20 Steps To Start A New Career With Absolutely No Experience Or Degree
Years back, you didn’t know exactly what you wanted to do with your life when it comes to your career.
Some people are blessed to know what their passions are during high school and college.
Such a person will be in that position where the right sort of study takes place and things can happen to them at an early age.
However, for a huge chunk of people, that just isn’t the case.
Your course of study may be a hard choice to make or it could have been forced down your throat and might have determined your career.
It might not be what you want to do, but just like many, you have to rely on the wage packet.
Similarly, you might have chosen to start working early on to pay the bills and before you realise it, you have created a career from that.
The good news – if you simply want to start on the right note and ensure you make the right move, this article is for you.
Here are some of the things to think about to help you for the better. These steps will lead you to finally do something that you are passionate about.
1. What to consider first
There is a lot to consider at first, especially if you are in a position where you just know you have to start, but you are still not 100% sure what it is you want to do.
Taking some time to think about certain aspects of your life and who you are might be able to help you decide. Think about your personality traits.
Would you believe that your personality holds the key? Many different jobs and career options require you to have certain personality traits, and identifying your strong points could help you point to exactly what career is right for you.
- Are you a caring person?
- Are you chatty and confident, able to talk to anyone?
- Do you have a bubbly nature?
- Are you more reserved with a head for numbers?
These are all things to think about to help you get to the stage where you can start to think about what will work for you.
2. Your current lifestyle and commitments
One thing you must consider when it comes to a career choice is your current lifestyle and commitments. You may have a young family that requires a little more flexibility with your time.
You may want to move home and therefore you need to think about wages and the earning potential for the future.
There is a lot to consider when it comes to your career, and it isn’t just about you, there will be family and potential children that you need to factor into your decision-making process.
3. Old hopes and dreams
When was the last time you took into account hopes and dreams for your career?
You will have had some sort of ambition, even if it was a childhood one. Think back to when you were confident in what job you wanted to do.
There may be an inspiration there that you might not have considered before that could point you to a career move that you will be happy with.
Once you have taken some time to do some soul searching you can now put any evidence you have grasped together to consider what sort of job you might want to do and what your next move might be. What next?
4. What industry would work well to fit into?
Thinking back to your personality traits, lifestyle and old ambitions, is anything helping to point you to a career move that fits?
Perhaps you are always going above and beyond for others, and want a job that might give you some job satisfaction. A career in occupational healthcare services could be the answer.
What about your confident nature? Your desire to succeed? Then perhaps a career in sales is one to consider.
Maybe you want to help people or seek justice, then law enforcement or public service could be the answer. Knowing these things can help you to narrow down potential jobs.
4. Do you need any further qualifications?
One stumbling block you may come up against is realising what you want to do requires you to have degrees and qualifications you may not be in possession of.
But these days, if you don’t have time, you can now study on your own and learn online to enable yourself to get any qualifications and certifications that you need.
This isn’t a stumbling block, but it may mean you need to put in some extra work to make your career move happen.
5. Is it something that can be worked towards in your spare time?
You may have realised that what you want to do is work for yourself and create a business.
This is when working in your spare time in the evenings and weekends could help you to build up the potential to eventually leave your job.
It could be a blog that you want to monetise, a freelance career you want to launch with the skills you already have, or you have spotted a gap in the market and know it can be a success.
Working as hard as you can, may help you to make this a reality.
6. Make it happen
Now that you know what it is you want to do, you need to start thinking about how you plan on making it happen.
This can be the hard bit, so don’t fret if it doesn’t go your way straight away.
Some people spend a huge amount of time applying for jobs and get nowhere. But with determination, you will get there eventually.
7. Create a resume that fits the new job in mind
Applying for jobs may seem really simple. But without a decent resume, you are never going to get a foot in the door.
So, this is when you need to invest time to create one for you that will help you succeed in the application process.
Your resume needs to have all of your relevant skills. Also, ensure that they are geared towards the career you want so that potential employees can see the value.
Don’t make it too long, as this can get boring. There are some excellent resume templates and guides online that can help you create the right one for you and your job hunt.
8. Seek out potential opportunities
The next thing to consider would be to seek out potential opportunities.
This is when you will actively search out potential companies and employees. Look online on job sites, and even things like contacting agencies to see what opportunities are out there.
