limit yourself to just one industry or company.

Sometimes the job hunt is just about quantity: the more applications you send, the better chance you have of being hired. However, do not forget to spend time on each application and to adapt your application to the job you are looking for - believe us when we say that recruiters recognize a standardized application when they see one!