When you lack any experience in a good number of fields, it can seem like the only option is to gain that experience before pursuing your chosen career path.
However, in some industries (like IT) there are still ways that you can find work without prior knowledge or even formal training - all it takes is a little creativity and hard work! The truth is that there are plenty of - if not more - job opportunities in IT for candidates without experience compared to those who already have formal training or years of work experience.
It simply comes down to proving you are as capable (if not more so) than your competitors, and these tips will help you do just that!
1: Seek Out Entry Level Jobs
If you lack any formal experience, the best way to get your foot in the door is to seek out entry-level jobs that will allow you to gain this experience.
These positions can be a lot less competitive when it comes to being picked for an interview or hired, and they will provide you with on-the-job training that's invaluable to your career.
If you're looking for a position that will give you the chance to prove yourself and stand out from other candidates, entry-level jobs are the way to go!
2: Pick Up a Skill You Can Use
While it can be tempting to make up skill sets or lie about previous work history in order to secure an interview or position, doing so can come back to haunt you.
Instead of stretching the truth in your resume, consider picking up a skill that will help you land a job.
With IT being one of the most rapidly growing fields in the world it's easy to pick up at least some knowledge that can be used while searching for an entry-level job.
If you don't have a background in IT, consider picking up some skills in a different field and using them to fill any gaps in your resume.
3: Learn the Language of the Company
With so many positions being filled by those with formal education or experience, it's important that you tailor your resume as much as possible for each position.
This means doing a little research on the company that you're applying to so you can tailor your resume to suit their needs.
If the job is for a bigger tech company, this won't be as difficult as if the position was for an independent developer.
When tailoring your resume, make sure it has the same formatting (like using consistent headers and bullet points) as the job listing.
If you are missing a skill that is in high demand at the company (regardless of whether it's specified on their hiring page), consider learning this skill so your resume can include it with ease!
4: Network with Colleagues and Clients
If you lack prior knowledge or experience, it can seem impossible to find entry-level jobs on your own. Luckily, many businesses still rely on word of mouth when it comes to finding new employees, so don't be afraid to put yourself out there!
Attend local business networking events and conferences as often as possible - you'll have the chance to talk with people from all different industries about what they are looking for in new employees.
If you're feeling brave, don't be afraid to ask about how they found their current positions or if they have any advice for those who are just starting out.
You can also use this time to network with your colleagues and clients (if you already have some) - let them know what you're looking for and if they're aware of any opportunities in your area.
5: Use the Internet to Land a Job (and Build Your Portfolio!)
The internet is one of the best places to find an entry-level job without experience or formal education, especially when you apply these tips!
Get online and start browsing jobs - set up Google Alerts to notify you when a new entry-level job is posted, or set up an account on sites like Indeed to keep track of jobs that interest you personally.
Don't be afraid to reach out to the company directly and ask if they have any current openings - more often than not, this will yield results! While it can be difficult to land entry-level jobs without experience, the tips above should help you land your first programming job.
If you're able to learn enough about the company you're applying with and put yourself out there, it's easier than you think to find a position that will allow you to succeed!
6: Check With Local Colleges
Many colleges provide internships or entry-level programming jobs for students with little to no experience.
Check out your local community colleges and universities - these are often some of the best places to find entry-level jobs without experience or formal education, especially if you have a strong computer science background already. If you're willing to take on a few volunteer hours (instead of internships), check with nonprofits or other local charities to see if they're hiring.
Not only will these places provide programming jobs without experience, but you'll also gain a wealth of experience working with non-profit organizations as well! There are plenty of entry-level opportunities out there for those with little to no experience - just make sure you start looking into them as soon as possible!
7: Make Sure Your Resume is Perfect
Resumes are the first thing that hiring managers will look at when you apply for a programming job, so it's important to make sure yours looks appealing! Keep it simple and easy to read - don't be afraid to have your resume match the formatting of the job listing.
In addition, make sure your resume reflects the skills and experience you have - even if you have limited computer science knowledge at this point, make sure you highlight the classes that are most relevant to the job listing. If it's important to know C++ for a particular job but you haven't taken any of these classes yet, consider signing up for some community college or continuing education classes so you can fill this gap.
8: Use Your Resources Wisely
Don't be afraid to ask your friends, family members, or current colleagues for help with learning how to code. Many of them may have some experience in the field and will be happy to help - after all, it's always nice when someone returns the favor!
If you're having trouble finding someone to help with this, check out local meetup groups or forums like StackOverflow - these are great places to connect with people who have skills and experience within your area of interest. You can also learn more from industry resources, such as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) from companies like Udacity or Coursera.
These are the next best thing to professional training and may help you land an entry-level programming job without any experience at all!
9: Think Outside of the Box
If you feel like you're running out of options for landing a programming job with no formal education, consider reaching outside of the box for other types of experience.
Take a job in retail, working with computers, or even drive for a rideshare company - these are great first jobs to gain insight into the computer industry and will help you learn some valuable skills that will carry over when applying for programming jobs later on.