9. Prepare for commonly asked interview questions
There will always be questions that you get commonly asked at interviews. So, a great tip is to prepare some answers in advance. The type of questions that will be common would be:
- why you chose your career?
- What makes you think you are right for the role?
- Why are you leaving your current job?
- What career goals do you have?
There are plenty of others, so the more preparation you can do the better you will feel.
It would also be a good idea to do plenty of research ahead of an interview on the company. This will help you to show your knowledge and insights.
10. Present yourself in the best possible way
While we shouldn’t always make snap judgements on appearance, human nature means we can sometimes not help ourselves.
So do yourself a favour and present yourself well.
It isn’t about fancy new clothes, it is simple things like good hygiene, your hairstyle, and your clean and appropriate clothes. It’s the small things that can make the biggest differences.
11. A little on you
Finally, take some time to consider yourself and how you feel about this career. Ensure it is something that will not harm your mental state and self-esteem. After all, you are the one that is making such a big life change.
You will need to think about things such as how you feel, so take some time to think about these two things before you jump into a job search or career change.
12. Have faith and confidence in your decisions
It is important throughout the whole process that you have faith and confidence in your ability and the decisions that you have made.
These are two areas that you need to have to be able to pursue what it is you want in life. The confidence to take the plunge and the faith that it will work out.
It is the smallest things such as positive thinking and having that belief that can get you into a situation where you finally feel content and happy with your career choices.
13. Be proactive and show initiative
Be proactive and show initiative. Not just now in the search process but in the interview and beyond.
It is these attributes that people look out for, they want people that are willing to go the extra mile.
14. Gain experience on a part-time basis
Starting a career with no experience or degree can be less tiring when you gain experience from part-time work.
You can make up for the experience you lack by taking up jobs during your spare time which will help you to get better.
You can also speak with friends and families who can connect you with individuals who need your skills or need someone in your desired field.
Gaining experience from part-time jobs shows that you are committed and willing to make your career successful.
From there, you can also build successful partnerships and a professional network which will help you in future.
15. Engage in volunteering
Volunteering involves offering your services and skills to organisations without expecting anything in return.
It is one of the easiest ways to acquire experience and training in your chosen career. If getting a paid part-time job does not work out, you can try offering your skills for free.
This is quite easier with small organisations. It will also add to your CV as job experience. Volunteering will give you a glimpse of what to expect when you start your career.
16. Seek jobs using non-traditional means
The easiest and traditional way of seeking jobs is via newspaper advertisement, LinkedIn, online platforms, etc but this might not work for you as someone starting a career without experience.
Most organisations and companies who post job advertisements online spell out specific skills they desire with the number of years of experience.
Banking on this traditional means alone can be to your disadvantage, rather, consider job hunting.
You can start by speaking with friends and families or experts in your field. They would connect you or give you a lead to companies who might need your service.
Getting a personal recommendation goes a long way over your CV or cover letter.
17. Be patient
Switching a career, especially to one in which you are not experienced can be quite frustrating.
Patience and tenacity are needed to keep you focused and motivated. Take time to develop yourself, gain relevant experiences and keep your goal in mind.
Do not be in a hurry to take decisions, remember ‘great things take time’. Focus on your goal rather than the challenges you are facing at the moment.
18. Upgrade your social media space
It is no longer news that quite many people land promising jobs via social media. There are many professional platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and so on that, you can leverage to advertise your skills.
Having a very decent and professional LinkedIn or Twitter profile will attract prospective employers to you.
Be willing to network and post edifying content about your chosen field on these platforms and you will be surprised at the result.
Also see 20 Benefits of social media for business
19. Stand out
You must always remember that there are many experienced individuals in your chosen field. The best thing you can do for yourself is to do things differently to yield a better result.
If you want to be reckoned with, even without experience, you must make extra efforts to be better than others.
Also, read 20 No-Work-Experience Interview Questions and Answers
20. Target entry-level positions
Entry-level positions are the easiest positions on a career path. They do not require years of experience or a particular degree.
Starting with entry-level positions will improve your chances of getting into higher positions. Also, you can transfer skills from your previous jobs to new ones.
The fact is that you already have the skills required for the new job even if you have never worked in the field.
The extracurricular activities you engaged in while in school could also be very useful as you pursue your new career.
Also, read 6 Simple steps needed to choose a career path
I hope that these tips help you when it comes to choosing your career.
Which of these steps are you currently working on?
