Lack of Experience: You Don't Need a Job to Get a Job

I saw a resume today that stated “don’t have any yet” under the Job Experience section. Here’s what to do instead:

1. If you’re a high school student, that’s a job in and of itself! Is there a group project that you’re really proud of? Do you have a stellar GPA? Is there a club or extracurricular group you’re in? Do you babysit after school or mow lawns in the summer? The same skills you have utilized before will work in a job! Title this section “experience” or “volunteer”.

2. If you’re in college, do you have any experience in any clubs or extracurricular groups? I frequently see a GLO (Greek Letter Organization) President or PR Representative list skills utilized. This would be great in a “Leadership” section.

3. If you’re a recent college graduate, do you have any industry-adjacent experience through a project in an upper-level course? Outlining your part in the project, any skills utilized, and the outcome can go a long way! This could be under “relevant experience” with any previous (non-related) work in another section titled “prior experience”.

If you truly have no experience, look into volunteer opportunities! Many local groups would love an extra hand, and this will add to your experiences, introduce you to people you can ask for references, and teach you some transferrable skills to fill in your resume.