Many people are asking, “How do I get a job with no experience?” The competition is fierce, but it’s possible.
Does this sound familiar? They want 3+ years of experience in the job they’re hiring for, but you don’t have any experience. After all, you need a job to gain experience, and you can’t get a job without that experience. You submit your resume anyway, figuring, “Why not?” Unfortunately, many times hundreds of people are doing the same thing. Your resume, no matter how well prepared or tailored for the company, is lost in a sea of paperwork. Chances are the hiring manager may pass over you even though you are qualified.
This situation happens all too often and that’s for people who can find postings in their industry. Yet, the jobs are out there if you know how to look. They’re part of the hidden job market.
What’s the Hidden Job Market?
Over half of all jobs that are filled today are part of the hidden job market. They’re positions that become available, and are filled, much more quickly than a website hiring process allows. These jobs come from other employees retiring or being laid off as well as expansions, predicted expansions, and potential future openings that may not even exist yet. In some cases, companies will even create new positions just to hire you.
Employers are wary when it comes to hiring people for these positions when they don’t have experience. When a valued, experienced employee retires, they don’t want that position to go to someone who has no idea what they’re doing.
When an employer looks at a potential employee with no experience, they see a risk. They are gambling with the profits of their company. If they hire this person, it may turn out to be an excellent investment. It may also end up costing the company time and money. In order to convince the employer that you are a good investment, you need to get to know your potential employer and potential superiors by networking.
Old School Networking
If you want to convince an employer to hire you for one of these hidden jobs, you needed to network with them. Even new Internet tools like LinkedIn can only do so much.