How to Find a Job (and Actually Get Hired) For Beginners

Finding a new job can feel like a full-time job by itself. The current market is competitive, and if you're just starting out on your career path, the entire process can easily seem overwhelming. From figuring out what kind of role you want in your field (or what field you even want to be in for that matter) to navigating interviews, there's a lot to learn. But with the right strategy, you can find a role that aligns with your unique skills and goals.

This guide will provide clear, actionable steps to help you through the job-hunting journey. We'll cover everything from building and refining your resume, and identifying the right opportunities to take a swing on, to landing and acing your interview, or interviews. With over a decade of staffing experience, we know what it takes to get hired.

Step 1: Reflect and Consider Your Goals and Strengths

Before you start applying for every "entry-level" position you see, take some time for self-reflection. What field are you looking for work in? What do you want out of a job, beyond just the paycheck? How do you tend to work best? Understanding what you want from a job will make your search more focused and effective at every step of the way.

Identify Your Skills and Interests

Start by making two lists: one for your skills and strengths and one for your interests.

• Skills & Strengths: Include both hard skills (like software proficiency, language fluency, or coding) and soft skills (like communication, teamwork, or problem-solving). Think about your experiences in school, internships,

volunteer work, or even hobbies and what caused you to do your best work in your area of expertise. What have you excelled at? How did you do it? What were the circumstances and would you be comfortable working in that environment long term?

• Interests: What topics or activities genuinely excite you? Do you enjoy creative projects, analyzing data, or working with people? Finding this spark can make a world of difference in pinning down the right role for you. A job that aligns with your interests will be vastly more fulfilling in the long run.

Ask Yourself, Where do I Want to Work?

Not directly of course, consider it more abstractly at first. Find the type of company culture and work environment that would help you best to thrive by asking yourself some questions like:

• Do I prefer a collaborative team setting or working independently, or what mix of the two am I comfortable with?
• Am I looking for a large corporation with a structured environment, a fast-paced startup, or a lean team of professionals that all have to carry their weight?
• Is remote work important to me, or do I prefer an in-office or hybrid model?
• What kind of motivation do I respond to from my superiors?
• What type of work do I enjoy most, and what type of work is tedious to me?

Answering questions like these honestly will help you answer the common question, "Where should I work?" and narrow down your search to companies and roles that are a good fit for your personality and work style.

Step 2: Build a Winning Resume

Your resume is your first and most important impression in any job hunt. It needs to be clear, professional, and tailored to the job you're applying for since this will be how you are judged for next steps, without ever getting to advocate for yourself in person. Needless to say, your resume must be airtight for the role you are searching after. For beginners, the focus should be on soft and transferable skills from any pre-career experience rather than extensive work history.

Choose the Right Format

A clean, easy-to-read format is crucial. Stick to a standard font like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman, and keep it to one page. Use clear headings for each section, but not necessarily titling each section as such:

• Contact Information: Name, phone number, and email address. This section doesn't need a title, your name can be the title.
• Summary or Objective: A brief 2-3 sentence statement that highlights your career goals and key qualifications. This section should sit just below your contact info and does not need to be titled either.
• Education: Your degree, university, and graduation date, as well as any major online trainings you have completed (i.e. Google, Coursera, Cisco level certifications). Include any relevant coursework or academic honors. This section should be titled with start and end dates of education received and level of certificate achieved.
• Experience: This can include internships, part-time jobs, volunteer positions, or significant academic projects that are applicable to the role you are pursuing.
• Skills: A bulleted list of your relevant hard and soft skills. This is where the first step starts to help as well, as you should have some of these noted down already in short form.

Highlight Transferable Skills and Experience

As someone new to the workforce, you might not have a long list of professional achievements. That's okay. Focus on transferable skills from other experiences. For example:

• Customer service experience from a retail job demonstrates communication and problem-solving skills.
• Leading a group project in college shows leadership and teamwork.
• Volunteering for a cause you care about highlights your commitment and work ethic.

For each experience, use bullet points to describe your responsibilities and, more importantly, your accomplishments. Use action verbs and quantify your achievements whenever possible (e.g., "Increased event attendance by 20% by creating engaging social media content").

Step 3: Start Your Job Search

With a polished resume in hand, it's time to find open positions. Don't limit yourself to just one platform; cast a wide net to maximize your chances.

Use Online Job Boards

Websites like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor are essential resources. You can set up alerts for specific keywords, like "best entry-level jobs" or "junior marketing associate," to get new listings sent directly to your inbox.

When using these platforms, make sure your profile is complete and professional. A strong LinkedIn profile can attract recruiters even when you're not actively applying.

Leverage Your Network

Networking is one of the most powerful tools in a job search. Many jobs are filled through referrals before they are ever posted publicly.

• Talk to friends and family: Let them know you're looking for a job and what kind of roles you're interested in. They might know someone who can help.
• Connect with alumni: Use your university's alumni network or LinkedIn to find people working in fields or companies that interest you. Don't be afraid to reach out for an informational interview to learn more about their career path.
• Attend industry events: Many professional organizations host virtual or in-person events for networking. These can be great opportunities to meet people in your desired field.

Consider a Staffing Agency

If you need more help finding a job, a staffing agency can be an invaluable partner. Recruiters have extensive networks and access to unlisted job openings. They can match you with roles that fit your skills and career goals, and they often provide resume feedback and interview coaching. SkillsetGroup places thousands of candidates a year into new jobs, and we would be happy to help you make your next career move! You can explore our job board now or give us a call! Best of luck though if you choose to go it alone, we have a few more tips for you.

Step 4: Nail the Interview

Congratulations, you’ve landed an interview! This is your chance to finally expand on your resume face to face and show the hiring manager why you're the best candidate for the role.

Prepare Thoroughly

Preparation is key to a successful interview. We have some more in-depth tips on common interview questions and how to navigate them in another post here, but let's look at some top level things to keep in mind.