Don't Have Much Experience? Here's How To Boost Your Résumé

It's one of the most frustrating experiences any job seeker faces: After a rigorous search, you've found a job that you're really excited about, where you'll work on interesting things with like-minded people and in a great location. The catch? The job requires experience, often more than a recent college graduate has under his belt. As disheartening as this situation is, it isn't necessarily the end of the line.

Here are some ways you can boost your résumé to help you secure your dream job:

Become an intern
Many colleges and universities require students to complete an internship prior to graduation. This might lead some to believe that internships are only for students, which is untrue. Some internship programs do require that their interns receive class credit, but those typically are unpaid and rely on the class credits as compensation. Many paid internships have no student-status requirements or age limitations. Internships offer excellent experience and networking opportunities, and they can often lead to a full-time job offer.

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Still Sweating After the Interview?

The interview is over. Wouldn't it be nice if the interviewer handed you a rating slip on your way out the door to let you know how you rated in the interview? But lacking such a luxury, you must learn to review your own performance so that you can learn from the experience.

Use this opportunity to be objective about the situation. Were you prepared and practiced, or were you just "winging" the answers? Could you have been more effective with additional practice? What will you do to prepare for your next interview?

One of the most helpful things you can do post-interview is to let go of your self-recriminations by venting. After the interview, go to your car, or stop in at a coffee shop, and take pen to paper to write about what just happened. Just let your thoughts pour out. When you've finished, put the writing away, and let go! After a few hours, or a day, when you have had a chance to relax and digest the information, go back and revisit what you wrote. What can you learn from this experience? What will you do differently next time?

Rate Your Performance

On a scale ranging from one to ten (ten being high) how do you rate yourself?

My overall feeling of satisfaction with this interview. ________

Did I arrive on time? _______

How was my introduction -- good greeting/handshake/posture? ______

Was I confident and professional at all times? _______

How did I speak - calm, clearly, not overly aggressive? __________

How was my nonverbal communication (body language)? _________

Did I handle the difficult questions with ease, or did I fumble aimlessly? _________

Did I have good rapport with the interviewer? __________

Did I talk about my strengths? ________

Did I talk about my weakness in a positive manner? ______

How did you do? Are you satisfied with your rating? If most of your rating numbers are in the 5 to 10 range, you're probably doing all right. Look carefully at the lower ratings -- what were the problems? You may want to consider practicing with someone so that you can obtain more objective feedback on your answers and style.

No matter how your ratings added up, remember that some of what goes on in an interview, and behind the scenes, is out of your control. Also, keep in mind that interviewing is a learned and practiced skill. If you didn't do as well as you would have liked this time, work on your problem areas. Try scripting and practicing difficult questions or issues.

By critiquing your own performance, and learning from your successes and mistakes, you will be more prepared the next time. And, as a result, you will become more confident and accomplished at interviewing. You will also become more objective in choosing whether the job is right for you -- not just whether you are right for the job.

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Getting some work experience

But you can’t get the work experience without a job, right?
Well, I’m afraid it’s time to pay your dues!
The very least you want to do is find a job in the industry of area that you want to work in – even if it’s a crap job.
Crap jobs can be a means to an end.
A few tips on how to get work experience from crap jobs and other sources

1. Find out about the industry you are working in. I temped for 3 years in various areas that are all largely irrelevant to me now, but helped broaden my knowledge base. It may seem that the ins and outs of the administration of an office are irrelevant to your ambition to be a rocket scientist, but valuable interpersonal skills can be learned, as well as some industry knowledge.

2. Ask for more work (no I’m not mad!). If you can suggest something to your manager that would be of use to the company / department and also be of interest to you, then you will gain valuable experience from it. You can go along to your next interview and say, “Well, yeah this was my job (and it was quite dull), but I also did this…”. This will show initiative and make you look like a damn good worker.

3. Use these dull jobs to hone your computer skills. Boring admin jobs can be good practice for working with databases, email, corporate intranets and other information systems. And like anything else, your keyboard skills and IT literacy will improve with experience.

4. Try voluntary work. It shows commitment and initiative (even if you aren’t doing anything to mentally taxing) and, again, you can increase your industry knowledge and may discover a new career path that you hadn’t thought of before. It also bulks out your CV (oh, and yeah, it helps other people). Voluntary work can be online editor positions, charity work, or I’m sure any number of other things.

Moving Out of the Midcareer Morass How to Mix It Up and Build on Your Experience

If you have at least 10 years of experience in a particular field, job hunting in the current market presents a special challenge.

You're beyond entry-level in terms of experience -- and salary expectations -- yet you're not quite ready for the executive suite, either.

In this tough job market, you could fall between the cracks of employers seeking low-cost, green trainees, and more proven managers to right their corporate ships.

Here are ways to negotiate this in-between status and take a positive, next career step.

Don't Erase Your Dates

Instead of taking the dates off your resume to seem younger, embrace your experience, by preparing an "accomplishment-based resume," says Rachelle J. Canter, president of RJC Associates.

"Show that the extra years provide critical achievements and seasoning that a younger competitor cannot hope to attain," says Canter, author of "Make the Right Career Move."

Right Resume for the Right Job

At the same time, it's perfectly acceptable to develop different versions of your resume tailored to different positions, according to career coach Rebecca Kiki Weingarten.

"For each job, you don't need to list all of your skills," Weingarten says. "Just include what's relevant to whatever they're looking for. You don't want to overwhelm employers. When you go for an interview, you can mention extra skills and experience."

Honesty Really Is the Best Policy

If you're applying for a position for which you may be overqualified, address the issue head-on in a cover letter, recommends life and career coach Shawn Driscoll.

"Don't leave it to the resume screener to jump to conclusions," Driscoll says. "Maybe you are looking to diversify your career experience, and so you're willing to take a step back or a pay cut. Say so. Then, sell your experience and your results."

The Storytelling Advantage

When you land an interview, come armed with compelling anecdotes of real world problems -- and how you solved them.

"Younger job seekers won't have stories -- they'll just have theories," Driscoll says. "Give real situations, the action you took, and the results you achieved."

Calling Style 911

Your resume may not be the only thing that needs updating. Your favorite power suit may look tired, or your hairstyle or glasses could be trapped in the '90s. Image consultant David A. McKnight of DAMstyle recommends perusing fashion magazines and catalogs to assess current trends, and tossing items from three to five years ago that seem out of date.

At the same time, not every hot trend will flatter you, so ask a fashion-savvy friend for advice, or consult a professional to help you figure out your personal look.

"Just because a particular style is popular, it doesn't mean you should be wearing it," McKnight says.

Reinvent Yourself

Finally, you may not have planned to be looking for a new position, but if your job wasn't really your intended career, it could be a good time to forge a new path.

"Having been in a profession for a period of time, use this time to look at your future in another way," Weingarten says. "Instead of saying, I thought I was going to accomplish, x, y or z, you can ask yourself, 'What do I want to do from here on in?"