How to get experience when you have none
Every job wants experience. You don't have any. Here's how to break the loop without lying about what you've done.
The question I get asked most
"How do I get experience when every job wants experience?"
It's the catch-22 of starting out. Here's the honest answer.
The door is ajar, not locked
The jobs that say "2 years experience" often don't mean it strictly. They mean "we want someone who won't need hand-holding." You can prove that without two years on a payroll.
Three things that count as experience
Volunteering. Real, consistent, with a named supervisor who'll give you a reference.
Personal projects. A blog, a community event you organised, a thing you fixed. Documented.
Transferable moments. Helping a younger sibling through a crisis counts. Chairing a house meeting in supported accommodation counts. Name it for what it is.
How to talk about it
Don't apologise for what you don't have. Lead with what you do. The same story, told as a weakness, becomes a strength when you change the framing.
You're not starting from nothing. You're starting from a different place. That place has its own value.
