As a career advisor, one of the most common questions I hear from students is: “How do I get experience if I don’t have any?”
Starting your career journey can feel impossible when every job asks for experience. It’s a tough position to be in, but we help students close this gap all the time. Here are four practical ways to start turning your college experience into career experience.
Four Ways to Start Gaining Experience Today:
1. Take a training through the Professional Edge program
Professional Edge is an industry-informed collection of programs designed to help students develop cutting-edge skills essential for today’s job market.
Through hands-on trainings and project-based immersions, you will learn in-demand skills like Power BI, Tableau, project management, and business communication. These experiences are impressive ways to enhance your resume and are offered free to all UO students. Plus, you’ll earn digital badges to showcase your experience and stand out to employers.
Learn more about Professional Edge and enroll in an upcoming training today.
2. Attend career events
Career fairs, networking nights, and employer meetups are happening all term long. Even if you’re not actively job searching, attending these events helps you practice professional communication, learn about industries, and make early connections that can lead to future opportunities. Check out our recent blog post with all of our upcoming career events this fall.
Don’t forget to join these campus-wide career fairs, too:
- UO Fall Part-Time Job & Work-Study Fair 2025 on October 9
- UO Fall Career & Internship Expo 2025 on October 23
3. Get involved with student clubs and organizations
Joining a business-related student organization is one of the easiest ways to gain leadership, learn teamwork, and develop event planning experience. Whether you’re helping organize a speaking panel or managing a club’s social media account, you’re building valuable, transferrable skills that recruiters and employers love.
Not sure where to start? Ask us! Or browse the list of Lundquist College of Business student clubs and organizations on our website.
4. Explore virtual job simulations with Forage
A great way to test out a job you might be interested in is through virtual job simulations with the Forage platform. Through Forage, you can complete virtual work experiences created by top companies like Accenture, JPMorgan Chase, KPMG, BCG, and EY that replicate work at top companies and help you gain the skills to be successful when applying and working there. In just a few hours, you can learn what it’s like to work in tax accounting, commercial real estate sales, data visualization, or a variety of other fields.
They are 100% free, open-access, and self-paced. No experience or application is required. These experiences are a great way to explore career paths and see what might be a good fit.
Need Help Getting Started?
Book a one-on-one appointment with our career coaches through Handshake or stop by Lillis 155. We’ll help you identify experiences that align with your goals and help you articulate them on your resume and in your interviews.
Experience doesn’t always come with a job title. It comes from showing up, trying new things, and learning along the way. Feel free to check out our resource Checklist: Early Path to Success for more guidance.
