How to get a job at 19 with no experience

It’s no secret that recent graduates struggle to get jobs because many of these jobs, entry-level positions included, require some form of experience. The big question that’s probably nagging them in their fresh, educated minds is, “how do I get work experience if all jobs require work experience to get hired?” Classic catch-22, right? You require a job to get experience, but you need the experience to land a job. So, how do you go about this? How do you escape this conundrum?

While this may seem like a difficult position to be in, there’s something many graduates don’t realize – the fact that they already possess the necessary experience and skills. And even if they don’t, there are tons of options that they can pursue after graduating to gain the relevant experience and skills guaranteed to land them their dream job. These options include:

  • Part-time work
  • Internships
  • Volunteer work

The secret to getting a job at 18 with no experience is leveraging your personal and professional experiences, highlighting your skills and achievements and honing your job hunting skills. Consider following the tips below during your job search and you’ll get a step closer to landing your dream job.

Tips on how to get a job at 18 with no experience

It’s common to hear people complain about how they are educated, have acquired degrees, certificates, the right credentials and they still can’t land a job without ‘experience.’ While it may be difficult to land a role in the field you studied after graduating, you could pursue other areas which can give you some sort of work experience. Recruiters are interested in the skills you acquired while working in these unrelated jobs, such as the demonstrated ability to show up on time, work through your shift, teamwork, communication, customer service, problem-solving, among others. However, the good news is there are tons of avenues that can help you acquire these skills. So how do you get a job at 18 with no experience? Read on to find out:

1. Demonstrate your eagerness to learn

When applying for entry-level positions, consider the fact that most recruiters aren’t expecting candidates to come with a resume filled with the relevant experience. Instead, they look for somebody who is self-motivated to learn and grow. You can demonstrate your eagerness for learning by leveraging your lack of experience as the source of your motivation.

2. Develop your skills

It’s essential to understand and develop the skills you’ll need to be successful in a specific field or industry. You can get all the details about your chosen career through informational interviews, and get to understand how and what the professionals in the industry had to do to become experts. Additionally, you could request advice on how to build these skills or for an opportunity to become their mentee.

Also, the following activities can help you build your skill set and the experience you need to land your first job:

a. Enroll in volunteer work

Volunteer work enables candidates to acquire real-life work experience and is a great opportunity to develop skills that are essential in their career path. Although the majority of volunteer programs do not pay candidates, they offer an excellent chance to hone skills, interact with people from different backgrounds, develop new perspectives, and network. Consider enrolling in volunteer programs that align with the industry or position you are interested in or are passionate about.

Taking up part-time jobs not only provides you with some income but also allows you to gain valuable experience in the job market. And one of the best things about internships is the fact that they offer flexible working hours, meaning that you can pursue something on the side, such as a class or even another part-time job. While in some cases,it may be a bit difficult to get a part-time job that relates to the field you are interested in, it’s advisable to take up any part-time job. This is because when applying for your first job, any ‘real job’ experience is critical as it demonstrates your ability to use your skills and knowledge to achieve a particular goal or objective in a job set-up, which is what recruiters are interested in.

c. Taking a gap year

Taking a gap year after college may spark up some negativity regarding your career. However, look at it from this perspective, a gap year after college is an excellent opportunity to boost your career path, which helps you acquire new skills that play an integral role in ensuring that you stand out in the job market. Additionally, during the gap year, you can intern, volunteer or even study abroad, which allows you to develop your skills.

d. Get an internship

Internships provide excellent opportunities for candidates to develop and improve their skill set as well as gain valuable work experience. Internship opportunities enable people to apply their education in a professional job setup, which enhances their chances of landing a role in the competitive job market.

e. Taking up online classes

Learning never stops! Ever heard this phrase? Well if you hadn’t, now you have. Consider the fact that the world is continuously changing in terms of technology, supply and demand, or job market requirements, among other aspects. Therefore, you need to keep up with these changes to remain relevant in the job market. You need to develop new skills that add value or make you an asset to employers. So, how do you do this? By learning. Enrolling in new classes that enable you to continue enhancing and learning new skills.

