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Ample job opportunities for those with less experience

Are you looking for a paycheck but don’t have the experience in the field that you’re targeting? Have you heard that any employment opportunities that don’t require experience are dead-end jobs? Think again.

We’ve got a list of the best jobs you can get with no experience. Once you start in these fields, you’ll build your expertise and then, if you do well, can advance your career to higher and more interesting positions.

Web developer

Potential career path: Graphic design or content marketing
Payrate: $22,500 – $132,500 / year

Now more than ever, websites are the way that companies tell the world about themselves, sell products, and facilitate customer service activities. However, a well-functioning, beautiful, and unique website doesn’t build itself. That’s where web developers come in.

Web developers know how to structure and create websites so that they support an organization’s goals. They understand both the coding and technical side of things behind each page. They’ve also mastered how to structure individual pages and overall website layouts so that they’re easy for customers to use. If you become a web developer, as you grow your skills through experience and extra education, your pay can increase dramatically.

Proofreader

Potential career path: Writer or editor
Payrate: $25-$50 /hr

Proofreaders aren’t editors. They’re not responsible for rearranging words or ensuring that the sentence structure or logic flow of a piece of writing is clean.

Every day, enormous numbers of documents are published both online and in hard copy. Proofreaders are an indispensable part of the process. They keeping these documents error-free so they represent their authors in the best way possible.

Proofreaders aren’t editors. They’re not responsible for rearranging words or ensuring that the sentence structure or logic flow of a piece of writing is clean. Their job is to make sure that the grammar of a piece is accurate, spacing and punctuation are on point, and that there aren’t any typos. Also, while there aren’t any experience prerequisites for obtaining the job, if you’re looking to do this work, its helpful to take a formal proofreading course to build your skills and become more valuable.

HR assistant

Potential career path: HR management
Payrate: $23,602 – $45,591 / year

If you’re interested in human resources as a career path, it is actually possible to obtain an entry-level position without experience. Job requirements depend on each department, but they may involve greeting department visitors at the front desk, answering phones, and completing some basic computer work to manage files and department data. If you perform well, there’s plenty of room for advancement over time, though you may need additional training and education to rise through the ranks.

Bartender

Potential career path: Restaurant manager or owner
Payrate: $13,085 – $47,298 / year

Bartending has the reputation of being a job without a future, one that’s for less ambitious people. However, this bad rap might not be deserved.

Bartending has a reputation for being an extremely fun job. On a good night, bartenders are the center of a roomful of people who are having a great time. Better yet, a position is easy to get with a variety of restaurants and bars available in almost every city and town.

At the same time, bartending has the reputation of being a job without a future, one that’s for less ambitious people. However, this bad rap might not be deserved. In addition to providing a career with a flexible schedule, bartenders with strong people skills can command a larger salary and tips that rival the salary in many other jobs. Truly great bartenders can also advance to restaurant management or own their own location.

Real estate agent

Potential career path: Growth in property size and/or becoming an agency owner
Pay rate: $30,303 – $227,211

If you’re the type of person that loves to look around other people’s homes and frequently pages through home and garden magazines, you might be a good fit for a career in real estate. Real estate agents need to have a strong command of figures and be comfortable dealing with contracts or other business details. They also need to have great communication skills and be great at following up with details.

If you’re looking at a career in real estate, you’ll need to learn the details of the job and obtain a license. You also may want to consider starting out by working in an agency setting or serving as an assistant to someone with more experience. Once you become competent in the job, your income can grow just as quickly as your skills and referral network does.

One consideration about this career, however, is that business can be very cyclical. Be aware that sometimes lots of deals happen, and other times sales are slow. While there’s not a lot you can do to even things out, maintaining a strong referral network can help.

Police officer or firefighter

Potential career path: Management hierarchy within the department
Pay rates: Depends on the city, but positions have been known to start in the mid – $50,000 range

Two police officers looking at a phoneTwo police officers looking at a phone
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Police officers and firefighters are some of the most important workers in the community. They put their lives on the line to keep residents safe, perform lifesaving rescues, and address dangerous situations including fires, traffic accidents, and other crises.

You don’t necessarily have to have any experience to apply for one of these jobs. You do need to be above a certain age, meet specific mental and physical health/fitness requirements, and likely pass a background check. If you are accepted, you’ll be put through a rigorous training program that both tests your abilities and prepares you for the job. Once you succeed and are placed in a department, opportunities can continue as you demonstrate skills, experience, and leadership.

Other roles in police and fire departments

Potential career path: Management
Pay rates: Generally above $15/hour but may according to the job and the geographic location of the department.

Modern fire and police departments are structured differently than they were in the past. In some cities, they are known as the public safety departments and they may be managed collectively, as a pair of operations. They also house jobs that extend beyond their traditional functions where the synergies between the functions work well together.

