How to Land Your First Real Job and Build Career Advocates
If you’re about to graduate—or looking for your first real job—it can feel like everyone wants experience before giving you a chance.
That’s frustrating but hang in there. In the beginning it’s a number game.
Many employers are not just for hiring experience. They’re hiring potential.
And one of the best ways to stand out is to build advocates (a network of people who know you and can keep an eye out for opportunities).
A career advocate is someone who recommends you, refers you, gives you advice, introduces you to opportunities, or says your name when a job opens up.
That person could be a professor, a former manager, an internship supervisor, a coach, mentor, or family friend. Your first job often comes from someone who believes in you before your résumé is perfect.
Six months after I graduated from college, I was still bartending and waiting tables. I kept in touch with my professors, checking in every couple of months. My first “real” job lead came from my biology professor who mentioned he saw a temporary position for a lab technician. I followed the lead and got my first job. Six months later I was brought on permanently.
Why This Matters
When you’re early in your career, you may not have years of accomplishments yet. Your resume is pretty light, with mostly academic or part-time job experience. While that job in retail or waiting tables might not seem like much, in combination with a good reference, it shows something very valuable to hiring managers. It shows work ethic, coachability, reliability, initiative, and a can-do attitude. While you may lack professional experience, you can show potential with the hard work you’ve already done (in school, in sports, and in your hobbies).
When my oldest started to look for her first job, she asked me to help her put together a resume. It included repeat babysitting jobs and dog walking gigs she had done. We included her academic achievements and her sports awards. It represented her ability to learn, grow, and be dependable.
A Simple 3 + 5 Framework that will Help You Throughout Your Entire Career
Ask These 3 Important Questions
Use these during networking conversations, informational interviews, internships, interviews, career fairs, or mentors chats.
- What Skills Matter Most for Someone Starting Out?
This question helps you focus on what employers actually value. You’ll learn what skills to build now, what hiring managers look for, what makes candidates stand out, and importantly, where to spend your energy.
Why it matters: Smart preparation beats random effort.
- What Advice Would You Give Someone in My Position?
People love sharing what they wish they knew earlier. You’ll get advice on common mistakes, professional habits, what to expect in interviewing, how to network, and how grow in your career faster. Pay attention and take notes.
Why it matters: You can avoid early mistakes and move faster.
- What Could I Do to Become a Strong Candidate?
This is a growth question. It shows humility and being action oriented. It shows you are willing to put things in place to get an advantage. You could gain insight on how to improve your résumé, gain alternative experience, how to build a portfolio, what to practice interviews, and ways to strengthen communication skills.
Why it matters: People advocate for people who are serious about growth and are willing to put in the work.
Offer These 5 Things Consistently
Even without experience, you have value to offer. What you lack in professional experience you offer in potential. The sad truth is that showing initiative alone will outshine a lot of your peers who simply don’t know what to do or aren’t willing to put in the work. The following five things will help you stand out no matter where you are in your career.
- Professionalism Be respectful, responsive, and prepared. What does that look like? It looks like prompt replies, polite communication, showing up on time, and having prepared questions. Avoid emojis, slang, or too familiarity when you first start out. Eventually you’ll learn the communication style of your team, but it’s best to assume professional language until you learn otherwise. Follow your manager’s lead.
- Reliability Do what you say you’ll do. If you promise to send something, follow up. That looks like being consistent, taking accountability, having follow-through, and being known for being dependable. Be the person others can count on to do what they say, to be on time and to lend a hand.
- Positive Energy Attitude matters more than many people realize. Most hiring managers will tell you that they’d rather have someone with a positive attitude that they can train, than an expert who doesn’t listen. How do you show positive energy? It looks like showing up to work with enthusiasm, showing gratitude to your peers and boss, being willing to learn, which might look like volunteering for projects you don’t know how to do yet. It’s also bringing good energy in conversations; don’t spend time gossiping or bad mouthing people you work with. Be open to trying, even if you aren’t sure if it will work.
- Curiosity Ask thoughtful questions and listen well. People value someone who listens to understand. One way to show that is to listen without interrupting and then asking lots of follow up questions. That can look like asking questions about the company, the team, or the individuals. Express a desire to learn what you don’t know yet. Show that you listen by following up with what you’ve heard and offering thoughts. Ask for feedback and take actions on what you hear. This shows a growth mindset, which is valuable in any job.
- Initiative Find ways to improve yourself without waiting. A common mistake early career people make is waiting to be asked to do a certain job or take on a project. Instead, volunteer for things that naturally fit into your interests or existing skills. It may help you to build additional skills. While searching for a role, ask professionals you know to help you practice interviewing, work on personal projects that you could use in a portfolio, and network with people you know from school, sports, and other activities. Also start applying for jobs consistently. While the best way to get a job is through a referral, in most cases it’s still a numbers game. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t hear back right away. Keep trying.
If you’d like a template to put the 3 + 5 into action, message me your email and I’ll send it over to you.
Need Help Landing Your First Real Job?
Starting your career can feel overwhelming—but you do not have to figure it out alone.
I help soon-to-be graduates, first-time job seekers, and people transitioning their career into new industries with:
Resume Support
- Creating your professional résumé
- Translating school, volunteer, part-time or past experience into strong experience bullets that are relevant for hiring managers
- Making your résumé stand out to employers
Job Search Strategy
- Where to apply
- How to network
- How to position yourself with little experience
- How to build confidence during the search
Interview Preparation
- Practice interviews
- Answering common questions
- Talking about strengths with confidence
- Making a strong first impression
Confidence & Career Direction
- Clarifying what roles fit you
- Reducing overwhelm
- Building momentum
Your first job can shape your future. Let’s make it a strong start.
The Bottom Line
You don’t need years of experience to begin building a great career.
You need the right mindset, smart actions, and people willing to advocate for you.
Ask smart questions, bring value, stay consistent, and keep learning. It’s more important to start now than to get it perfect.
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Yvonne Lee-Hawkins is a Holistic Career & Burnout Coach supporting high-performing professionals through career transitions, leadership challenges, and burnout recovery.
She also helps recent graduates land their first career. You can find out more on her website, or follow her on LinkedIn, Medium, or Instagram.
If you know someone who could use help beginning or transforming their career, have them schedule a call here.