Top 5 Ways To Get Experience Without A Job

1. Volunteer

Many non-profit organizations require volunteers to help with charity events all year although summer and Christmas tend to be busier. The benefits of volunteering are so great that it well makes it worth your while. Not only will you be helping local charities with great causes but you have the opportunity to network and make new friends. Networking is another great key to potentially landing a terrific job!

Most charities and non-profit organizations receive media attention and when you volunteer, you become a part of that team and share in the limelight! The team may even have their picture in the newspaper or be on tv! You will also be gaining tons of experience and you can include all of this on your resume.

Many municipal and provincial run organizations also require volunteers to help out during the year and this is another opportunity to gain professional experience in your area of interest. For example, consider volunteering at your local hospital if you are interested in pursuing a career in the medical field. Alternatively, volunteering at your local library would be great if you are considering a literary career. Law students can check to see if a provincial court is hiring volunteers and students interested in politics can volunteer at a local MP’s office. This sort of experience would be invaluable on your resume!

Ask your family members about volunteering at their work place. They can check to see if their company will hire a volunteer and perhaps allow you to job shadow. Many start up companies require help so volunteer with a new company and help them set up their operations and gain valuable experience at the same time!

2. Co-op

Most organizations hire co-op students to help out in their offices so if you want to gain some corporate experience, check with your guidance office, career center or call a local company and pick a department that interests you. Most corporate companies have a number of departments such as Accounting, Human Resources, Legal, and I.T which will able to accommodate students interested in Finance, any aspect of HR, Law students and students studying Web or Graphic Design, Programming or Computer Science. Most co-op positions will also give you school credit(s) so you’re gaining a lot more than just experience!

3. Internships

Internships are also a great way to gain hands on experience. Some companies offer paid internships however don’t discount an unpaid internship if you are unable to secure a paid one. Ideal for new graduates, internships allow you to get your foot in the door, network and gain experience all at the same time. Many internships will lead to paid positions within the organization so it’s well worth the time.

Check with corporate organizations or even start up companies as they need all the help they can get! Most start ups will also be open to new ideas and suggestions and provide meaningful work that you can learn and benefit from. Many new to the market magazines, newspapers and online publications hire interns to write articles and although you may not get paid for the articles you produce, the publicity you receive will be well worth it to any creative writing or journalism student! Many web design and marketing companies will also hire interns and again, you will gain valuable hands on work experience and be trained under experienced professionals – perfect for the marketing, web or graphic design student!

4. Community Involvement

Besides gaining experience in unpaid settings, get involved in your community! The more involved you are, the more networking you can do and the more chances of finding a paid job! Not only that, but the more involved you are, the more chances there are to have your involvement recognized. Most charities and non-profit organizations receive media attention and when you volunteer, you become a part of that team and share in the limelight! You may also win awards such as the junior achievement award, special achievement award, junior citizen of the year etc. The best part is that you can include all of this experience on your resume making your resume really stand out! You can get involved with a youth organization or even an environmental group if you care about the planet! Think about what you care about. Are you passionate about animals? The environment? Do you want to do something for underprivileged children in third world countries? Speak up and get involved!

5. Get Creative

Get creative, have fun and gain experience! If you are a web design or graphic design student, why not make a couple of websites on your own time. You will be adding to your portfolio and doing something you enjoy. If your favorite class happens to be English, why not write some articles or a short story in your free time. You can submit these to relevant magazines, newspapers or online sites for free and you just may get published! What better way to gain experience and get published at the same time! If you’re a marketing student, pick a product or service and create a marketing pitch or campaign. Even if it’s not for a real company, you can talk about it in an interview and believe me, you’ll get high points for showing so much initiative! You’ll stand out from the other candidates who may not have taken any of these steps to gain experience and you will make a great first impression! As a law student, hang around in the court rooms, take notes, see if you can speak with some of the court personnel. All of this will be adding to your personal experience! Last but not least, start your own business! If you are interested in event planning, why not offer to arrange some events for free. This will get you exposure and because you’re doing it for free, there’s room to grow and learn without the same expectations as there would be on a professional event planner that the company would pay tons of money to. Honestly, the world’s your oyster and you can do anything – IF you are Willing to that is.


Be creative and be different! Get out there and get that experience – even if it is unpaid! After all, you are only investing in yourself and your own future! There are no drawbacks and you win in every way!

JobBug is a job site for students and new graduates looking for full time, part time or summer jobs as well as co-op or intern opportunities in the Greater Toronto Area.