Starting From Scratch? Here’s How To Get a Job With No Experience

Figuring out how to get a job with no experience is tricky, but if you want to earn a living wage, you’ve got to do it.

We all have to start somewhere. My first “real” job was in a toy store in my hometown. I know folks who started out in restaurants, or scooping ice cream, or lifeguarding by the pool—and I have one lucky friend who began his working life as a DJ at the roller skating rink. 

Years later, these same people have highly successful careers as marketers, teachers, freelancers, doctors, and artists. Though their first jobs may seem completely irrelevant to their current career, they wouldn’t be where they are without that first humble step. 

Are you ready to take that first step? Read on, and I’ll cover how to get a job with no experience, step by step. 

 

What to look for in your first job

The first step to getting a job with no experience is getting into the right mindset. 

If you’re like most people, the main reason you’re looking for a job is because you want more financial freedom. Any time you’re applying for a job, the pay rate is something you should consider. 

But your pay is only one part of the equation. When looking for jobs, you also want to weigh these other important factors:

 

What soft skills will you pick up? 

Check out this list of soft skills. These are the talents and abilities that will help you get better and better jobs as you advance along your career path. 

Your first job is a chance to start honing these skills. So in addition to excellent pay, you want to choose opportunities that will help you become better at managing time, communicating effectively, and working with people (just to name a few). 

If you already know what kind of career you want, think about which soft skills will be most valuable in your future field. If you don’t know what you want to do yet, don’t worry—most soft skills (also known as transferable skills) will help you in future roles, no matter where you end up.

And for those who are still making up their minds, check out these resources: 

 

How well does it work with your schedule? 

You might feel like you need to take any job that comes your way, but accepting a job that doesn’t work with your schedule will most likely end badly. 

Think about what your school schedule might be like, what family obligations you have, and whether you plan to be away for a significant amount of time in the coming weeks or months. 

If you have schedule conflicts, it doesn’t mean you can’t apply for a job. But it’s always best to let employers know up front what conflicts you might have in the future, so they aren’t blindsided when they hire you and find out about that three-week family vacation you forgot to mention. 

If you’re a student looking for a job, be sure to check out this article about how to balance work and school. 

 

Are there opportunities for growth?

Your first job might be something you only do for a few months or years, but it’s worth considering whether there are opportunities for growth, even in that short amount of time. 

For example, if you’re starting out as a host at a restaurant, you could inquire whether there would be opportunities later on to start waiting tables—that could give you more experience and better pay.  

Here’s our guide on how to decide if a job has opportunities for growth. 

 

Jobs that hire with no experience

Once you’ve reflected on the skills you want to gain at your first job, it’s time to start looking for opportunities. 

Here’s how to get started, with lots of resources to guide you. 

 

✔️ Jobs within your own network

One way to build experience is to look for job opportunities in your own network. There may be a family friend, a relative, or a friend of a friend who needs assistance and would be willing to hire someone with no experience. 

For example, before I got my job at the toy store, I worked as a babysitter for family friends and a camp counselor at my church. Because I was hired by people who already knew me, I didn’t need experience to land those positions. 

Those early under-the-table jobs gave me some spending money, which was great, but more than that, they gave me experience working with kids and managing activities—those were soft skills I put on my resume to help me get the job at the toy store. The parents of the kids I babysat also served as my very first references on my resume—but more on that later. 

If babysitting isn’t your thing, you can also offer services like: 

• Lawn care/shoveling snow 
• Dog walking 
• Pet sitting 
• House sitting 
• Tutoring

And that’s just the start. In our guide on how to make money as a teenager, we showcase exactly how to land jobs like these.

 

🔎 How to find these jobs

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The first step is to let people know that you’re looking for work. Tell your parents, your friends, your relatives, and any other trustworthy adults in your life who might be able to introduce you to the right people. 

Social media is a great way to get out the word about your services. Many towns and communities have Facebook and NextDoor pages where you can post about your services. 