In addition, consider taking more than one job at once - this can be a great way to make extra money and gain more experience at the same time!
10: Make Sure You're Passionate About Your Work
At the end of the day, remember that regardless of how much you know about computer science or programming language, if you don't like your career field, it can be extremely difficult to succeed.
Before you start looking into jobs, it's important to make sure you're passionate about this career field - if you don't love programming or technology itself, it may become a never-ending source of frustration for you.
Make sure that you want to be a programmer as much as possible before taking the plunge and applying for a computer science job!
11: Learn Everything You Can
Finally, as you start your search for a job, remember to keep learning everything that you can.
If you're having trouble finding gainful employment in this field, put extra effort into teaching yourself how to code - there are thousands of free resources out there that can help you do this!
Make sure that you have as many viable skills as possible to show employers that you have what it takes for the job - even if you're lacking in formal education, this is a great way to prove your capabilities for prospective positions.
12: Find More Places Where to Apply
Finally, once you've gained some experience and are ready to apply for programming jobs, it's important to make sure you're applying for a large number of positions in order to increase your chances of being chosen.
Instead of limiting yourself to one or two options, look into open positions at multiple companies - this will give you more avenues for getting your foot in the door and landing an entry-level job without any programming certifications!
13: Try to Be Flexible
Once you've made the decision to seek out a programming job without formal education, make sure you're willing to be flexible with your schedule and location.
Many of the best entry-level programming jobs are going to come from small companies in smaller towns - if you live in an area that doesn't have many computer science jobs, you may have to be willing to relocate.
Try to make sure that your future commute is reasonable and manageable - in addition, try not to let a long commute dissuade you from applying for the job - they'll often pay more than enough to offset any potential travel costs!
14: Remember That You Don't Need College
To wrap things up, remember that you don't necessarily need to go to college in order to land a programming job.
There are plenty of people out there who have gotten where they are today by self-teaching themselves and building their own careers without any formal training. If you're passionate about this field, determined, and willing to work hard for it, you can make it happen!
15: Show Your Passion for Technology
At the end of the day, nothing speaks louder than your passion for technology and programming.
If you're truly interested in getting into this field but feel like you don't have any formal education or other specialties, try to show an employer how much coding has meant to you throughout your life.
If you have a hobby or passion related to technology, try to draw this into the conversation - let employers know that you really want to work in this field and have spent years cultivating your interest!
16: Tell Them What You're Willing to Learn
Finally, if you've been out of school for years but still don't have any formal skills in programming, let potential employers know that you're willing to learn.
There are tons of great sites out there where you can pick up new skills for free - make sure that they know you want to do this as much as possible!
17: Remember That Many Companies Are More Than Willing to Train You
To finish this article off, remember that many employers are more than willing to train you for the job if they see that you're committed.
Take advantage of free interview questions and answers sites like w3schools to find out what these kinds of companies are looking for - try to make sure that your resume is as streamlined as possible!
Make a portfolio of your best work online and try to make it as easy as possible for someone who has never met you before to see why you're a great fit for this position. If employers feel like they can trust you and that you have the skills necessary to do the job, they'll take a chance on hiring you without any formal training!
18: Don't Limit Your Options
To finish up, don't be afraid to apply for programming positions at a variety of companies and organizations.
Depending on what you're specifically looking for or want to get out of the job, it may be more beneficial in the long run to work for a small startup company or even something related to your personal passions - so don't limit yourself to just companies that actually teach you coding skills!
19: Learn as Much as You Can About Computer Science and Programming
It may be difficult in the beginning - but don't give up on your first failure. If you keep pushing forward, you'll start to see more opportunities open up in the field of computer science.
Try to take courses on learning how to code, try out new methods like online tutorials, or even just download the latest development software and start reading through it! If you want to get a programming job with no experience, you'll have to be willing to put in the effort - but the payoff will be worth it!
20: Don't Give Up
A lot of people don't want to work on a computer programming job because it takes a lot of hard work and hours. To become an expert in the field, you need to be prepared to put in a lot of time, energy, and most importantly dedication.
Anybody can do it so there is no reason why someone without experience should not be allowed to work on it.
Always remember that there is no quick or easy method to learn how to code. Every coder has been through a lot of pain and stress, and if they tell you otherwise, they are lying. Good luck!
21: Do What You Love
Most of us don't wish to work on anything that is not related to our interests or hobbies as we would rather enjoy doing what we like than working on something that we do not like.
It is a known fact that if you really want to succeed in any good field then it is important for you to have an interest in this.
If you are passionate about coding then it won't seem like a boring or tedious task that would be impossible for anyone to finish at all.
22: Do Not Get Discouraged
Learning how to code is surely a very long and tedious process. It would be easy for you to get discouraged when things don't go as planned or if you come across problems that seem impossible to correct.
Many coders feel this way because they think that learning a complicated subject such as programming would be extremely hard for them to finish. But they are wrong! Keep your head up high and always remember that if you really want to, then there is no way that you cannot learn how to program.
There are many ways to get your foot in the door and land a programming job without any prior coding education or work experience. Don't give up and try working on it!