No job without experience and no experience without a job. Let's break the cycle and let's break in
Work experience
Look out for work experience opportunities. You will work for free and in exchange you will have a mentor who will be able to guide and support you. You probably do not want to work for free, but think of the free work as an investment into your future. Besides, you would not be doing work experience for an extended period. Just long enough so it can add it to your CV.
Placement courses
Some universities offer placement courses. These are also known as sandwich courses. During one of your semesters, the university will place you into an organisation where you will be working along with other professionals. This is an excellent way of gaining some rich hands-on experience and really boost your CV.
Voluntary work
Voluntary work might not always sound appealing but there is a lot to be gained through volunteering. You get a supervisor who will support you. You will also get some training in the industry, which of course, you can use to also boost your CV and show you have the knowledge and expertise as well as the experience. What's more with volunteering is that you get work flexible around your other commitments and all your expenses get covered.
Online courses
The internet is your best friend when it comes to finding courses in your respective field. It can even be something related. Enrol onto the course and make full use of the learning materials and be sure to highlight this in however much detail you can in your CV.
Recruitment agencies
You can sign up with recruitment agencies as a temp worker. Book short work stints, each lasting a few months and include all work you do in your CV. Ideal to get work that's most related to your field of interest so be sure to mention this to your allocated recruitment consultant, if you have one.
Transferrable skills
Take time to review your experiences, skills and qualifications. Are there any transferrable skills that you have which may help in the role you ultimately want to get into? Highlight those and sell yourself.
Hobbies and interest
We finally come to the optional section of 'hobbies and interest'. You can use this as another way of showcasing how interested and passionate you are about the area you want to work in. As you develop your professional portfolio and gain more experiences, this section can be removed.
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