How can I get a job without experience?

Why does every job advert ask for experience? And how can a fresh graduate be in a better position to attain a job without any experience. Thank you. Asadi.

Dear Asadi,
Employers seek candidates with experience because it teaches soft skills. Graduates are expected to pick some of these skills during internships. Academic qualifications only assist employers in selection of people with the required knowledge base for the job.

A fresh graduate without work experience can, however, effectively compete for an entry level job which requires minimal work experience if they can show in the CVs and prove during interviews that they acquired practical work skills and learnt how people behave in a workplace.

Fresh graduates usually lose out on lack of experience because they fail to prove they have the following attributes:

1. Resilience: This refers to the graduate’s ability to deal with setbacks. How well do you cope with stressful situations or when something goes wrong? How do you react to unexpected changes or problems that occur during a project? You need to be able to show that you react to challenges positively and are able to develop strategies to deal with them.

2. Good communication: This is how clearly you put across your ideas and your ability to listen to others. Employers will be keen to see how you build rapport, persuade and negotiate with people.

3. Effective leadership: You need to demonstrate to employers that you have the potential to motivate and lead others in order to achieve common objectives.

4. Teamwork and interpersonal skills: Employers will be looking at your individual contribution towards achieving common goals. This isn’t just about times when you’ve led a team successfully, but also when you’ve been an effective team member taking instructions and direction from somebody else.

Moses Ssesanga
Head Human Resource
NMG - Uganda
[email protected]