How do you get your first office job when you have no prior office/clerical experience?
Asked by Tiffany
I've worked in several customer service and sales/retail oriented jobs in the past, and I'll be getting an Associates Degree in General Studies come this December. However, thanks to the current condition of our economy, my current job at a restaurant (which promised me 30 hours a week to start with but has since whittled me down to 3 to 5) definitely isn't helping make ends meet. My only considerable office-related job skills are that I'm a fast typist (99 WPM with accuracy) and I have intermediate experience with Microsoft Office. I also definitely do not have the money to continue schooling to get a degree that would assist me in finding an office job. I've tried temp agencies, but so far, no dice. Any suggestions at all?

Best Answer:
1st go to your local DES (department of economic security) and get an official wpm typing certificate, that will help you to prove to employers that you are worth taking on with no experience. secondly if you've taken any classes in computers, be sure to highlight those on your resume. you must have a resume to get an office job, cover letter preferable too, just because if you are going to work in an office then you need to be able to type, and to make ledger documents, etc. and the best way to prove that is with a good resume and cover letter. then go to all the local busiensses that are big companies and apply for their offices. ask your college to help you find a job. as well as try canvasing local area construction offices, they are usually more willing to take on people with less experience, because most of them are privately owned, and they see it that they all started somewhere too. good luck. TBP

The first thing I did was to apply for something I thought I wouldn't get. It got me out of my comfort zone and into an interview. My job was listed as an internship as a "personal marketing assistant," but most of what i do is administrative. look for those jobs that sound like they are trying to cover up the fact that they are admin. most job-seekers can see through it, and the people who are reading them found them in their search for something more (they can tell they are overqualified and won't apply, but the people who you can compete with won't necessarily be searching for those jobs. bad news for the employer, good news for you!) I developed my software skills to get my first"desk job," you can take a class at your local community college; even after you get your AA I'd recommend it: it's very valuable to understand Excel, basic web stuff, and, especially, client database programs (you'll learn Access, and that's a perfect foundation. You can also focus on a specific skill or program, then look for jobs that are looking for that skill. (for example, Illustrator or InDesign; fundraising; CRM (customer relationship management: databases) etc.) You can develop those skills by volunteering or working on call for a non-profit (church-related charities, schools, etc.) you can connect with volunteer jobs at idealist.org or google your city's name with "volunteer." That shows that you can work hard and it will give you the skills you need. hope that helps! best of luck!
Answered by katt_11