You can also advertise the old-fashioned way—make posters that include your name, your contact information, and your price. Post these up around your neighborhood, wherever it’s legal to do so (corkboards, street posts, business windows, etc.). Clean and eye-catching ads will get you jobs faster, so consider using Canva or another design tool to make them look good. 

As you start to get customers, ask them for testimonials and encourage them to refer you to others in their network. If you do that, you can spend less time advertising and rely on word-of-mouth to meet new customers. Not to mention, those testimonials will look good on your resume, website, or LinkedIn profile.

 

✔️ Food service and retail jobs

Jobs in retail and food service often don’t require experience and will offer training to help you get up to speed. On top of that, these industries offer shift work, which brings flexibility. If you’re a student, you can likely work weekends or evenings, or pick up more shifts on school breaks.

Retail and food service jobs will require you to work under pressure and brush up on customer service skills. You’ll be interacting with a diverse range of people, and you can also pick up hard skills like merchandising or food prep, which can serve you in future jobs depending on where your career path leads. 

I’ve worked in both these sectors, at the toy store, and as a barista. I didn’t stay at each one for more than a year, but regardless, the new skills and social connections I picked up in these industries served me well on my career path.

 

🔎 How to find food service and retail jobs

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Finding food service and retail jobs is easier if you live in a city or town big enough to have a shopping center. Chain restaurants and big brand stores will have application opportunities on their website, but local and independent businesses will likely appreciate a visit in person. 

If you take the in-person route, bring your resume along with you. Walk into the stores or restaurants and politely ask if they’re hiring. Do this enough, and there’s a good chance several businesses will take your resume into consideration. 

I’ll cover how to make a resume with no experience later in this article.

 

✔️ Get experience through a temp agency

Temp agencies are businesses that connect job seekers with companies needing short-term help. I worked for a few of them early in my career, and they have unique benefits for those with no experience. 

First, you can use temp work to build a diverse set of skills. Once you prove yourself as a good candidate to a temp agency, they will offer you more work, though often in wildly different environments. (I was a secretary for a lawyer one month, and working in an embroidery studio the next.) 

Another perk: Temp jobs are, as the name suggests, temporary. They typically last for a few weeks or months, perhaps during a holiday season. So if it’s not a good fit, it will end on its own (or you can quit without much guilt). 

Finally, if the job is a good fit, you may find that it leads to a long-term position or more work down the line.

 

🔎 How to find temp work

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A quick internet search will show you temp agencies that serve your region. From there, you can apply through their website, or they might ask you to come in for an interview or test. 

When you visit a temp agency, bring a resume and be ready to discuss your availability and any relevant skills you have. Agencies will often have you fill out an application and might even conduct a brief interview to understand your strengths and preferences better.

Keep an eye on job boards and company websites, too. Many companies post temp positions directly, especially during busy seasons or for special projects. Applying online or reaching out directly can also yield results.

 

✔️ Internships, apprenticeships, and mentorships

If you want to build up experience and are less concerned about pay, consider one of these avenues for your next role. 

Internships are typically short-term and can be paid or unpaid. They offer real-world experience and the chance to apply what you’ve learned in a professional setting. You will work on a variety of projects, depending on the company, and shadow meetings, help with presentations, etc. 

Apprenticeships are more formal and structured, often leading to certification in a specific trade or profession. As an apprentice, you work under the guidance of an experienced professional, learning both the theory and practice of your chosen field. This pathway is common in trades like carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work, but it’s also growing in fields like tech and healthcare. Typically, you’ll be paid, though at a lower rate while you’re still in training. 

Mentorships involve a more personal, one-on-one relationship with an experienced person in your field. A mentor can offer advice, share their experiences, and guide you through your career journey. This can be incredibly valuable, providing insights that aren’t available in textbooks or online courses. They can also serve as referrals when it comes time to apply for jobs.

