5 Ways to Overcome a Lack of Experience as a Graduate Job Seeker

If you have recently graduated from college or University and you have started searching for your first opportunity, you might be finding it a little challenging. In many cases, employers are looking for candidates with experience, but how do you get that experience if no one will give you a chance? A lack of experience doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t find employment, after all, everyone has been in the same boat at one stage or another. You just need to understand how to deal with a lack of experience, and show employers that you are still an excellent candidate. These are some ways to overcome a lack of experience and get the job you want.

• Transferable Skills

Consider the skills you have which relate to the role and how these can transfer over, make sure you focus on this on your CV and cover letter. For example, the role might require that you have advanced working knowledge of Microsoft packages, and although you may have never used these in the working environment, you can focus on the experience you have using these in the academic arena and at home. The role may require that you have excellent communication skills, and you can focus on your presentation skills and team work at University. The recruiter just wants to know that you have the required skills for the role, where you got these skills is often not the important part.

• Incorporate Keywords

It is quite often the case that recruiters are initially sifting through CV’s to look out for keywords, or they may use a piece of software which does the same job. If you want to get through the initial sift, it is important to incorporate keywords throughout your CV, obviously those which you have and are relevant to the role. Even if you don’t have experience, this will help you reach the stage where you can talk more about your transferable skills and how you are a great candidate for the job.

• Focus on Skills and Education

If you don’t have a lot of information for the experience section of your CV or the application, focus more on ensuring you shine through your skills and education. The education and skills sections should be at the top of your CV, with your experience further down. These will then be the first thing the recruiter sees, rather than an empty looking experience section.

• Show your Accomplishments

What makes you the ideal candidate for the role? What have you achieved which will impress the recruiter? These are the important elements you want to cover on your application, even if it is not within the working environment.

• Life Experience

There is a lot to be said for hiring someone who has a bit of life experience, than someone who has just spent their life working. Have you travelled the world? Are you known for your sense of adventure? The concern employers have when hiring a graduate are that they hire someone who doesn’t have the maturity to be a reliable employee. If you can show that you have life experience and understand different cultures, this may impress the recruiter enough to take notice.

At Qualified Place, we have a range of roles in Europe, in the UK and overseas. Take a look or submit your CVand let the roles find you!