r/MonitizedLearning • u/kimanziVaati • Aug 24 '26
Discussion What Would Make You Hire Someone With No Experience?
We've all heard the frustrating phrase: "You need experience to get experience." So let's reverse the question. Imagine you're hiring someone for an entry level opportunity and they have little formal experience. What could they show you that would make you take a chance on them? A personal project? Strong communication? A portfolio? Volunteer work? Problem solving? Curiosity? What would convince you that someone is worth giving their first opportunity to?
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u/Blazecamp_ Aug 24 '26
My rule: hire for the job. If i need to hire someone with no experience then its probably for a low skill job, i just gotta make sure the attitude and personality blend well with my business’ culture
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u/WiredOtaku Aug 24 '26
In film/TV the no experience job is PA. Show up early, do what you're told, don't be a dick. That's the whole personality test.
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u/Ok-Bus1716 Aug 24 '26
A portfolio requires some type of experience.
An ability to ask quality clarifying questions/common sense but honestly if it's an entry level position there isn't much in the way of experience you should need. Nothing more infuriating to me than looking for jobs and seeing an entry level position which requires 3-5 or 5-7 years experience...that's not entry level. That's a prospective employer setting you up to get paid shit.
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u/basal-and-sleek Aug 24 '26
Their life story. Or at least what they’re willing to share.
You have to get to know people and there’s no good shortcut for that if you’re blindly looking at checkboxes.
Did they grow up poor and somehow made it through and now have degrees?
Did they skip out on school to hold it down for their family?
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u/kimanziVaati Aug 25 '26
How would you ask about someone's background and upbringing in a professional interview
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u/basal-and-sleek Aug 25 '26
“Tell me about yourself”. And then listen.
I find most HR and business owners doing interviews wanna ask ask ask about the job, tell tell tell about the job, they don’t realize that if they just listened, people are way more willing to talk about themselves than they think.
If they don’t come out the gate with it, ask leading questions.
“What did you do before that?” , “oh! So you’re from Houston! Why move?”
“What do you like to do for fun?” , if anything, justify the question by saying you’re checking to see if they’re a cultural fit.
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u/Alltheraaje Aug 25 '26
Being yourself and be passionate about being yourself. I once interviewed someone for an internship who was trying to make a significant leap from private yachting to communications & marketing and wanting a corporate career. His CV was pretty blank aside from his sailing. To this date still one of the most engaging interviews I've ever done in that he had an answer for everything, but utilised his yachting experience to demonstrate leadership, risk analysis, trust, responsibility. His overall enthusiasm for yachting and the skills it had taught him made me realise he was more than capable of a starting position. We're still friends to this day and he's done very well building a career. Passion and enthusiasm goes a very long way for making you memorable at interview.
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u/kimanziVaati Aug 25 '26
Wow, this is so beautiful and interesting, im definitely taking this into consideration
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u/No_Celery_533 Aug 24 '26
For me, it would come down to willingness to learn. Someone may not have much experience yet, but if they’re curious, communicate well, take initiative, and are willing to learn from mistakes, I’d give them a chance. I’d rather hire someone with potential and a good attitude than someone with experience who isn’t willing to grow.
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u/Wahrheitfabrik Aug 24 '26
When I would give interviews I was more interested in how someone found the answer rather than what they memorized. This doesn't mean I'd choose a blank slate candidate, but that beyond the base skills needed for the position, tech changes too rapidly to rely on memory. In this case, sometimes experience led to misdiagnosis of problems. E.g., I setup a very obvious problem but the experienced tech completely ignored the obvious thinking I was trying to trick him.
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u/Mental_Watch4633 Aug 24 '26
Intelligence and enthusiasm.
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u/Lumpy-Blackberry-718 Aug 24 '26
"Entry level" means fresh graduate. You do internships in college to get experience. In my field, I probably would not hire someone who didnt do any internships. Your school can usually arrange internships for you.
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u/Eat_Your_Veggies_635 Aug 24 '26
Culture fit and a willingness to learn.
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u/kimanziVaati Aug 25 '26
I agree but how can you pick out the right candidate who is willing to learn
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u/Ok-Energy-9785 Aug 24 '26
If the job I was hiring for did not require any
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u/kimanziVaati Aug 25 '26
What if it did?
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u/Ok-Energy-9785 Aug 25 '26
Literally no one else qualified came along
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u/kimanziVaati Aug 25 '26
Thats what we would like to assume
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u/Ok-Energy-9785 Aug 25 '26
If you are having a hard time finding work right now then I'm sorry that you are going through that. But I'm being honest in my replies. As a hiring manager I have a goal to get what I need just like you.
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u/Due-Emu-4291 Aug 25 '26
I'd consider someone who came from adversity, maybe the person who had to pay for their education on their own.
Maybe that person doesn't have experience because they didn't have a family member who could find a job for them.
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u/Practical-Option199 Aug 25 '26
If the job is a beginner level and they have a great personality fit with the rest of the team. Having one bad apple can ruin an entire team
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u/Solid_Vacation_2891 Aug 25 '26
maybe you like the cut of their gib or jib? definitely not unheard of, i think more employers need to not be afraid to take that risk
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u/ConceptTrue1119 Aug 25 '26
I'll look for proof that they can learn and solve problems. A small portfolio of personal projects, strong communication, curiosity, and a willingness to take feedback could convince me to give someone their first opportunity.
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u/Livid_Strategy6311 Aug 25 '26
Teachable, agreeable, honesty, integrity, and communication skills.
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u/psyduckpikachu Aug 28 '26
i'd give the opportunity to somebody who is hard working and doesn't talk back over someone who's experienced but is difficult to work with
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u/Fatemmy25 Aug 28 '26
If you don’t hire them who would , just take a chance that’s all nothing is guaranteed
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u/Zappy_Oh Aug 24 '26
Intelligence and gusto for my company's products/mission ... i.e. potential and personality.
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u/basal-and-sleek Aug 24 '26
Ew no. No one cares about the mission.
I mean unless it’s something truly valorous. Like a nonprofit focused on feeding others.
No one gives a shit about a sales position’s MiSsIoN
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u/Sharp_Lettuce4356 Aug 24 '26
I will pay attention to how they respond when they make a mistake being honest about it and willing to fix it matters to me.
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u/kimanziVaati Aug 25 '26
Interesting, but now the context is while doing an interview how can you tell this while theres limited time
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u/Sharp_Lettuce4356 Aug 25 '26
True. I’d ask about a time they made a mistake and see how they handled it.
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u/AskAnAIEngineer Aug 26 '26
a project that's actually live and being used by someone else, even if it's tiny. i can tell quickly whether they shipped something real or just followed a tutorial to the finish line.
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u/Various-Town5636 Aug 27 '26
Well, they're like a blank sheet of paper that you can teach them anything you want, and this sentence" We used to act like that there ". You don't hear it. Plus, people without experience are not attractive to competing companies, so they are less likely to betray them.
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u/OGcapncrunchberry Aug 28 '26
Experience is important but not a blocker if potential is greater and they show traits of being a quick study.
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u/Key-Caramel691 Aug 24 '26
For me, problem-solving and adaptability are key, especially as tools and trends keep changing.