No Experience? No Problem!

By Martha Blythe

Now, more than ever, employers are seeking people who will be a good fit with their company, above experience.  By choosing to hire students, companies accept that training will be necessary. If you have the right attitude, ability to communicate, and show initiative, you will be a great employee.

Create a resume to land the job. The recipe for creating a strong resume is to list your formal or informal employment, co-op education, skills, and experience in order of relevance. It is a good strategy to tailor your resume to fit the job you want. Imagine the type of employee the company wants and the qualities associated with that. If being a friendly, people-person is required, list your strong interpersonal skills (assuming you have them!) at the top of the list of your qualifications. If working as part of a team is required, mention any groups, organizations, or teams on which you’ve played a part. To demonstrate initiative, include leadership roles and activities, or, where sound judgement was required, like babysitting.  You may not have work experience but you can still demonstrate that you have the qualities the employer is seeking.

Your list of qualifications may look like this:

• Strong interpersonal skills – Student Council Class Representative
• Leadership Skills – Soccer Team Assistant Captain 2005 – 2010
• Responsible – Regular babysitting of 2 children and occasional overnight child care
• Organizational Skills – Organized Community Garage Sale Fundraiser in 2008 & 2009, ongoing

Including a cover letter with your resume is another powerful tool to help you stand out from the crowd. It is your way to make a first impression. It should be written your voice, with a professional tone, free from spelling or grammatical errors. It may look like this:

Dear Ms. Lastname,

Please find attached my resume in application for the position of ____________(the most fabulous summer job ever).  My co-op experience, excellent work ethic, interpersonal skills, and ability to learn new skills make me confident that I will be a good fit for your company.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Yourname Lastname

Finally, you may want to include, or make available upon request, reference letters. If you have helped someone or have been a positive influence in their lives, people will be happy to write reference letters for you.

Be specific about what you would like the letter to say, i.e. please make a statement about my responsibilities and my initiative.

Deliver your cover letter and resume in person whenever possible and be sure to look and act the part of the ideal employee. Good Luck!

Ottawa Carleton E-School