Any college graduate faces this hurdle “lack of experience” when they are entering the job market. Employers always bring out their remarks as ‘You do not have the requisite experience” and the next thing they would probably say is ‘We’ll get back to you”. So the next point to consider is how to overcome that or how to tackle this in your career path. In other words, what or how do you gain experience specifically if you don’t have any?
15 Best Tips to Overcome Lack of Management Experience:
Let’s have a look at some of the facts that are obviously available with us but do not know how to interpret them.
1. Recollect college work:
There could have been many projects or internships that you would have undergone during your college days. These are the ‘experiences’ that could be part of the real world. So take your time in noting them down and making an elaborate record of the ‘experiences’ that you have gained.
2. Rephrase college experiences:
It should be rephrased to the context or the title you are applying for. Many do not know how to emphasize their details according to the job they are looking out for. It important to write the right words or phrases so that it matches the job profile. Hence, better first to understand the job you are seeking and then
make your emphasis on the experiences you are displaying.
3. Bridge the gap:
Puzzled what is this? You might have certain skill sets. There could be certain tasks that you would have been asked to do. Try to connect between the skill set and tasks assigned. Make a brief note on the tasks done bringing out the skill set in you. This way the so called ‘experience’ is put forward in your resume. It could be handling a team or management of a project, or working with outside vendors. Pick out the major ones and write them down.
4. Pick out jobs requirements:
In case you find that you do not have the necessary skill set or experience, then read through the jobs specified requirement and pick out the most necessary technical skill that you are lacking. Try to take classes to make you competent and add them to your resume. By adding them to your profile, you will show them that you are ambitious in your attitude.
5. Volunteer yourself:
To gain experience in having technical competency, it’s advisable to volunteer yourself for a non-profit organization so that by providing your service you not only gain the required professional skill but also expand networks and learn the trade. During that process you could upgrade your skill sets by getting to utilize the opportunities that might be available or meeting the professionals working there.
6. Connections with company:
Working with non-profit organization that is linked with company would provide even better chances of improving your resume. It not only improves but also helps you get connected with the employees for future prospects. Adding these experiences shows your interest in the field as well.
7. Temporary work:
In case you come across employers who hire temporary workers for the job that you intend to join, don’t forgo your chance. Joining as a temporary employee, you are having an added advantage of being in priority while considering hiring. A hidden fact in being hired so helps you to indirectly learn well about this type of job and could give an opportunity to climb the ladder elsewhere. Moreover, there is lot of scope for meeting professionals in the field and gain experience. It’s a door to full time job!
8. Attending professionals meetings:
Take effort to join your industry related professional association and attend their meetings, conferences and seminar. Add these into your resume to give more life to your resume. Thinking you are too young to join? They will get more impressed with your eagerness. By joining the committee and taking up leadership position will help you to get connected with professionals and also expand your network. This will show your leadership qualities. By regularly being part of these meetings it will help you to get in touch with active professionals who can help you to get to know about job openings.
9. Keep alive your networking:
Nothing works out better than proper networking. Whether you have attended conferences, or internships, without networking you would not be able to get inside the organisation. Through networking there is more opportunity for you to get a chance to express your job profile and make yourself being heard by the right professionals. Make yourself heard about the work you have done whether it’s your internships, or projects you handled or leadership of the committee.
10. Expressing failures:
Most of our past experience do not give more attention to the projects that have not come out well. This is mostly experienced in IT related work. These failures needs to be expressed appropriately giving more emphasis on the lessons that you had learnt while coming out of it. Experiencing failure is more powerful than experiencing success. Through this type of projects you might experience the inevitable and would have faced the major disaster right in the face. This disaster has made you to learn how to survive that too! Such experiences needs to be expressed as well.
11. Analyze the skills possessed:
Through your years of study or past work, make a review of your strengths and skills. Review them thoroughly by writing them down and expand on those strengths that you possess. Strengths are your inner attitudes and directly describe your nature of tackling issues that you have encountered. It could be attending a workshop, or attending a competition. What you have learnt and how you have utilized it describes your nature. This is part of your experience.
12. Be assertive:
Many employers do not get carried away with the ‘no experience’ or ‘lack of experience’ easily. They do not know how you would suit in it. Instead you could ask them whether they are hesitant to hire you due to the missing one requirement. By bringing the problem out to the table you could indicate how
you would handle the issue. By doing so you could explain in elaborate way by a demonstration that is shortly described. By coming out of way to demonstrate, it shows that you are willing to learn fast and demonstrate your abilities as well. It’s not wrong in being assertive!
13. Paint your covering letter well:
Acknowledging your lack of experience, in the covering letter, giving specific reference to the way you would handle the job in spite of it is bold way of indicating your strengths. It would also show that you have given attention to the details of the advertisement that hiring managers would be happy to see. Moreover, it would indicate you are frank in your dealings showing you are not overconfident or show humility. Indicate how you have handled tasks in your past work place or internships. Sometimes, the character of attitude you indirectly display would be likable.
14. Indicate your willingness:
Most of the jobs do not require only required skill set, it requires a candidate to show enthusiasm. By showing your willingness to be trained and ready to accept the challenges shows your positive attitude. In case the jobs requisite is about a specific licentiate or training etc., then be bold in expressing that you are quick learner and ready to take up the training program or if you are already enrolled for the program indicate the time frame by indicating your past abilities. They could qualify you as “under-qualified but trainable”.
15. Reconsider resume format:
In case your resume is indicating more about your liability and not as a selling point, then you could consider revisiting your resume format. By reconsidering the format to switch from job history style to skill set model is worth it. This sort of resume style is said to be of ‘chrono-functional’ format. This resume format highlights the outstanding skills that might get hidden within the job history section. Here you will be focusing on the transferable skills and experiences that is mainly required for the job or position you are applying for.
Most of the new graduates or career changers are plagued with these words in their job interviews that they are ‘under qualified’ or ‘unqualified’. Many people don’t realize that the specific ‘required qualifications’ in job are not the list of requirements that are not flexible, instead they are just ‘wish list’.
These are just composite ideas for the related job and list represents for ideal candidate. But pay attention to the chronology of the ‘wish list’ as the most important ones are listed first. However, the most important are always focusing on the main skills like communication, interpersonal, teamwork, and leadership skills. If you have just a few of the required listed don’t shy away instead apply and prove that you could fit into it.
