How to Flesh Out Your Resume with Real Work Experience and Legit Referees

There is a way!

This post is presented in partnership with Mobility.

It’s one thing to gain a potential employer’s attention with a flashy CV, but another thing entirely to actually convince them to bring you in for a job interview.

Even if you’re going for a junior role or a casual position, your impressive school marks and portfolio alone won’t necessarily give you the edge over other applicants.

What employers really want to see is a list of esteemed and trustworthy referees from previous employers (and no, they can’t be your rellies), and perhaps even testimonials or letters of referral. To get those, you’re gonna need some work experience.

Sound impossible? It’s not! Here’s how to do it.

Keep an eye out for internships through your school.

This is the most traditional way to find workplace experience before you get a proper job. Depending on your university or VET course, there may be a direct placement opportunity that’ll allow you to sit in with a potential future employer for a few weeks. Keep an eye on the noticeboards (online and IRL) or chat with your tutors and lecturers to find out. These placements are usually unpaid, but contribute to your course credits. Make sure you know all the details first!

Set your own hours, location and rate of pay through an online platform.

The employment landscape is changing, and with fewer work experience opportunities going around, more and more young people are turning to digital platforms like Uber and Air Tasker for experience. That's because they give you the chance to not only earn money, on your terms, but also give you an opportunity to gain relevant experience for your career ahead.

One such app is Mobility, which offers you the chance to help Aussies that need a bit of support day-to-day. Jobs range from mowing the lawn, community outings, shopping, sports and study support through to more personal care. As an extra bonus, Mobility gives you $250 of free training certification when you sign up to make sure you’re properly prepared. Anyone can sign up but if you’re studying health services, medicine and social services it’s a chance to get a valuable insight into working directly with the aged and people with a disability.

So, what should you look for when choosing a platform? First, find out what you need to sign up, as most will require police checks and other confirmations of your identity for safety. Then, look into the pay, and make sure you're getting paid a fair rate by the hour.

Check out opportunities posted by employers.

Employers will often advertise if they’re after an intern, so you’re better off applying for those opportunities rather than cold-calling or emailing them (unprompted!) asking to come in. You can usually filter job search websites for these placements. However, be very wary about these gigs, and make sure the internship meets the standards set out by the Fair Work Ombudsman. The experience can be valuable, but that doesn’t mean you should do a bunch of unpaid work. Your internship should be mostly observational; if the employer wants you doing more than that, it’ll cost ‘em.

Freelance.

If you’ve got a skill that you want to share with the world, but no immediate outlet to do it full-time, freelancing can help you establish your bona fides. Many would-be writers will reach out to online publishers to pitch articles, though publishers will want to see examples of your writing that have run elsewhere, so it's not the easiest way to break into the biz. Artists, however, can often use online platforms to advertise their work and get paid for small jobs that come in from around the globe. Once again, these can help you gain customer reviews and build out your portfolio. (I know we said earlier than a portfolio won’t give you an edge, but if you can demonstrate you’ve done work for clients and met their specific briefs, rather than simply done some doodles, your portfolio will carry much more weight.) If you’re freelancing, just make sure you’re not taking on more work than you can deliver!

Earn, Train and Shine with Mobility: a revolution in home care. With Mobility you can get ahead in your career, help those in need and choose the hours that work for you. Earn cash for the skills you already have and receive $250 worth of free certified training. Launching soon. Pre-register now!

Header Image: Pekic/E+ via Getty Images.