How to get a job with no experience
I wrote my first book of (wretched) poetry when I was 10 years old and I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since.
It took me a while to discover that my strength is not as a fiction writer (I’m horrible at writing dialogue), but as a non-fiction writer (I’m good at researching and organizing facts).
Since I graduated from college, I have worked steadily as a technical writer. It’s great to be paid to do what I love.
But how do you get a job as a technical writer if you have no experience?
In short, you must write for free, then you will be able to land a paying job. Here’s how to do it:
#1. Set up a portfolio website of your own and start writing articles in your area of expertise. If you have no area of expertise, get one. For instance, I could easily write gardening articles since gardening has been my hobby for many years. I chose to make this website about publishing, writing, and editing. Don’t publish personal details and photos that could become embarrassing later. In other words, don’t use your website as a diary. Once you publish something on the Internet, the content will be copied without your knowledge and you can never get it back.
#2. Volunteer to write articles and web content for an online journal, newspaper, trade association, or non-profit organization. When I was still in college, I volunteered to write a tour guide for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. and later I volunteered to write articles for a non-profit education foundation.
#3. Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to ask family and friends to help you get that first paid writing job. I got my first job out of college as a proposal editor when a friend gave my resume to his brother-in-law, who handed it to the marketing director.
#4. Don’t be picky. Accept the first paid writing job with gratitude—don’t worry about a low salary. You can move on to a higher paid job after you get a year of experience.
#5. Go where the jobs are. Move to an area with many companies in your chosen industry. The Washington, D.C. metro area is an excellent place to live if you want to work in the high-tech or defense industries. Although you can do some writing jobs remotely, many jobs require you to be onsite. And there aren’t many technical writing jobs in East Podunk, Iowa.
