How can you get a job with no experience?

You’ve been hitting ‘Apply Now’ for as long as you can remember, only to be met with zero response; or you’ve made it to the 6th and final interview stage and heard those cold, callous words, “we’ve decided to go for someone with more experience.”

While it may seem that your chances of landing a really cool graduate job or internship are hampered beyond your control, this isn’t the case.

Q. “How can I get a job with no experience?” 

A. Through BrighterBox (obviously).

Here are 4 fulfilling grad jobs you didn’t know you could bag at high-growth startups, without the need for 6 -12 months experience on your CV.
 

1. Advertising Campaign Manager.

Advertising is changing, with much more of a focus (now campaigns are measurable, due to the huge amount of data available) on analytics, campaign performance and optimisation. As a Campaign Manager, you would sit at the heart of the business, in between the online publishers (e.g. news sites) who hold all the user data, and the clients (typically advertisers and brands).

What that means is that – as long as you’re not afraid of an Excel spreadsheet (VLOOKUP’s, pivot tables, drawing insights from the data), can build relationships and are able to show some evidence of working under pressure (deadlines can be tight and client demands high), such as retail or bar work, you’ve got a great shot at nailing the interview.

2. Customer Operations Executive.

Customer Ops, Customer Experience, Customer Support, Customer Happiness, Customer Success – whatever the company might call it, this type of role could suit you if you have tip-top communication skills over the phone, email or messenger. Companies are looking for evidence of you being highly organised, a good problem-solver and able to build relationships with people. Again, that job working in a restaurant or in event staffing or even organising something for a society at university can be used to your advantage here. If you got a 1st class degree, that’s usually good enough evidence to support your organisational skills!

If you have an aptitude for using software tools (such as social platforms like Linkedin), then you should be able to quickly pick up Customer Ops tools like Zendesk.

Customer Ops is often at the front line of a business, understanding the customers’ needs and problems. If you aspire to one-day work in operations or management, client services or even run your own business, this could be a great way to accelerate your learning. 

Think customer ops / customer support roles are below your pay grade? Will Shu, the founder of Deliveroo, spent the first 9 months of his new business delivering meals across London on his bicycle, so he could really understand how to develop Deliveroo’s proposition. Come on guys, check these roles out now!

3. Sales Executive.

Being able to pick up the phone to a customer is part of many people’s jobs, so any evidence of using the phone is helpful! Did you help out your school or university on a fund-raising telethon? Or work in a call centre when you were in 6th form (but leave that off your CV)?

We think sales is about good research (checking out news , a good approach, being able to absorb information and having a good attitude. Anyone who is up for it could try their hand at sales. But you’d need to be resilient and a little bit competitive. That’s why lots of sports players tend to excel in sales roles.

If you genuinely believe in the product or service that a company is providing then it doesn’t even feel like you’re selling. You’re just spreading the good word!

4. Online Marketing Analyst

Did you graduate in Maths, Physics, Engineering, Economics, Geology or similar? Some startups just need someone who can crunch the numbers. If you’re a natural mathematician, used Excel or data tools (even SPSS) as part of your degree, even if you’ve never worked a day in your life, then you’ve fallen on your feet. There are companies out there who’d hire you in ecommerce, software, marketing analytics, advertising, media and more.

Not sure any of the above roles suit you? Let us know, we’d love to hear your thoughts! Say hello@brighterbox.com.