Among the common posts that catch my attention in freelancing groups I am a part of are from people with no work experience. “What do I do? Do employers hire people without experience?” They ask in their posts.

In my mind, I would immediately respond: Then create a portfolio, or a set of samples. This was what I did many years ago when I decided I wanted to be a writer but my undergraduate course was not about writing. I did not have a professional writing experience, nor did I have sample articles. All I had written then were essays and school report paper.

But I had understood early on that in this competitive world, saying you are a fast learner or willing to learn during an interview is often not enough. So I compensated my lack of experience in the industry I wanted to be part of by reading up about its ins and outs and creating writing samples. I wrote feature articles and even laid them out as though they were from the pages of real magazines.

Those articles were not my best pieces, but they were good enough to show that the newbie me could write and that I was serious about becoming a writer.

There are many good reasons why it’s important to create a portfolio or sample work. One, you have actual samples to show that you can do the job. Second, you become better and better as you create several samples. You even slowly find your own style. Third, you become more confident at what you do. If your portfolio is available online, they are your advertisements, too!

These days, I am often on the other side of the fence. My fulltime work also now occasionally requires me to form a team of creatives to work on a project. When I am hiring creatives (writers, artists), the first thing I ask them to send is their sample work. It is only when I am convinced that their style matches the requirements of the project do I ask for their resume.

Such is the power of a portfolio.

Of course, there are other things that newbies can do to raise their chances of snagging projects—not in place of but rather, on top of making your portfolio. Here are some of them:

1. Get a certification.

While certification will be less useful if you’re looking for a creative job, there are some types of freelance work where certification is important. Work that requires language proficiency is one. So, if you are gearing for jobs like this, go ahead and get some certification.

2. Work as a volunteer or an intern.

Volunteering for the type of job you wanted to have in the industry you want to be part of will give you the experience you will need. If this is the route you want to take, focus on the things you will learn on the job. Many successful practitioners will tell you that the things they know now, they learned while doing the actual job. So, make the most of it.

3. Enroll in online training or watch how-to videos.

Get the necessary skills required for the job you are interested in. There are numerous free and affordably priced online training programs available. Take advantage of them and be sure to learn. Your goal is not to get a certification, but learn the tricks of the trade and to improve your technique.

So there, some sure-fire things you can do if you lack experience in the job you want to try. Whichever route you take, always give it your best shot! Many young professionals I know got their first job while doing their volunteer work.

Some practice pieces or samples may also get paid. When we needed to hire a writer in a health magazine where I was working as Managing Editor years back, I offered to pay the sample pieces that would get published in the magazine. That way, I would get to assess the applicants’ writing prowess and at the same time, they would get a chance to get published and put something in their portfolio. Even if they don’t get hired (because we only had one vacancy, and there were several applicants), their time applying with us and doing the test article would not go to waste.


Good luck! Let us know if you find these tips helpful. And if you have additional tips, do hit the COMMENT button and share!

There are many pluses of creating a portfolio or sample work. One, you have actual samples to show that you can do the job. Second, you become better and better as you create several samples. You even slowly find your own style. Third, you become more confident at what you do.