We all know the problem. Employers want experience. But… how do you get a job and develop experience, if you can’t get a job without experience?
In this post, I’m going to address HOW to land your first position, even if you don’t have any experience.
The Mindset:
I need to start this post off talking about mindset. Searching for a job SUCKS. It is especially difficult when you don’t have any experience and are asking someone to take a chance on you. As hard as it it’s important to go in to your search positive and stay positive. Here are some things to consider:
Highly qualified applicants with significant experience still have to interview for multiple jobs before getting an offer. It’s OKAY to get turned down.
Your first job in IT is perhaps the most important. This role is going to be your spring board to future roles. You want to work somewhere that really wants you.
There are millions of people employed in IT. They got their start somewhere. It was difficult for them too. Perseverance will win.
How do you make yourself attractive to employers:
Sadly, employers are generally no longer willing to train someone from zero. In the 1990s when computers became increasingly popular and the internet exploded on to the scene, you could get an IT job simple through your ability to operate a Windows computer. Those days are long gone. Employers expect you to bring something to the table. While they aren’t going to expect that you can come in and contribute day one, employers generally will want to see a background of knowledge and curiosity within the IT world. So, how do YOU stand out as someone with no relatable work experience?
Certifications
IT certifications can be one of the best ways to signify knowledge within the field. There are MANY certs available to take. Here are some of the certs that will look great on an entry level resume:
CompTIA Network+ - for anyone looking to go in to cybersecurity, network engineering, system administration/engineering
CompTIA Security+ - if you’re looking to go in to cybersecurity, you can’t go wrong with this one.
CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) - if you’re interested in more functional roles go for this one.
Azure AZ900 - Nearly every organization is either on cloud or planning to get on the cloud. It’s unlikely that you’ll work on a project that doesn’t touch the cloud in some aspect. This ones for everyone
Salesforce Admin cert - If you’re coming from a sales background and have experience using Salesforce, grab an Admin cert. Salesforce Admins make a lot and are generally entry or mid level positions
Portfolio
This is going to be NON-NEGOTIABLE for someone seeking entry level employment. Let me say that again… NON-NEGOTIABLE. What exactly is going to go in your portfolio will depend on the exact field you’re looking to go in to. A portfolio for an aspiring network engineer will look very different than someone looking to become a data analyst. I would recommend setting up a website and working on three or four projects that can really highlight your skills. You will want to put these on your resume, similar to how you would list job experience. Another huge benefit to the portfolio is it gives you something to discuss during interviews.
I need you to have a LinkedIn. Someone reached out to me via twitter dms the other day and asked “I’m looking for entry level employment, do I really need to have a LinkedIn?”. YES. I don’t want you to even attempt a job search without it.
Why? We need to do everything we can to make you seem like a legitimate candidate. A good portfolio, good certs, and a good up to date LinkedIn? All hallmarks of a serious candidate.
Now, LinkedIn deserves it’s own guide, and I can’t go in to everything here. I’ll lay out a few tips though:
Assuming you have a strong resume, your LinkedIn should mirror your resume.
Aim for a professional photo. Use portrait mode on iPhone in natural light.
Pick a fun header photo to help you stand out.
The Resume
Your resume is going to be the lens that people look at you through and decide whether or not to extend an interview request. We need to shoot our best shot here.
As a recruiter, I look at over 500 resumes per week. Do I read all of them word for word? Absolutely not. 15-20 seconds and I know if i’m looking at the right thing. Did you catch that? 15-20 seconds. That might be all you get. So, how do we maximize the effect we can have in 15-20 seconds?
The first page of the resume is PRIME real estate. Only things related to your IT experience/study belong here.
Certs
Education (Only if you have Comp Sci Degree)
Portfolio
Skills section - highlight skills you learned while studying for certs.
Anything else, needs to be deep down on the resume. You have five years of experience as a teacher? Bartender? Mechanic? Put that on the second page. Remember, you only get 15-20 seconds. Do you really want the recruiter getting distracted by things that won’t help you land the interview? We need to shoot our best shot here. Lead with the highlight reel.
BTW - I provide resume services. Don’t want to do it on your own? I can help - https://bowtiedhh.gumroad.com/l/oyvip
Applications
We need to be realistic here. Most of the positions we see online are not going to be entry level. I speak to a lot of people that are frustrated with their job search because they’ve submitted hundreds of applications and gotten just a few interviews. Whenever I dive in the majority of the time the problem is this: They’re applying for roles they’re not a fit for. Junk applications are not going to get us anywhere. When you’re applying for entry level positions, anything requesting more than 1-2 years of experience is probably not going to be a good fit for you. I would recommend looking for positions with these words in the jobs title:
Coordinator
Admin
Analyst
Jr.
Associate
I want you to aim to submit 100 applications per week. Cast a wide net (but be realistic!) Submit applications to positions even if you wouldn’t take the position if offered. We want to set up as many interviews as possible interviewing is a skill, and it takes a few interviews to really get your legs under your.
Interviewing
I have a full guide on interviewing that is a must read:
I’m not going to go through the whole thing here, but the absolute biggest tip I can give you is to practice answering questions with STAR method:
The STAR method stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. When answering a behavioral interview question, start by setting the stage by describing the Situation or context. Then, describe the Task or goal that you needed to accomplish. Next, explain the specific Actions you took to complete the task, and finally, describe the Result or outcome of your efforts.
Me: “So, tell me about your current position, what are you doing there?”
Java Dev:
S: The project I worked on was a real-time data processing system for a financial company.
T: The challenge was to process a large volume of data within a tight time frame while ensuring accuracy and reliability.
A: To overcome this challenge, I used several strategies. First, I optimized the algorithms for data processing to reduce the processing time. Second, I implemented a multi-threaded approach to process data in parallel, which helped increase the processing speed. Finally, I conducted extensive testing and debugging to ensure the system's accuracy and reliability.
R: As a result of these efforts, the data processing system was able to handle the large volume of data within the required time frame and met the client's expectations for accuracy and reliability.
Negotiating:
YOU GOT THE OFFER. Okay, great. How do we negotiate?
First and foremost - Be realistic. In any negotiation it’s important to understand who has the leverage. You’re seeking entry level IT employment and asking someone to take a chance on you. Uhh… Where’s your leverage? It’s important to think of your first job in IT as a well paid internship. The company you’re joining, the team, and the learning opportunities are just as valuable as the paycheck you’ll be taking home.
I will say, often times the only reason candidates don’t make more is because they never asked. If the budget if $50k-$70k and you never say anything, you’re probably going to get the $50k offer. I recommend being up front from the beginning about your expectations. The most powerful sentence you can utter in a salary negotiation?
“I am currently interviewing for roles between $XX,XXX and $XX,XXX”.
Stay away from suggesting you’ve arrived at a number based on your market research. The HR rep or recruiter has significantly more market intel than you.
Mindset
I started this off with mindset and I want to finish it with mindset. Interviewing is difficult. It’s exhausting. The most important thing that will make or break you is you mindset. I encourage you to say positive throughout the process. Reflect upon your failures and see what you can learn from them.
We are gonna make it.
WAGMI.
-BowTied HH