How to Find a Job Without Experience

How to find a job without experience? This problem is prevalent among fresh graduates and self-learners trying to land their first job because most jobs require some experience, like a year or two.

These fresh software engineers might be very knowledgeable and so excited to start creating great products. But unfortunately, few companies will accept and believe in them. And they have to work very hard to get accepted or even to get invited to an interview.

The problem here is how to demonstrate your knowledge and skills to the employer. In this article, I will mention five steps that will help you land your first job.

Create your own experience

I know that sounds like a Kliché, but I meant that there are many easy ways you can follow to create your own practical, demonstrable experience.

Create your pet project. And try to work on something practical and don’t waste your time with calculator or timer projects. Pick a project that can benefit a group of people. And that project does not have to be unique, so you don’t have to invent something. You can create a copycat of any existing successful project that has exciting features. For this I would recommend the (amazon partner link) Zero to One: Notes on Start-Ups, or How to Build the Future book. Creating your project will give you practical knowledge, and who knows, it might become a very successful company in the future 🤞.

Contribute to an open-source project; this will teach you how to work with a team and introduce you to lots of new ways of thinking and developers' cultures.

Expand your knowledge by learning things

If you don’t have enough knowledge to start working on your project, you have to expand your knowledge. Finishing online hands-on courses will help you experience the technology you are seeking to learn. Reading books will expand your knowledge and let you learn from other people’s experiences, which will help you build your own later.

Build your network

Join a community. Sometimes if you cannot convince recruiters that you are a fit for the position, you can delegate this task to another known community member. Because it is easier to demonstrate your skills to a public community than to a company, so attending good engineering communities and contributing to them will enhance your reputation amongst these communities.

Attend a Bootcamp, which can be in the “Expand your knowledge” section, but the vast portion of the benefits of Bootcamps is expanding your network of people, instructors, and speakers. Usually, Bootcamp leaders are well aware of what is considered a hot topic in the market. In addition to that, they will help you demonstrate your skills to the companies that are interested in the skills you already learned.

Contribute to an open-source project. In addition to some soft and hard skills, you will build a connection with other contributors, which would be an effortless way to land a job.

Have a plan

The most important is to know where you are going. And in what field you want to work. Research the job openings and find what skills these companies are seeking now; this will give you an idea about what technology you need to start studying and experiencing. Compile your goal, so you can evaluate the success of your plan, then begin. But please don’t create a perfect plan. Try making it good enough to start and enhance it over time.

Apply

Applying for the job is the result of all your efforts. You should be careful and smart with this step. Don’t just distribute your CV among companies, and don’t randomly apply for every opening you find on Linkedin. Only apply to companies you want to work with. Examine the domain they are in, and see the technologies they are utilizing. Check their employees, see their profiles, and try to match them with your profile, don’t hesitate to contact them and ask for advice or even a recommendation.

Extra step

Finally, I hope this post will help you land your good first job. The final extra step is to find a mentor. Having someone that can openly answer your questions and gives you practical advice will shorten your journey towards finding a job or succeeding in your current one. If you need a mentor, please don’t hesitate to contact me via Twitter @Salem_hsn

If you have any questions, suggestions, or you are seeking help, don't hesitate to get in touch with me on Twitter at @salem_hsn