From zero to corporate hero: Landing a job without traditional experience

Have you ever seen an entry-level job posting asking for prior experience in a similar role and wondered, “How does that even make sense?” It’s not only a confounding request, it can also be defeating, leaving you to feel like you’re not cut out for the job before you even hit the ‘Apply’ button. This is especially true if you’re starting your career or entering the corporate world for the first time.

But don’t sell yourself short. Before you get discouraged and walk away from your potential dream job, there are plenty of opportunities to leverage the experience you do have to position yourself as a top candidate for the role. Plus, the only way you guarantee yourself of not getting an interview is by not applying in the first place.

To further explore the challenges and solutions for individuals seeking employment in the corporate sector without prior experience, we spoke with Andrea Misir, aka The Millennial Career Coach. Misir is a career coach and resume writer with over seven years of experience helping hundreds of job seekers find fulfilling work in at least three months, plus 12 years of marketing experience working on campaigns for Fortune 500 brands and large privately held healthcare companies. Here’s what she had to say about how to leverage your transferable skills, effectively network, and present yourself during interviews so you can land a corporate job, regardless of what background you’re coming from.

Corporate world challenges and how to overcome them

Without sugarcoating it, going for a corporate job without any corporate experience will present unique challenges. In the case of new grads fresh out of school, your competition is your fellow classmates plus other recent grads from across the country who will be competing for the same limited number of jobs. If you’re coming from outside the corporate world, you’re potentially up against other people who have experience that you simply didn’t require for your previous jobs.

Despite the hurdles, Misir notes there are ways to overcome them. First, like with any job hunt, networking is critical to successfully landing a job; especially when you’re coming in with no experience. “Both new grads and experienced professionals will need to rely on personal connections when breaking into a new sector without previous experience,” she says, a belief that is further supported by data that shows 70% of job hunters were hired at a company where they knew someone who worked there.

In addition to building your network, you also need to examine your resume and LinkedIn profile. “Recruiters will gloss over a lot of applications,” Misir begins, “so you need to make sure your resume and work samples are as impeccable as possible.” She notes that one way to do this is to only include relevant information on your resume and omit any experience that has nothing to do with the role you’re applying for. So even if your high school part-time job helps fill some blank space, it’s best to leave it off, unless there are transferable duties, skills, and responsibilities that would support your candidacy.

Networking strategies for someone looking for a corporate job

Knowing that networking will be crucial to your success, it’s time to start meeting people. Misir notes LinkedIn is a promising tool for making connections, but you must be active. “Connect with 5-10 recruiters, peers, and hiring managers, and request quick meetings for potential introductions,” Misir says. It’s important to note that when reaching out to people, make sure you’re intentional about it; cold-connecting with people on LinkedIn is not the way to go. Try to find people you have mutual links with, and craft a message that clearly shows you’ve done your research and what you hope to accomplish by speaking with them in the form of an informational interview.

Then, think outside the box. LinkedIn is a clear go-to for making career connections; however, other social media platforms like Facebook, Reddit, Slack, and Discord communities relevant to your industry can be valuable, too. Misir also notes the value of in-person events, which you can find via Eventbrite and Meetup, as well as leveraging the connections you already have. “Don’t overlook your University’s alumni network, and connect with alumni at companies you’re interested in. This comprehensive strategy ensures a diverse and effective network for landing that ideal corporate job,” she says.

What transferable skills can you leverage when seeking a corporate job without prior experience in corporate?

There are plenty of opportunities to acquire skills and experience in everyday life. What counts when applying for a corporate job without any prior experience is learning how to translate what you know into value for the company.

According to Misir, providing evidence is key to showcasing your experience — whether in a corporate environment or otherwise. It’s not enough to list the projects you’ve worked on or your accomplishments; you also need to include tangible metrics and measurable results that support what you would be doing in your new role.

If your relevant job experience is sparse, Misir notes that you can also pull from previous volunteer work, contracts, and/or consulting that are relevant to the industry and/or field, certifications for key programs and tools (i.e. applications like Salesforce or methodologies like Six Sigma), and, in the case of new grads, relevant coursework and extracurricular activities.

Assessing your experience and education also gives you the opportunity to reflect on where the gaps might be on your resume relative to the role and whether there is anything you could do further to build a case for your candidacy (and your confidence) before you hit the “send” button, like signing up for a course or taking on a freelance project.

Tips and best practices for interviewing for a corporate job

The resume and networking tips got you to the interview stage; now what? Whether it’s your first corporate job interview or it’s a style that looks a little different from what you’re used to, Misir offers her tips and best practices for acing it.

First, she reinforces that you should always have concrete examples of your accomplishments. To help structure your answers, you can leverage the STAR method for responding to questions and describing the Situation, Task, Action, and Result. Misir also notes that any opportunity to use numbers is paramount to quantifying your experience. Share results that touch on measurable wins, such as saving time, revenue, profit, or the quantity of work accomplished.

If your work experience is limited, remember there will also be opportunities to showcase your soft skills, like how you’ve been able to effectively work with others (on class projects, for example, or in any other work environment) and your willingness to grow, as evidenced by going for a new job that will require you to take on new skills and challenges.

Key takeaways: How to find a job when you have no corporate experience

When it comes to finding a job with no corporate experience, persistence will prevail in the end. Misir reminds job hunters that the average job search takes at least 3-4 months, even for experienced professionals. But don’t let that discourage you. To increase your chances of snagging your next corporate gig without previous experience in an office setting, here’s what to know:

• Prioritize relationships: To get your foot in the door in the first place, you need to expand your network. Start putting yourself out there and making connections (both in person and online) to expand your circle and build your reputation. (Need some coaching on networking? We have resources to help you out.)
• Clean up your resume: The average recruiter spends 6-8 seconds scanning a resume, so make sure every word counts. Remove any information that isn’t relevant to the job and boost any use of numbers to catch their eye and quantify your experience.
• Focus on skill and culture fit: Once you’ve landed an interview, a company will hire based on two things: can you do the job, and will you work well with others? So anticipate questions regarding culture fit, teamwork, and describing situations that reinforce your skills and experience.
• Keep your head up: Misir’s final words of advice: Don’t give up or let a few rejections bring you down. “You can get a corporate job even if you don’t have a corporation on your resume! Times are tough for everyone now, you just need one person to take a chance on you.”

Photo: Welcome to the Jungle

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