---
title: 'Ex-Google Recruiter Reveals: How to Get Hired Without Experience'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=845fNBa_R_4'
video_id: '845fNBa_R_4'
date: 2026-08-17
duration_sec: 892
channel: 'Farah Sharghi'
---

# Ex-Google Recruiter Reveals: How to Get Hired Without Experience

> Source: [Ex-Google Recruiter Reveals: How to Get Hired Without Experience](https://youtube.com/watch?v=845fNBa_R_4)

## Summary

The video, presented by a former Google recruiter, exposes the reality that 'entry-level' jobs often require prior experience, making it difficult for true beginners to break into the workforce. It explains why companies have shifted from training employees to hiring pre-trained talent and offers practical strategies for those starting from zero to get hired.

### Key Points

- **Entry-Level Roles Are Not Beginner-Friendly** [00:17] — A 2023 Talent Works report found that over 60% of entry-level roles require prior professional experience. These roles are designed for 'plug-and-play' hires, not for training newcomers.
- **Companies Stopped Training** [02:13] — Between 2016 and 2022, learning and development budgets dropped by over 20% across major organizations. Companies now prefer to hire already-trained candidates rather than invest in internal development.
- **The Catch-22 of Experience** [03:55] — Over 47% of junior job postings use the phrase 'hit the ground running,' indicating companies lack the time or budget to train. This creates a paradox where you need experience to get a job, but can't get experience without a job.
- **Real No-Experience Jobs** [05:03] — Jobs that truly hire beginners are not labeled 'entry level.' They include internships, apprenticeships, trainee programs, and returnships (for career breaks). These roles focus on potential rather than existing skills.
- **Freelance Work Doesn't Translate** [07:40] — Most companies do not treat freelance work as equivalent to corporate experience. They prefer familiar markers like logos, job titles, and full-time timelines. To make freelance work count, frame it as outcomes with measurable impact.
- **What to Apply For Instead** [09:27] — Instead of entry-level roles, apply for associate or junior titles, trainee or rotational programs, customer-facing entry points, and positions at startups. These roles are more open to transferable skills and training.
- **Building Evidence from Zero** [10:55] — If you have no experience, focus on building evidence: volunteer strategically, create personal projects, take micro-credentials, and use LinkedIn to document your learning. This shows proof of potential, not just job titles.
- **Mindset Shift: Be Obvious, Not Perfect** [13:04] — The system rewards positioning, not effort. You don't get chosen; you get noticed. Your job is to be visible and aligned with what the company needs, not to be perfect.

### Conclusion

The video concludes that companies no longer build talent; they buy it. To break in, you must search for roles that train (associate, trainee, graduate), show proof of potential through projects and volunteering, and position yourself to be obvious rather than waiting to be picked.