It’s essential to ensure that you continually refresh your skills and expand your knowledge. There are numerous online resources that you can use to enhance your skills and qualifications, including:

  • Coursera
  • Hubspot
  • Udemy
  • Code Academy
  • Excel Easy
  • Online books or webinars

All these resources are at your disposal and can help you stand out in the job market once you acquire proficiency certificates in the field you are interested in.

3. Identify and match your skills to the position

During your job hunting experience, list all your relevant skills that are similar to the ones indicated on the job description. Generally, the reason why work experience is essential in the job market is because they determine if you have the relevant skills to get the job done. As such highlighting and relating the appropriate skills to the job position makes you stand out as the ideal candidate. Although it’s essential to be aware of the skills you possess, it is even more necessary to be able to match these skills to the requirements of a job, and use quantifiable examples that demonstrate how you used these skills.

4. Leverage the skills you already have

Just because you’ve never worked a ‘real’ job, doesn’t mean that you don’t possess any useful skills. Participating in extracurricular activities in school provides an opportunity for people to grow and develop specific skills and experiences which may be transferable to the job or industry they are interested in. There is a considerable chance that the majority of candidates developed various abilities, such as organization, teamwork, or communication skills, by participating in extracurricular activities.

For instance, if you were part of the debate team, this would mean that you possess excellent communication abilities, can work well with others, and the ability to professionally communicate your ideas. Alternatively, if you coached a children’s team or were the leader of your hockey team, this will highlight your leadership abilities. Additionally, if you’ve ever done babysitting or other chores for your neighbor, you’ve also acquired some skills such as accountability and managing money.

5. Emphasize soft skills

Your personality is your secret weapon. According to research, the job market is increasingly becoming more interested in a candidate’s soft skills alongside their qualifications, experience, and accomplishments. Demonstrating that you have a killer personality, able and excited to learn, may be what you need to land your first job.

Consider the fact that every individual possesses specific personality traits that make them stand out. Figure out what your best qualities are and remember to highlight them in your resume and cover letter. You can opt to use examples from previous volunteer work, internships, part-time work or even extracurricular activities to demonstrate how you effectively utilized your personality traits to achieve a particular objective. Some of these soft skills include, but are not limited to:

  • Communication
  • Time management
  • Teamwork
  • Leadership
  • Work ethics
  • Problem-solving
  • Creative thinking

6. Network

Well, becoming successful isn’t an overnight job. You have to start somewhere. And sometimes starting somewhere means seeking help from people who have been there and done it already. Therefore, it is vital to build professional relationships. Typically, the majority of jobs are obtained by approaching organizations and through professional networking. Hiring managers have picked up and are sticking to the trend of reaching out to candidates who’ve been recommended to them by somebody they know and trust. This means if you fail to network, your chances of getting a job without any experience dramatically reduces. While networking is essential in your job search, ensure you consider the following pointers to make the process successful:

a. Always ask for advice rather than for a job
b. Never pressure anyone to help you
c. Consider the fact that professional networking is about giving-to-get which means:

  • Sharing knowledge and influencing others
  • Getting referrals
  • Making new contacts
  • Learning more about the industry, position or company
  • Uncovering unadvertised job positions

Build your networking skills by creating professional profiles on appropriate online forums such as LinkedIn. Ensure you include all the relevant information that makes you stand out, such as your accomplishments. Maximize your presence on these sites to make professional contacts, get job opening leads, and references. Once you’ve made the right connections, you can request informational interviews from people in the field you are interested in. Make this a habit and in no time you’ll have the right professional network that will help you in your career path.

7. Know your worth

Although having a ton of relevant experience and skills makes you stand out in the job market, how do these qualifications make you valuable to employers? Consider the fact that employers aren’t interested in what they can do for you but rather what you, your skills, qualifications, accomplishments, can bring to their company. Therefore, understanding your value in the job market allows you to demonstrate how you’ll be an asset to the employer. Remember, your worth doesn’t have to come only from ‘real’ work experience but also from internships, extra-curricular activities or part-time jobs. So, if you’ve developed any skills throughout the years and they are relevant to the position you are interested in, make them work for you by illustrating how they will help the company achieve its goals.

