How to Get Your First Job When You Have No Previous Work Experience

Getting your first job can feel overwhelming. You need experience to get a job, but you need a job to get experience. The good news is that employers hiring for entry-level roles aren’t expecting you to have years of work experience.

Start With What You Already Have

Think beyond traditional jobs. Have you ever volunteered at an event, helped coach a younger team, been part of a school club, organized a fundraiser, or helped out in your community? These experiences can show employers that you are reliable, responsible, and can work well with others.

Your schoolwork and hobbies count too. Group projects can demonstrate teamwork skills, sports can show commitment and communication, and creative hobbies can demonstrate skills like problem solving, organization, and attention to detail.

These are called transferable skills. They are skills that you’ve developed in one area that you can also bring into the workplace.

Turn Your Experience Into Skills

Once you’ve figured out what you’ve done, think about how those experiences could apply to a job. For example, if you volunteered at a community event, you may have helped set up, worked with a team, or interacted with the public. Those are all things you can highlight when applying for a job.

When writing your resume or preparing for an interview, don’t just list what you did. Instead, show what you learned from it. Even experiences that don’t feel like “work” can help an employer see what you could bring to the role.

Did You Know SEED Has an Entry-Level Job Board?

If you’re looking for your first job, SEED’s entry-level job board is a great place to start. It features opportunities where no previous work experience is required so you can spend less time searching through jobs that aren’t a fit and more time applying for ones that are.

Whether you’re fresh out of school, looking for your first part-time job or ready to start building your career, the board can help you find opportunities that are open to beginners.

Ready to Get Started?

You don’t need a long resume or years of experience to start looking for work. Look at what you’ve already done, identify the skills you’ve built, and find opportunities that match.

- Cailey McLaughlin-Nisbet