## Transcript

job asking for 2 years of experience, three tools, and zero handholding. If that's entrylevel, then where exactly are you supposed to enter? In this video, I'll break down why entrylevel roles are rarely built
for beginners, how companies offload training onto you, and what you can do if you're starting with zero experience. And let me just give a little disclaimer disclosure. I'm not advocating for this. Don't shoot the messenger. I'm just
telling you what I know. So, let's get started. If you're a new grad career changer or you're re-entering the workforce after a break, you don't need you're going to be learning today in this video. Why entry level doesn't mean
beginner, where companies do still train, and how to get hired with no experience. The system is broken. Here's the illusion of entry-level roles. The the illusion of entry-level roles. The first shock most job seekers get. Entry
level doesn't mean what you think. Entry level sounds like an invitation that it's your first professional step. But if you've looked closely at these listings, you've probably read that they require 1 to three years of experience,
plus software fluency, industry familiarity, and ideally prior work results. But let's be real, what's labeled as entry level is anything but beginner friendly. A 2023 report by Talent Works found that over 60% of
entry-level roles actually require prior professional experience. You're just being told, quote, just get your foot in the door. But even the door handle is out of reach unless you're already inside the building. Now, as a
recruiter, I've seen this firsthand. These roles aren't built for learners. They're built for plug-andplay hires. The language is coded entry level, but it means that you're already trained. Now, this wasn't always the case. So,
what changed? And why did companies stop training from within? Here's why companies don't train anyone anymore. This used to be different. So, what happened? For decades, companies grew talent internally with onboarding,
shadowing, and mentorship. Those were not perks. They were part of the not perks. They were part of the process. But that changed fast. Between process. But that changed fast. Between 2016 and 2022, Deote found that learning
and development budgets dropped by over 20% across major organizations. Internal development was replaced by external recruitment. Why train someone when you can hire someone who's already trained? The logic sounds simple, right? Training
The logic sounds simple, right? Training takes time and time is expensive. So companies shifted the burden from themselves to employees. They still want skilled employees, but now they expect you to arrive trained, certified, and
job ready. You pay for the learning upfront before you ever see a paycheck. This is why you feel stuck. You're not applying for a job. You're applying to recover an investment that you were forced to make a loan. It's not just a
hiring shift. It's a systemic reframe because companies don't grow talent anymore. They outsource it. And not just at the entry level, at every experience level. When I became a people manager, I received zero training. They didn't even
give me a book to read. I was promoted with no onboarding, only with the expectation to learn on my own, and on top of that, build out trainings for my employees that the company didn't provide. This creates a dangerous
paradox because if experience is the price of entry, no one will give you that first chance. So, how do you ever break in? Here's the catch 22 of experience. And if you think applying anyway will work, it won't. One of the
most common questions I hear is, "How do I get experience if no one will give me a chance and hire me?" That is the catch 22 of modern hiring, and it's the default setting for most companies. Over 47% of junior job postings use the
phrase quote hit the ground running according to LinkedIn jobs insights. Translation: We don't have time or budget to train We don't have time or budget to train you. This hits hardest for three groups.
New graduates with no internship experience, parents returning after a career break, and career changers who are trying to pivot into a new field. You're not underqualified. You're just invisible to a system that values proof
over potential. And even when you try to create your own experience through volunteering, open source work, or side hustles, companies often ignore it because it wasn't done inside another company. So, you're told to build
experience and then you're punished when you do it outside of the corporate pipeline. So, if entry-level jobs require experience and self-made experience doesn't count, what roles actually exist for people starting from
scratch? These are the only real no experience jobs that are left. So, what jobs actually hire people with no experience? Very few jobs today are truly open to beginners, but they do exist. You just have to know what to
look for. They're not labeled entry level. In fact, the term entry level refers to the entry into the corporate leveling ladder, which I talk about in my salary negotiation video. These jobs go by different names, often with
clearer intent. Internships, still one of the most common on-ramps, especially for students and recent grads, but they're competitive and often unpaid or underpaid. And the experience doesn't count in the same way as full-time work
expected to be held to the same standards as full-time employees because you're not subjected to performance reviews to determine if you're meeting your OKRs. These run throughout the year and can range from 3 to six month
internships and most of them happen during the summer. Apprenticeships. Now, these are growing in fields like tech, finance, media, and blue collar fields. They combine paid work with structured learning and these are
designed for non-traditional candidates or career switchers. So for example, when I worked in finance, I had this experience. Companies hire for apprenticeship programs. So you're being paid to study and learn so you can pass
your licensing exams. Once you pass your exam, your pay goes up and you continue working as a full-time employee. Trainee programs. These don't require prior experience, but they do require learning agility. Think customer success
associate or sales development rep. These are very similar to apprenticeship programs. Returns. These are built for people who are re-entering after a career break. Often targeting people who are caregivers, former entrepreneurs, or
anyone with a resume gap. Companies like Google and Meta have return programs. feel free to subscribe. When you're looking for jobs on LinkedIn, type in up. You may be surprised by what you find. The through line, these roles
aren't about having the full skill set upront. They're about potential, your potential, and they're designed to help you grow into the role. But don't expect them to say entry level. That's where people get tripped up, and rightly so.
