No Experience? No Sweat! Use Life Experience To Develop New Skills.

No Experience? No Sweat!

 

Has the lack of formal experience ever stopped you from pursuing a freelance job? I know that many people feel that this is a showstopper. Not so!

If you’re not fresh out of school and have career experience, that counts for a lot.  Work and life experience can translate into skills that can be used in a new area.

When speaking with prospective clients who may ask about specific skills, don’t be a deer in the headlights thinking that not having that immediately disqualifies you.  Take a look at the bigger picture and focus on experience that you have that is similar to what they’re asking.

Here are points that I agree are key that also apply to a conversation about your skills as a freelancer, not only for employee interviews.

It’s A Fluid Process

You need to be able to think on your feet about how your existing skills apply to something new. When asked if you have experience in a certain area, don’t just say “no” and leave it at that. 

Remember that you’re also interviewing a potential client to determine if you want to accept their job. So do a bit of digging as to why they asked that question.

They may have spoken to several freelancers before you and actually don’t remember everything about your résumé…

Be Truthful With Your Experience

Don’t fudge or dipsy-doodle around a question. You don’t need to. Refer to your portfolio and previous accomplishments and how they relate to the skill that you’re talking about.

You can also ask if this is an area for which they have or expect to have much of a requirement. Financially, it could be worth your while to invest in improving your knowledge of this skill!

See what I mean in this article from Freelance Writing Jobs: How to Admit You Don’t Have Experience and Still Ace the Interview

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