We’ve all felt this way (and it’s true for the most part) regarding the graphic above. You can’t get a job without experience, but you can’t get experience without a job. Guest blogger Kelly Gregorio spins this in a new direction this week, providing some excellent advice on ways to combat the old adage. Check out her post below!
Guest post by Kelly Gregorio
You may feel like your youthfulness gives you an edge. Unfortunately, for a lot of recruiters, your baby face often translates into lack of experience. This cycle formulates the age-old problem: how can you gain the necessary experience for a job, if you can’t land a job to gain that experience?
Despite the catch-22, how you handle the interview is what matters most. So when prompted with the “you don’t seem to have much experience” line, take the bait and WOW them.
Agree
When you are asked to address your lack of experience, use the conversational tactic of aligning with concerns and agreeing with your interviewer first. “I agree with you, as of now my resume is a bit lacking. However…”
Such a response extinguishes attitudes and gets recruiters to listen with an open mind. At all points in your response avoid filler verbiage such as “like” and “um” – it makes you sound unprofessional and even worse, unprepared.
Research
Do some digging online to find out the roots of the CEO. When your weak background is mentioned you can agree, and then respond with, “However, I am inspired by Mr. X. He didn’t have much experience when he started at Y, and yet look at what a success he was at building this company into Z.”
There is not much recruiters can argue with a statement like this, it’s informed and positive. By referencing the company’s accomplishments, you are pushing the spotlight off of your lack of experience, and instead, onto the business.
Commit
Lacking experience does not mean you cannot be current with news and trends. Show off your investment via your interests.
Mention related podcasts you listen to or blogs you follow, and use your technological currency to your advantage. (Hint: If you haven’t already invested in these types of educational tools, get on it! You may not be responsible for your freshness in the field, but you certainly are accountable when it comes to maximizing your learning potential.)
Turn the Tables
When an interviewer comments on your resume’s ripeness, turn the tables. A simple statement like, “That’s one of the things that really attracted me to this position and the company in general, I really admire how much value you put into a diversified workplace.”
Of course you’ll have to do some research on the company’s culture first to validate such a response. However, “diversified” is a positive connotation in almost every business’s vocabulary. It will be hard for your interviewer to disagree because doing so would point out disconnect between the company’s culture and its practices.
Being young on the job market can only hold you back if you let it. If you can calm interviewers’ fears and impress them with professional rebuttals, then you have a chance. Remember not to worry too much; like most things in life, time will eventually solve this problem for you.
What other responses WOW recruiters?
About the author: Kelly Gregorio writes about employment trends and small business news while working at Advantage Capital Funds, a small business loan provider. You can read her daily business blog at http://www.advantagecapitalfunds.com/blog.
