When you lack experience, don’t just work hard… GET BETTER
For others like me, who are finishing up with school and going out into the real world to get a job, there are some things you should know.
The first thing you should know is, you are going to have a hard time finding someone to take a chance on you for your first job. They see you as a bet and you need to do everything and anything to convince them to make that wager.
Of course what these employers wants to see you can work hard! They want to see your course load, grades, internships, if you were able to work while you were in school, and so on to see what kind of hustle is instilled into you.
Not only do these employers want to see your willingness to work hard, but also your willingness to get better.
Make sure to tell them creative ways you made money in the past. Everyone loves an entrepreneur and it will help if you are one.
My favorite story is of Tony Hsieh when he was in college. “When Tony was in college, he used to make pizzas and sell them out of his dorm room. He had a customer who would buy several pizzas, and then come back later for more. At first Tony thought this customer was just really hungry, but he later found out that the guy was selling the pieces by the slice for a profit. This individual was Alfred Lin, and shortly after, he and Tony became very good friends. Alfred later teamed up with Tony to start Venture Frogs in San Francisco, which incubated Zappos.com and several other startups. Alfred is now the CFO and COO of Zappos.com.” Story provided via Zappos.
Show them you are ‘self-taught’ in something technical. It is important to learn things in school, but it’s what you are there to do. Do you want to portray yourself as a person who does what is expected, or someone who goes above and beyond.
You can do this by showing people you are willing and eager to adapt and learn. I am not saying you need to go out and teach yourself to be a full stack developer because it will look good on a resume. What I am saying is, teach yourself something practical.
Some good things to self-teach yourself no matter what include:
· How to make a website, app, or other code
· A second or third language
· The concepts of algorithms
· How to play an instrument
The possibilities are endless, as long as you prove you are willing to be a continuing learner. Why this is so important, is because businesses landscapes change rapidly and you need to show you can keep up.
Also remember, you know a lot more than you think you do. Whether is it social media, communication, or something similar, people want the skills you have. Don’t be afraid to showcase that and share it.
Showcase what you can do on social media and on blogs. Start writing and share what is easy for you. What is easy for you may be extremely complex to others and vice versa.
Use these skills to your advantage and showcase your strengths, as well as be a sponge around knowledgable people.
Lastly, nothing is going to be handed to you in the real world. I had 5 years of work under my belt, a marketing internship, web design and development experience.
I didn’t want to settle for just any job. I wanted to work in Digital Marketing, so I reached out to 500+ people, submitted 300+ resumes, cold called, showed up at potential employers, launched ‘hire me’ geofilters, and much more before I found my home at RendrFX.
I reached out to RendrFX while they were still in beta to see if they were hiring. Though they were not hiring, I was willing to provide feedback and give them insight to build a relationship. I did this for months as a favor just to get my foot in the door. 6 months later when they were looking to hire a Digital Marketing Manager, the stars aligned and I was hired!
What I am saying is you need to get your hustle on, period. If you want to get a certain position, or work somewhere, make it happen. It is in the realm of possibilities no matter how ambitious.
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