It can be very demoralising to go to an interview, give a great performance and then be told later that the job has gone to someone with more or better experience.

In some cases, they tell you that you would have been the perfect candidate however another person had that extra skill or some qualification that they were looking for.

So what do I say in my interview when I have no experience?

Actually a better question to ask is: “What do I say in my interview when I have no relevant experience?”

Because you will have experience which you will have gathered during your school, academic or other out of work life. You will also have qualifications, whether from school or from college. It’s a question of how relevant they are and how you can present them so that they become relevant.

What to Say in an Interview When Lacking Experience

So how do you explain on your application or in your interview that you lack some essential experience?

Here are our top tips to take on board and which follow on from the key strategies above:

1. Firstly, address the lack of experience directly: Acknowledge that yes there is piece of experience you have not yet acquired however put the emphasis on those experiences and skills that you do bring.
2. Demonstrate ability and willingness to learn: Outline how you are a fast learner, show you enthusiasm and give an example to prove this. Perhaps you have taken on an evening course to fill a gap or maybe you learned a key skill recently in another setting.
3. Focus on transferable skills: Especially those which are key to the role you have applied for and which you also bring. Give examples to illustrate these using the STAR formula showing that you are capable and competent.
4. Show enthusiasm and keen interest in the employer: Outline how you have targeted this employer by choice and give your reasons for doing so.
5. Show fit with your career plans: Detail how the employer and the role fit perfectly with your career plans.

Sample Interview Answer Explaining Lack of Experience

Question: From your application, you do not have direct experience with managing a team. How will you handle this challenge?

Answer: “While I may not have direct experience of managing a team in a work environment, I have developed strong leadership and coordination skills in other ways.

For example, during my university studies, I led group projects where I delegated tasks, set deadlines, and ensured team members stayed on track. From that experience I learned how to manage different expectations and how to to motivate others so that we were able to achieve our goals.

Also, in my current part-time job, I have actively taken on additional responsibilities, such as training new colleagues and coordinating their work during busy periods. While not officially managing these new colleagues, I have learned how to listen and encourage and spend time to ensure that the person is able complete their tasks effectively. 

These experiences have strengthened my ability to communicate clearly, motivate others, and problem-solve effectively. I am confident in my ability to manage a team and I am eager to apply these skills in a formal team management setting and continuously develop as a leader.”

7 Top Tips For Explaining Lack of Experience In Your Interview

Here are our top tips to help you get a job you want even though you may not have all the experience or qualifications they list. Remember, you do have skills, you do have experience and your challenge is to make sure that what you bring fits with what they need. It can sometimes simply be a matter of communication or framing.

1. Focus Your Applications – Avoid the Scattergun Approach

In our coaching practice, we have worked with clients who have come to us after submitting 100s of applications and not received a single interview invite.

Firstly, this is a huge waste of time and energy and secondly, it can have a devastating impact on one’s confidence. Each unsuccessful application gives the message that you are not wanted or worthy when in fact this is not the case.

Our top tip is to only make an application where you think you have an 70% chance of getting called to interview. So if the job description lists an essential piece of experience or qualification and you don’t have this or are likely to be able to acquire it before the interview, then do not apply.

2. Have a Good Reason For Applying

This follows on from the point above and requires that you are very clear about why you are applying. What are your key motivations? Is the job one you can do with confidence? Does it fit with your career plan? Is the employer one you are targeting and can see yourself having a long career with?

Many organisations look for key staff who they can see as fitting into the organisation even though they do not bring all the experience or skills required. There will be an induction and ongoing training provided, however only for a candidate who will commit and who’s values are in line with those of the employer.

3. Focus More on the Person Specification- Less on the Job Description

Many jobs will include a person specification either in addition to or alongside a job description. Where you are lacking experience or qualifications as listed in the job description, we suggest studying the person specification to see what type of individual they are looking for.

This will indicate strengths and competencies such as well organised, excellent communicator, adaptable, able to work under pressure.

In your application and in your interview, put an emphasis on these so called soft skills so as to overcome what may be a lack of direct experience. Bring examples from work even if not in the same sector or type and also non-work situations to show that you possess these abilities.

4. Talk Up Your Transferrable Skills

Yes you do have transferrable skills!

So many candidates starting out or even changing careers will say they don’t have any relevant skills. However, when we explore further we find of course they have amazing experience and great skills which can work brilliantly in the new role.

Imagine, you are applying for a role in marketing and they ask for experience with communicating sales or marketing plans to large teams. You don’t have this direct experience so what do you do?

What we find works well is to strip it back to basics. Ignore the large teams, ignore the sales and marketing plan and you find they are looking for someone who is an excellent communicator. Can you recall a time when you communicated successfully? Perhaps when persuading a group of friends to do something they initially didn’t want to do? Or maybe in a sporting context you were required to get your team all playing the same way.

All of these are relevant pieces of experience and your task is simply to present them as relevant.

5. Start Small – Build Up to Your Dream Job

Many graduates, having spent years getting their degree or other qualification, focus on one target job.

This they see as being commensurate with the effort they put into college, and which gives them the salary they expect a person with such a qualification should get.

Often they target this role to the exclusion of all others.

While yes, you must have your target job in mind, your dream job, we suggest when starting out to aim initially for a lower rung of the ladder.

6. Take Any Job (It’s Only Temporary)

Sitting at home waiting for an email or text inviting you to interview is demoralising. In addition, worrying about earning money, paying your rent or surviving day to day can come across on applications or in interviews and can smack of desperation.

We advise clients to get into a job, any job, no matter how lowly or seemingly impractical. Great, if you can get into a role which is close to the career you want however failing that, take any role.

Remember this is only temporary and not only will you be earning money, you will be building up skills and confidence. All jobs will give you experience and those transferable skills we talk about above. For example, in the retail or service industry, you are learning how to work under pressure, deal with clients face to face and use your time and organisational skills.

7. Looks at Apprenticeships, Part-Time and Volunteer Roles

Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to earn money and get experience at the same time. Opportunities exist in a whole range of sectors including, digital, engineering, tech, healthcare and trades such as plumbing and electrical.

Consider part -time or volunteer roles too as these give you a chance to start building up real world experience and look great on a CV or application.

Go to job fairs, conferences and network. These are great ways to find out about opportunities where full time or other.