As a college student and an aspiring digital marketing professional, my peers often ask me how I landed a Marketing Internship at Flackable this past summer with no experience. Truthfully, I originally didn’t think I’d get it and just applied. However, I didn’t let that disqualify me from pursuing the opportunity. Instead, through personal branding and networking, I positioned myself as a top candidate and earned the job.
My personal brand is still a work in progress, just like my peers. But just because you’re inexperienced does not mean you’re unable to score an opportunity you want. If anything, it just means that you need to frame your qualifications so they outweigh your lack of experience. To do this, here’s a few things to remember:
Be unique
When applying for a position, there will almost always be a candidate more qualified than you. Although it may sound cliché, they are not you! You bring a skill set and personality to the table that is unique from the rest of the applicants, so try to focus on that. For example, I manage a popular food blog called ‘Templefoodies’ on Instagram. It may sound stupid, but I like to bring this up in an interview to distinguish myself and show that I have a skill in social media marketing. Not many other applicants can say this exactly, so it sets me apart.
Make your skills relevant
In today’s society, skills and qualifications have become so specific to certain fields that employees often forget how they would be of use in other settings. It’s very important to understand how your skills are relevant to the position. For example, when I bring up ‘Templefoodies’ in an interview, it shows that I can organically grow a strong social media following. Which leads me to explain how I would transfer that skill to the possible opportunity.
Be passionate
When applying for an internship, show your possible employer that you are driven and committed! Potential employers want to know that you’re willing to learn new skills and utilize them. On top of that, revealing your passions shows them how much you want the job. Showcasing your drive and passions shows you are willing to conquer new challenges, making them not only want to hire you, but connect with you too.
The bottom line here is that just because you have no experience does not make you qualified! When taking time to prepare for an interview think of all the qualities you possess and how you can use them to your benefit.
This blog post was written by Account Executive Leah Hillegas.
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