8. Be realistic

Consider the fact that the job market is swamped with highly qualified individuals. Therefore, ensure that you apply for roles that you have a shot at. Yes, you have the right skills and experience but is the position you are applying for within your reach? For instance, it will be challenging to get hired for a top managerial position when you don’t have the relevant experience. Consider focusing on roles that you are likely to thrive in as you build your way up to senior level positions. All you have to do is be patient.

9. Improve your interview skills

To land a job you need to ace your interview first. And to get an interview you need to craft a stellar resume and a cover letter. To achieve all this, you need to tailor your application letters to the specific job position. Never use the same job application letters to apply to all jobs because some of the information included in these may not be relevant to the position you are currently interested in. Consider tweaking your application letters to match the skills and requirements that are mentioned in the job description. This demonstrates that you have taken the time to do your homework on the role and the company. Ensure you employ the correct formats and stick to a business letter writing style.

Additionally, ensure you prepare for interviews in advance. Do not wait until the last minute to start putting the things you’ll need together. Go through common interview questions and answers and ensure that you have all the relevant information ahead of time. Consider the fact that you only have one opportunity to make a lasting impression on the hiring manager.

10. mprove your job hunting skills

Unlike the traditional job hunting skills which included:

  • Telephone cold calling
  • Going through the job section in newspapers
  • Walking from office to office
  • Leveraging your network

The modern job search skills have undergone a tremendous change, which enables candidates to search for jobs from the comfort of their own homes. The advent of technological advancements has made it possible for people across the globe to access job opportunities across continents at the touch of a button and use of social media platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn or job search engines. Therefore, going through online job search sites among other avenues is guaranteed to help you get an entry-level position that will help you get the skills you need. Ensure you set some criteria to get the most relevant job listing ads and exclude those which are beyond your qualifications.

Additionally, the majority of job search engines allow candidates to apply for jobs directly on the site. It’s always a good idea to apply for as many jobs as possible, immediately when you see the ad, as long as you possess the minimum requirements and qualifications.

11. Demonstrate that you are a resource/asset, not just a sales pitch

While arming yourself with an elevator pitch is key to selling your qualifications and the fact that you are an ideal candidate for a position, focus on convincing the recruiter that you would be an asset if given an opportunity to join the team. Highlight what you’ll bring to the company and how this will help the company to achieve its goals and mission. Demonstrate that your career path or career goals align with those of the company, and working towards your goals guarantees the achievement of the company’s goals. So, instead of just focusing on delivering a sales pitch, put more effort to demonstrate that you are an asset.

What jobs should a 19 year old have?

21 Jobs for 19-year-olds that pay well.
Customer service representative..
Restaurant cook..
Home health aide..
Food manager..
Call center agent..
Photographer assistant..
Data entry clerk..
Pharmacy technician..

How do I get a job with absolutely no experience?

How to Get an Entry-Level Job with No Experience.
Find a Personal Connection. ... .
Tell Your Story in the Cover Letter. ... .
Explain the “Why” on Your Resume. ... .
Don't Undersell Your Experience. ... .
Tailor Resume to the Job Description. ... .
Research the Company and the People. ... .
Prepare for the Interview. ... .
Make the Most Out of the Interview..

What is the best job for someone with no experience?

Best jobs to apply for with no experience.
Administrative assistant..
Pharmacy technician..
Firefighter..
Claims adjuster..
Sales representative..
Web developer..
Information technology technician..
Real estate agent..

How can I get a job immediately?

Get specific with your job search..
Don't settle for an imperfect fit..
Don't quit your search too quickly..
Write tailored cover letters..
Make your resume job-specific..
Keep it simple and relevant..
Employment isn't everything on a well-rounded resume..
Dress the part — in person and on video..