No one taught us in school about how working in corporate works. These programs are hidden in plain sight. and are often disguised by corporate jargon or buried deep in careers pages. So, you may be thinking, "What about freelance
work or gigs? Doesn't that count as experience?" Let's talk about that because the answer isn't what you think. Here's why freelance and gig work don't translate. Freelancing isn't always your golden ticket. And here's why.
Freelancing seems like a logical workaround. It's flexible, fast, and often the only way to build experience when you're shut out of traditional jobs. But here's the problem. Most companies still don't treat it as real
experience. Why? Because freelancers are often seen as temporary, unstructured, and hard to manage. Hiring managers worry that you won't adapt to a full-time culture or that you chose freelancing because you couldn't land a
corporate role. This is not fair. Freelancers do build real skills, execution, client management, problem solving, but companies default to familiar markers like logos, job titles, and full-timelines.
If you've freelanced, there are workarounds, and you need to reposition yourself. And here's how you do that. Frame client work as outcomes, not tasks. Highlight measurable impact, not just deliverables. Use testimonials or
LinkedIn endorsements to add external credibility. Have a portfolio of your work if you're in a visual field so people can see it. Don't just say you're a freelancer. Show what you did, who you
helped, and what changed as a result of your work. And I've helped my through how to target their job search by helping them leaprog from freelancing work to work for companies. So, if gig
work isn't enough and entry level is off the table, what should you actually apply for when you're starting from nothing? Here's what to apply for instead. Okay, now here's the good stuff. This is what you came for. So,
what do you apply to when you're starting from scratch? Here's where most job seekers go wrong. They apply to more jobs instead of the right ones. The goal isn't to get lucky. It's to get your foot in the door. It's to decode the
roles where companies still train and position yourself as coachable, not perfect. Here's where to focus. Associate or junior titles. These signal a level below specialist or manager. Roles like junior data analyst or
marketing associate are more open to transferable skills. Trainee or rotational programs especially in tech, finance and logistics. These are built to onboard talent and grow you from inside the company. Customerf facing
entry points. Support rep, client success, service coordinator. These roles teach you systems communication and product knowledge. their internal launchpads. Startups and early stage companies, startups care less about
pedigree and more about proof. A personalized email with a project link beats a cold resume any day. And here's the reframe. You're not applying to be ready. You're applying to be trainable. Use your resume, your cover letter, and
your LinkedIn to signal that. Show that you're resourceful, self-taught, and already learning on your own. Now, what if you're starting at absolutely nothing, like zero, negative scratch? That's exactly what I'm going to cover
next. Here's what to do if you're starting from zero. And again, you don't have internships, no formal experience, no references. Most people stop there. But the issue isn't experience, it's evidence. And those are not the same
thing. Recruiters are looking for proof of potential, not just job titles. Here's how to build that evidence fast. Volunteer strategically. So, pick roles that mirror real job functions. Managing a nonprofit event, that's project
coordination. Use your volunteer story to write bullet points that match the If it looks like the job, it counts as experience. Build a personal project. Do you want to work in marketing? Run an Instagram campaign. UX? Redesign an app.
Projects beat platitudes. And here's a bonus tip. Turn your project into a case study and publish it on LinkedIn. That one post can unlock recruiter DMs. Take
a micro credential. Get a free Google certification or a 2-hour Corsera course that's related to the type of work you want to do. Anything that proves initiative and relevance and that you have a growth mindset. And don't just
add it to your resume. Share what you've learned. Employers notice candidates that show their work, not just list it. And use LinkedIn as proof of work. Share what you're learning. Reflect on case
studies. Document your progress publicly. Treat LinkedIn like your living resume. Every post is a signal. And it says, "Here's how I think. Here's what I know. And I want you to post before you're ready. You don't need to
be finished. You need to be visible. Growth beats perfection. And remember, visibility is credibility. The more you show up, the more you get seen as someone who belongs. You're not faking
experience. You're showing your learning. And in hiring, visibility is leverage. But here's the real shift, and it's not just what you do. It's how you start thinking about your career. That mindset is everything. And here's how
you can reframe the game to stop waiting for permission. Here's the moment that changed everything for me. I had done everything right. Got my engineering everything right. Got my engineering degree, got a job, and still got laid
off, unemployed, and invisible. And that's when I realized that hard work isn't enough. The system doesn't reward effort. It rewards positioning. Companies don't hire for potential anymore. They hire for proof. They hire
people who they know are their people. And most job seekers are still waiting to be picked. And here's the truth. You don't get chosen, you get noticed. When I became a recruiter, I saw this close up. The people who got hired weren't
always the best. They were just the most visible and aligned to what the hiring manager, the company, and the job needed. So, your job isn't to be needed. So, your job isn't to be perfect. It's to be obvious. Prove
yourself enough. Just share enough to be undeniable. And remember, you are enough. And in today's market, potential only matters when it looks like value to them. So here's the bottom line. Companies don't build talent anymore.
They buy it. If you're starting from zero, you're not just behind, you're invisible. Now you have a strategy. Search for associate, trainee, graduate roles, not entry level. Show proof, not perfection, through targeted projects,
volunteering, or certifications. So, stop waiting to be picked and start positioning yourself to be obvious. What's the worst entry-level job listing you've ever seen? Drop it in the comments. I want to see receipts. And
now I want you to check out this next video if you want to level up your job