How hard is it to find a job without experience?

It's possible that you've just been out of school for a few short weeks and are now on the hunt for your very first "professional" job. You could also be interested in switching careers and be open to trying out something completely different. But regardless of the path you choose, the fact that you lack previous work experience almost certainly means that you will struggle to get a job.

Whether you are a former lawyer who is now a pastry chef or you are just putting the finishing touches on your degree,

Without prior work experience, you may get a job by following these five steps:

Enter via one of the side doors. You don't have a complete CV of previous jobs that you've done that are directly related to the work you want to perform next. That doesn't imply you don't have any expertise to contribute to the conversation, however.

Some skill sets are valued in jobs that are adjacent to others. Obtaining a job "near" the one for which you lack the appropriate experience. " username="] [bctt tweet="Some skill sets are valuable in jobs that are adjacent to others.

If you are skilled with social media and are interested in breaking into the fashion industry, you could investigate whether or not there is an opening for you to assist a brand with its Facebook page or Twitter campaigns.

It's possible that you won't be in charge of the runway right away, but this may be a step in the right direction. Check to see if a firm is prepared to let you handle their books for money in return for some free internship hours observing the event work if you are an accountant who wants to become an event planner. If they are, this is a great opportunity for you.

Promote your soft skills. Those who aren't aware with the phrase "soft talents" should realize that it refers to abilities that aren't tied to any particular facts or expertise. Compare knowing your way around PowerPoint with having excellent phone etiquette, or being extremely organized with having a command of the French language.

The problem with soft talents is that they are often undervalued, and it may be challenging to pick up new ones. Putting on your CV that you are "excellent with people" or "very personable" is a bit of a cliche these days. On the other side, if you are able to write things that truly connect, such as "great time management — managed an 18 hour class load with a part-time work," it might help you acquire a job even if you do not have any experience.

Also, conduct some study to find out which sorts of occupations appreciate a certain set of soft skills the most. For instance, the types of soft skills that are crucial in sales are different from those that are important in human resources.

Translate your experience. You may not have experience that is directly applicable to the position that you want, but you can explain what you've done in such a manner that it's clear to understand why the learning curve for you will be a lot smaller than it would be for someone else.

Take a look at the things you did while you were in college, especially if you recently graduated. Have you participated in a significant amount of fundraising for a cause? Calculate those figures and see how they convert into sales; at the end of the day, persuasion is persuasion. If you are able to declare that you "raised $10,000 over a three day phone-a-thon," it shows that you have the people skills and perseverance that might make you appealing to a sales team.

Work at a low wage. To tell you the truth, if you want to accomplish something in a sector that you are not really familiar with, you are going to have to earn it. If you know that the beginning wage in the area of your dreams is $25 per hour, you should offer to work for $15 per hour instead (and tell them you expect for salary to be revisited in six months or a year).

Or, you may hunt for a part-time job in the field that you are interested in and negotiate a lower salary. Concurrently, you could look for a job in your previous line of work that helps supplement the income.

Put in some unpaid hours. Okay, so it's not the best situation, but a job's purpose isn't to be a source of pride; it's to put food on the table. Free, on the other hand, is the four-letter word that everyone loves the most. If you begin your cover letter with the sentence "I'm searching for a chance to learn – and I'm available for free," you are likely to at least get some attention for your application.

And once again, this won't last forever. In order to make it apparent that you do not want to remain an apprentice for the long haul, you could ask for a three-month term. Especially if you are not presently employed; since you have the time off, why not put it to good use by engaging in some constructive activity?

Without previous work experience, it may be challenging to get employment, but it is not impossible.

Maintain a positive and realistic outlook. Conduct an honest evaluation of what it is that you can contribute, or seek the assistance of a colleague or a counselor specializing in career services to assist you in doing so.

Make it known to others around you that you are eager to learn and open to new experiences. It is not necessary to have previous experience in order to smile and consume a glass of wine while networking. You may be able to obtain work without experience for the time being if you have enough experience advertising oneself, but that won't be the case for much longer. The sooner you have experience in this area, the sooner you'll discover an opportunity.