All entry-level jobs require 3-5 years of experience. How am I supposed to get that if no one will hire me?

By Aditi Shrikant

How to get experience if no one is willing to be your first employer

Job descriptions often make qualifications or requirements seem more rigid than they actually are. (Photo subjects are models)

Dear Dollar Signs,

I just read this story about college students and graduates lacking work experience and the fact that employers are requiring three to five years of experience for entry-level jobs.

So how in the world is someone just trying to enter the workforce supposed to get experience if no one is willing to be their first employer?

Workplace Newbie

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Dear Newbie,

Ah, I remember having the same question when I was applying for jobs right out of college: How are you supposed to get experience if no one will give it to you? This period of your life can be filled with anxiety and uncertainty, and it's totally natural to feel frustrated when it seems like every job is just out of reach.

Job descriptions often make qualifications or requirements seem more rigid than they actually are, says Henna Pryor, a workplace-performance expert who worked as a recruiter for almost a decade. "So many people I placed didn't meet the job requirements as they were written," she says.

Yes, many employers ask for more experience than an entry-level candidate could reasonably expect to have. Sometimes, that job description is just a wish list. Good candidates, regardless of experience level, will stand out by crafting a good cover letter and coming to interviews with ideas.

Whether or not you have years of experience is less important than demonstrating that you can hit the ground running.

"When [the job description] says three to five years, it doesn't mean three to five years," Pryor says. "This is often shorthand for 'Can you do this work without handholding?'"

Think about every bullet point in the job description and ask yourself "Could I do this?" instead of "Have I done this before?" I'd be willing to bet that this reframing will give you the confidence to apply to positions that may seem daunting right now.

But in order to show that you can do these tasks, you'll need to provide some evidence.

Standing out when you have no experience

Remember, employers don't always define work experience literally. Internships, part-time jobs, research positions, freelance gigs or volunteer work can all demonstrate you have the skills employers are looking for. Hiring managers are looking for potential. It's expensive and time-consuming to hire employees, so they always want to reassure themselves that they are making the right choice.

In fact, 81.6% of recent college grads with any type of work experience - internship, part-time job, full-time job, apprenticeship or gig work - were employed after graduating, compared with 40.7% of those who had no experience, according to a recent ZipRecruiter survey.

When I was applying for jobs at different news outlets after graduating from college, pretty much all of them wanted to hire a reporter with more experience and more published clips than I had. To supplement what I did have, I would show up to interviews with self-published articles and story pitches that might appeal to the employer I was interviewing with.

Many of my friends who work in tech did the same with coding - presenting certain projects to show they possessed certain skills, even if they hadn't been paid for them.

Entry-level candidates who take the initiative with self-assigned tasks and projects, Pryor says, "immediately read as much older."

Another way to stand out during the interview process is to show unbridled enthusiasm. This might sound obvious, but Pryor has observed that it is less common among young people entering the workforce.

They don't want to look "needy or desperate," she says. "There is a weird thing right now with the new generation where they don't want to come across as 'thirsty.' I feel like new grads are being coached to come across like they are playing it cool."

I'm sure many Gen Z workers are in fact communicating their excitement, and given that you wrote in for advice, you are likely among them. But it's still something worth being aware of: You want to show you're passionate about the position you're applying for.

If you lack experience, the least you can do is show that you are extremely excited about gaining some.

One way to do that is to ask questions about what the company would want to see from you during your first six months on the job. What milestones do they want you to achieve? Then, talk about how your current skills and adaptability could help you meet those goals. You want to show you are curious about the work and able to grow into the position.

One of the best things about working with young people, I've found, is that they aren't jaded. Their wide-eyed optimism and curiosity is endearing and even motivating.

If you can demonstrate you are able to deliver at a high level, and are excited about doing so, that required experience probably won't matter.

Write to Dollar Signs at dollarsigns@marketwatch.com.

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-Aditi Shrikant

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07-10-26 1134ET