Getting work experience when you’ve never worked before can feel like a paradox. You need job skills to get hired, but you often need experience to build those skills.
While many students turn to internships for their first professional experience, they can be highly competitive. The good news? There are plenty of other ways to gain experience, build skills, expand your network, and strengthen your resume this summer.
1. Get a Summer Job
Many local businesses hire seasonal workers, making summer jobs a great way to gain experience, even if the role isn’t directly related to your career goals.
“I encourage my students to ‘think outside the box’ in their part-time job,” Kirk Hazlett, Adjunct Professor of Communication at the University of Tampa, says. “Ask [your] supervisor for additional, perhaps more challenging, assignments. Volunteer to help co-workers with tasks.”
Be sure to highlight the skills you develop on your resume. For example, customer service roles can help you build customer service, problem-solving, and project management skills.
2. Freelance
Freelancing is a great way to gain experience, build skills, and earn money while working on short-term projects.
“With freelancing, you can bring in actual money that some internships don’t even offer and effectively broaden your skill set to bolster your resume,” Steven McConnell, career expert and director of sales and marketing at Arielle Executive, says.
If you’re just getting started, look for opportunities on sites like Fiverr or Upwork.
“Also check out the Gigs section of Craigslist,” Amanda Brandon, resume coach at ProPolish Resume and Career Services, says. “You can find some great opportunities there.”
3. Complete a Job Simulation
Wondering how to get work experience from the comfort of your own home? A virtual job simulation is an online course that simulates the tasks you would perform if you worked in a particular role at a specific company. Forage, for instance, offers a free program that allows you to experience sales at Red Bull. (Check out our complete course catalog to find a free job simulation in the industries you’re most interested in exploring.)
These programs have many benefits. You can build new skills and showcase your completion certificate on your LinkedIn profile and resume. Many companies add amenable participants to their talent pool.
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4. Work on Your Certifications
Career-specific certifications can set applicants apart in the job market. For instance, prospective project managers might want to get a Scrum Master certification, while computer programmers can benefit from becoming certified in specific programming languages, like C and C++.
“Quite often, certifications require a practical demonstration of the skills, like a project, a white paper, a use-case analysis,” Brandon says. “This is considered real-world experience. Draw on your instructor’s feedback and share that on your resume.”
5. Volunteer
Volunteering can help you build experience, develop new skills, and expand your network.
“It will signal to employers and recruiters that you are determined and actively in pursuit of self-enrichment,” McConnell says. “These organizations will also put you under mentors who will help guide you to developing key career skills you can include in your resume.”
You can also take part in projects like hackathons, innovation challenges, or open-source work, then showcase that experience in an online portfolio.
6. Build Your Brand and Personal Profile
A strong online presence can help you stand out from other candidates.
“Work on your LinkedIn profile, establish a personal website, start your own blog, or initiate a social impact project,” McConnell suggests. “These channels will demonstrate how well you apply what you know and ultimately lead you to the right employer who will value what you can bring to the table and help you achieve even more.”
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7. Do an Externship
An externship gives you the chance to shadow a professional and learn what a role is really like.
>>MORE: Externship vs. Internship: What’s the Difference?
“Take some time to follow a professional person around for a day or two to get an idea of how they work and if this career is something you feel is worth pursuing,” suggests Kathy Bennett, CEO and Founder of Bennett Packaging.
You can find opportunities through your career center or by reaching out to family, friends, and local businesses.
8. Network
“Take time to get out in your community and network with other companies and professionals to build connections and collide with potential opportunities,” Bennett says.
If a company won’t let you job shadow, they may agree to an informational interview. You can also attend meetings of professional organizations related to your field of interest.
“For my students, it’s the local chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, or, perhaps, the American Marketing Association,” Hazlett says.
9. Keep Up the Search
Leveraging these and other connections could help you get work experience, but it can also secure that elusive summer internship or, perhaps, the coming fall.
>>MORE: How to Apply For an Internship
“I also make sure that [my students] maintain constant communication with their school’s career service office and/or internship coordinator,” Hazlett says. “Occasionally, an internship will pop up that had not previously been advertised.”
Ready to begin your job search? Check out the 85 best job search sites and apps!
Image Credit: Brooke Cagle on Unsplash
