“Experience required” is the biggest wall for school leavers and graduates. Here’s how people get past it.
1. Apply for entry-level roles on purpose. Look for titles like assistant, trainee, intern, learner, general worker and call centre agent. Many entry-level vacancies on work-force.co.za don’t ask for prior experience.
2. Use what you already have. School projects, volunteering, church or community work, and part-time hustles all count. List them under “Experience” with a result.
3. Build one small skill. Free courses in Excel, customer service or basic computer skills make a CV stand out.
4. Tell people you’re looking. Many jobs are filled by referral. Ask family, friends and former teachers.
5. Be flexible on the first role. The first job is mainly about getting a reference and proving reliability.
6. Keep your documents ready. Certified ID, matric certificate, CV and references should be in one folder on your phone.
7. Don’t stop after a few rejections. Most people apply to dozens of roles before getting an offer.