Finding your first job in a new field is tough when you don’t have experience or connections yet.
Career changers exploring new industries, newcomers seeking work in unfamiliar territory, and new grads trying to launch a career – don’t give up! This article is for you.
Read on for steps that will help you get that first job in a new field!
Step 1: Pick a path that excites you
Building a career can be a long and slow process with setbacks that knock you off your feet. Every rejection stings. So if you’re embarking on this journey of highs and lows, why not choose a direction that genuinely excites you?
When you care about the end goal, persevering through your job search feels much more meaningful. Imagine waking up each day with the opportunity to do work that aligns with your values, takes advantage of your skills, and gives you the lifestyle you desire. That sounds pretty amazing, right? Don’t you want to run towards it?
So before all else, understand who you are, what you have to offer, and what you want. Use those pieces to craft a vision that fuels you through the steps below. And if you need help clarifying that vision, go through the reflection prompts in my free Job Search Assessment Workbook.
Step 2: Gain experience in creative ways
You might not be getting hired because someone else applying for the same job has more experience than you. Employers tend to choose candidates with more experience because they require less support to get up to speed and are a quicker return on investment.
This sucks for newbie job seekers when the market is flooded with more experienced job hunters, such as after mass layoffs in an industry. During economic downturns, not only are there fewer jobs, but everyone is also vying for the same jobs.
If you can’t find your entry point yet, try these creative ways to get experience:
- Work on personal projects and showcase them online
- Volunteer with non-profits
- Offer your services to small, local businesses for a limited time or reduced fee
- Technical folks, contribute to open source projects
- Students, participate in campus activities
- Career changers, integrate your new interest into your current work
Bonus: Use these opportunities to diversify your skillset (both technical and non-technical skills) so you may qualify for a wider variety of roles.
Step 3: Spotlight your value in your application
If you’re applying for your first job in a new field, it’s understandable that you might feel shy. The most important thing to remember is this: Whether you gain experience in a paid or unpaid setting, it’s still experience.
Once you own that fact, you can write a standout cover letter and resume by doing these things:
- Confidently describe the knowledge and skills you’ve gained through your coursework, personal projects, and volunteer experience by sharing stories.
- Talk about how you can hit the ground running by describing times in the past when you’ve taken responsibility, shown initiative, managed your time effectively, and delivered results quickly.
- Focus on the value you’d bring to an organization instead of what you want to learn from them. After all, an employer is hiring you to do a job; they’re not hiring you so they can teach you things.
- Show you researched the employer and describe your alignment with their mission and values. This is where tailoring your application is important.
- Reference communication and teamwork skills gained through customer service jobs, volunteer projects, team sports, campus activities, etc.
Employers are always asking, “What’s in it for me?” when they review your cover letter and resume, so make your answer obvious. For an in-depth guide on how to show your amazing fit for a role, check out this cover letter template.
Step 4: Show you’re a motivated learner in your interview
If you’re selected for an interview, then you already meet the basic requirements for a job. What employers really want to know is: Who are you as a person and what would it be like to work with you?
Knowing that you’re looking for your first job in a new field, they’ll want to see these traits:
- Humble and open to learning: Show this during an interview by admitting when you don’t know something. Additionally, you could explain how you’d approach the problem or how you’ve tackled a similar situation before.
- Able to problem solve: When you’re asked a skills-based or situational question, explain your thinking process aloud so the interviewer can follow along to understand how you work through problems.
- Curious and motivated to learn: Be ready to talk about how you’re always learning by describing courses you’re taking, experiments you’re doing, industry influencers you’re following, etc.
Bonus: Slip in thoughtful questions for the employer during the interview! It’s a great way to learn more about the role, the team, the organization, and the problems they have. You can then build on what you learn to reiterate your enthusiasm and fit for the job.
Step 5: Embrace networking
When you’re new to a field, you might not have insights like which companies are good to work for (and which to avoid) or how to prepare for a skills assessment. The best way to get answers is to talk to people who do know. And you do that by networking!
Starting from scratch, here’s what you can do to grow your network:
- Tell everyone you know you’re looking to meet more people in the field and ask for introductions for informational interviews (also known as coffee chats).
- Reach out for coffee chats for the purpose of forming long-term relationships and gaining industry insights, not for the sole purpose of finding a job.
- Build an online presence so you’ll be ready for digital networking (e.g. LinkedIn, Instagram, GitHub, a website portfolio, or whatever makes sense for your field).
- Join professional associations and industry-related groups (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Slack, Meetup, or where groups hang out in your industry). If you’re not sure where to start, ask folks when you conduct informational interviews.
Bonus: For every new connection you make, turn it into several more by asking if there’s anyone they would recommend you speak with.
Step 6: Cast a wide net for potential opportunities
If you’re only applying to jobs on your local job board, you’re missing opportunities that could jumpstart your career.
So boost your application number with these strategies:
- Look for job openings in an adjacent field. For example, if you’re looking to break into tech, try to find a tech-related role in a non-tech industry (e.g. healthcare, financial services, government, non-profit).
- Set job search alerts for target roles and companies so you’ll never miss an opportunity.
- Use social media to follow companies you’re passionate about (and their recruiters) so you’ll see when they post open roles.
- Subscribe to industry newsletters and follow industry influencers to stay on top of trends (e.g. which companies are hiring, what skills are in demand, etc.).
- Go to in-person events in your community to meet smaller businesses that hire through word-of-mouth. If you know of funding sources that would help them hire talent like you (e.g. internships, summer jobs), you can share the info with them.
- Attend career fairs in your community. Be prepared to hand out your resume and introduce yourself to recruiters. For promising leads, send a thank you message to restate your interest and ask for a follow-up meeting.
- Talk about your career goals when you chat with family, friends, neighbors, or whoever you encounter. You never know who might know someone hiring!
- Search job boards outside your industry. For example, my region’s employment services organization (WorkBC in British Columbia, Canada) has curated these industry job boards. Reach out to your local employment organization or library to see if they might have something similar.
- Be open to jobs in other geographical regions. Remote areas often have a smaller talent pool and larger cities have more open roles.
If you’ve increased the number of job applications but you’re still not finding a job, use data to fine-tune your approach. It’s not impossible to find a job in a new field. It might take some patience, persistence, and creativity, but you can do it!
Photo by Giang duong on Unsplash
Crystal Lee, MPH, CPCC is a holistic career coach who helps mid-career professionals transform their work and life with clarity, confidence, and kindness. Let her know if you have a career question and join her newsletter to get the answer!
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