Examples of these kinds of jobs include 911 operators that are paired with police departments and EMTs / paramedics that are paired with fire departments. Like their better-known counterparts, people without prior experience also may be able to obtain these jobs. If you want to do this and you’re hired, you can undergo on the job training to build your competencies.

Preschool care worker, substitute teacher or class aide

Potential career path: School educator, administrator, principal, or daycare center owner
Pay rates: Generally start at $12/hour. Pay will vary based on the school district

These jobs can be a great way to test out if a professional life in the classroom is right for you.

There are a lot of ways for people who love working with children to obtain employment without experience. If they love working with younger kids, preschool settings are often looking for care workers to staff classrooms. These workers play a key role in helping with early childhood development that’s been linked to better academic achievement later in life. If this turns out to be a calling for you, career paths can evolve into becoming the owner of a preschool, or working as part of a preschool at a larger school district. Be aware that at higher levels, you will be required to obtain certifications and additional training.

If you’d rather work in the K-12 setting, there are a number of classroom opportunities as a substitute teacher or classroom aide (paraprofessional). While a background check is required, prior experience is preferred but not mandatory. These jobs can be a great way to test out if a professional life in the classroom is right for you. If so, further education is required, but your prior experience will be appreciated.

Entry-level electric lineworker

Potential career path: Higher-level line worker responsibility, electric utility management
Pay rates: Generally start at $15 – $18 / hour based on the utility

If you are hired for the job, you’ll need to demonstrate the physical capability to do the job including lifting and climbing power poles. Those with a fear of heights probably shouldn’t apply!

There’s a reason that the lights in your city or town stay on reliably — your electric line worker is doing their job. They understand the details of how your power system works and can climb the poles or make the repairs if there’s a problem.

This work can often come with a high degree of physical risk, and there are rigorous training standards involved before someone is allowed the job. However, entry-level versions of this position can be obtained without prior experience. The position is often seen as an educational job, where employees graduate through a range of ranked positions as they learn what to do. If you are hired for the job, you’ll need to demonstrate the physical capability to do the job including lifting and climbing power poles. Those with a fear of heights probably shouldn’t apply!

Utility meter reader / meter tech

Potential career path: Utility management 
Pay rates: Generally start at $14 / hour based on the utility

If you’re looking for a job that’s as far away from an office job as you can get, a meter reader job might be for you. These individuals walk through their designated territories, collecting information on water and electric meters at homes and businesses. Throughout each day, folks in these positions are known to get their exercise! They also need to be prepared to work in extremely hot, wet, or cold conditions.

These positions, which can be trained on the job, play one of the most basic roles at utility companies and are highly valued. As they learn more about the job, meter techs may also be tasked with responding to requests for customer service calls on broken meters or helping to resolve disputes about utility bill amounts. With experience, employees can become more management-oriented and can possibly work in their utility billing or customer service departments.

18-Wheel truck driver

Potential career path: Trucking management or company owner
Pay rates: $27,528 – 67,393

Truck driving offers a lot of autonomy and a degree of freedom that may be perfect for individuals who don’t want to spend their time in an office. It is also surprisingly lucrative, perhaps to compensate for extensive drives and long periods away from home.

To do this job, you’ll need to pass a background and drug test, be trained on how to operate the vehicle and get your commercial driver’s license. Once you’ve done these things, you can start to work. If you find that the job suits you, it is possible to work your way into positions that offer bonuses and other rewards. You can eventually work your way into management or find a way to own your own truck or company so that you can increase your earnings.

Library tech

Potential career path: Librarian and library management
Pay rates: $20,801 – $42,896 based on location

If you’re looking to be a library tech, it is important to have computer skills and a love of helping people.

This job could be a book lover’s or an information hound’s dream. As the world of libraries evolves, library pages and techs are first-line workers in the library and perform duties of helping patrons and returning books, magazines, and other resources to their place. If you’re looking to do this job, it is important to have computer skills and a love of helping people. You also may be asked to help at community events within the library if they’re short on staff.

Driver

Potential career path: Can depend on the organization you’re driving for
Pay rates: Varies

This job category has the most variety of any of the positions on this list. In any community, there are a lot of driving opportunities available ranging from Lyft and Uber drivers to restaurant pick up drivers, taxi drivers, and school bus drivers.

What each of these jobs has in common is that they are relatively easy to obtain. Where they vary is the pay rate structure and the challenges associated with them. School bus drivers, for example, may have the stressful job of driving safely while managing large numbers of children. Rideshare drivers and taxi-drivers may not have the responsibility for young children, but they experience less regular working hours. Some of these positions may offer bonuses, others don’t.

The promotion potential for each of these jobs is as varied as the responsibilities. While some may lead to management, others may be more suitable as a way to earn money while looking for a different option with a better career path.

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