 

🔎 How to find these positions

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We’ve got lots of guides that go into much greater detail on these subjects: 

 

✔️ Direct sales positions

Selling is a valuable skill that can be applied throughout your career and life.

Whether you’re selling yourself in an interview, trying to get someone to see your side of things, attempting to understand human motivation, or working at building relationships, learning sales will give you a headstart.

In a direct sales role, you’ll sell products directly to consumers, usually through personal referrals. Demonstrations will likely take place in person or online (rather than through retail stores).

Keep in mind, not all direct sales companies are created equal. You’ll want to look for legit opportunities, and steer clear of pyramid schemes and MLMs. This guide can help you suss out the real ones.

Vector Marketing is an established direct sales company that recruits sales reps year-round, and no experience is required. Many students and young adults love the freedom to set their own hours, along with the hands-on experience and transferable skills gained (like customer service, time management, and problem-solving).

As a TVI writer, I may be a teensy bit biased, but don’t take my word for it—alumni often credit Vector with their future career success.

 

🔎 How to find direct sales jobs

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Many companies that offer direct sales opportunities have sections on their websites where you can apply directly. You can also talk to friends or family members who may be involved in direct sales or who know someone who is. Personal referrals can often lead to job opportunities.

If you’re interested in learning more about working with Vector, you can read more here or request an interview.

Direct sales roles offer flexibility and the potential for high earnings based on your performance, making them a great entry point into the workforce, especially if you’re looking to build your resume.

 

Preparing a resume when you have no experience

Once you’ve identified the jobs you want to apply for, the next step is to create a resume and prepare for interview questions. Not an easy task when you’ve got no experience! 

But with some creativity, it can be done. Here are tips and resources to help you along the way.

 

Start with the basics 

Though you may not have much work experience to show, there are still some key elements of a resume that you can get squared away. 

To get started, make a resume outline in a Word document, or use a resume builder (once again, Canva is a great option) to put this together. 

Without experience, you should be able to fill out: 

• Your name 
• Your contact details 
• Your objective (what kinds of roles you’re looking for, what you want to achieve) 

 

Expanding the education section

In future versions of your resume, your education will take up a very small portion of the page. (I only list the name of my university, my degree title, and the years I attended.)

But if you have no experience and you’re applying for entry-level jobs, it’s a good idea to expand your education section, going into more detail about your achievements while studying. 

You might consider listing: 

• Awards or competitions you won 
• Leadership experiences (running clubs, student government, etc.) 
• State or national competitions 
• Publications (school newspaper, school literary mags, etc.) 

If you don’t have many of these to share, but you’re still in school, now is the time to get active! Show potential employers that even though you have no work experience,  you’ve got a wealth of experience in other parts of your life.

 

Adding volunteer work and extracurriculars

Volunteer work is a great way to beef up a resume and demonstrate your skills. They also give you experiences to draw on in job interviews, so don’t shy away from sharing any volunteer work you’ve done. 

While you’re applying for jobs, consider volunteering your time to a local organization. Odds are it will be a rewarding experience, and it will help your resume start to take shape. 

In a similar vein, you can enhance your resume by listing out any extracurricular activities you participate in. Sports leagues, book clubs, art clubs, D&D—all of these activities give you soft skills to show on your resume.

 

How to get referrals when you have no experience

References are a key part of your resume, and you might be scratching your head on who to include if you don’t have any work history. 

Think about the folks in your life who understand your skills and abilities—ideally people who aren’t in your immediate family or personal friends. 

Teachers, mentors, or leaders from any extra-curricular activities can all act as your first referrals. 

As you get more work, make sure you keep the contact details of people who hired you and were pleased with what you delivered; they will become your future references. Keeping strong connections with these people—even if it’s just the parents of the kids you babysit—could be what lands you your next job. 

Learning how to get a job with no experience is tough, but these resources will hopefully make it a lot easier. At this stage, your primary goals are to experiment with work and hone your skills, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself to find the “perfect” role. Every job you have will be a step in the right direction, even if you don’t yet know the final destination.