Getting a job or internship with no experience | EdoMatch

Getting a job or internship with no experience

Finding a job or internship without professional experience seems like an impossible task for many recent graduates, students, or people looking to change careers. However, it is entirely possible to enhance your profile, convince a recruiter, and land your first opportunity, even without traditional corporate experience. In this article, discover the best strategies to put the odds in your favour.

Focus on your personal and academic projects

Even if you have never been an employee or intern, you have probably achieved concrete things during your career: a group project at university

• a research presentation
• an inter-school competition
• a personal blog, a professional TikTok account or a website

These elements demonstrate your ability to work, learn, organise and produce results. Don't underestimate them! Include them in your CV or online profile, detailing: your exact role

• the tools you used
• the results or deliverables you achieved
• the skills you used

Example: ‘Created a WordPress showcase website for a student association. Role: design and content writing. Result: +500 visitors/month in 2 months.’

Highlight your soft skills with concrete examples

Soft skills are often just as important as technical skills. And the good news is that you've probably already practised them. Here are some highly sought-after soft skills:

• Independence
• Rigour
• Adaptability
• Initiative
• teamwork

Illustrate each quality with a real-life experience. For example:

• Volunteer organiser of an event bringing together 200 students (management, communication)
• Head of a book club at school (organisation, facilitation)
• Sale of small handmade products via Instagram (initiative, marketing)

Work on your online presence (EdoMatch, LinkedIn, portfolio)

Having a good CV is great. But today, your online presence plays a major role. Many recruiters check profiles on LinkedIn, EdoMatch or personal portfolios. Here's what you can do:

• Create a complete EdoMatch profile with your information, projects and skills
• Update your LinkedIn profile (title, summary, education, projects, keywords)
• Write a few posts to share what you are learning
• If possible, create a small portfolio or personal website

Even without experience, being active, curious and organised will boost your credibility.

Learn useful and valuable skills

You can compensate for a lack of experience with concrete skills. The market is looking for young people who are operational and able to use modern tools. Here are a few ideas:

• Digital/Design: Canva, Figma, Adobe Photoshop, etc.
• Office/Analysis: Excel, PowerPoint, Notion
• Web/Tech: HTML, CSS, WordPress, GitHub
• Communication: web writing, storytelling, content creation

Platforms such as Coursera, OpenClassrooms, YouTube and even EdoMatch offer content suitable for all levels. Mention these courses in your CV and apply what you have learned to small projects.

Target opportunities accessible to beginners

Not everyone is looking for a senior profile. There are thousands of opportunities for beginners: Academic or volunteer internships

• Volunteering at an NGO or start-up
• Freelance assignments (writing, design, social media management, etc.)
• Incubation programmes, competitions, events

By accumulating two or three experiences of this type, you will build a solid and credible profile.

Prepare your pitch and interviews in advance

The interview is often the moment when everything is decided. If you don't have any experience, show that you are motivated, organised and ready to learn. Here's how to do it:

• Prepare a short 1-minute pitch: who you are, what you are looking for, what you can bring to the table
• Work on your answers to classic questions: ‘Why you and not someone else?’
• Be honest about your background, but highlight what you have learned

Good storytelling can make up for a lack of experience. What employers are looking for is someone who is reliable and will progress quickly.

Lack of experience is not a barrier if you are strategic

You don't have to wait for your first permanent contract to become credible. By promoting your projects, soft skills, training and online presence, you can land your first professional opportunity. The most important thing is your mindset, your organisation and your ability to make yourself visible. Start today, recruiters are waiting for you.