How to Find a Job With No Experience: A Guide for Indigenous Youth

No experience is where everyone starts, and employers know it. What they are actually looking for in a first-time applicant is reliability, willingness to learn, and proof that you show up. Here is how to get hired for your first job as a First Nations, Metis, or Inuit young person, step by step.

Start with what you already have

You have more experience than you think. Helping raise siblings, caring for Elders, hunting and fishing, volunteering at community events, coaching younger kids, seasonal labour: all of it counts as experience when you describe it plainly on a resume. "Helped run the community feast" becomes "Assisted with food preparation and serving for a 200-person community event." Both are true. The second one gets interviews.

Target jobs that hire first-timers

Some doors open easier than others. Food service, retail, cleaning, warehouse work, general labour, and care work hire for attitude and train for skill. Many pay better than people assume, and postings on Aboriginal Hire show the wage upfront so you know before you apply. Browse food service openings or construction jobs to see what employers near you actually pay.

Get the free tickets that jump the line

A few certificates make a no-experience application stand out immediately: first aid, food safe, and WHMIS are cheap or free in many communities, and your local friendship centre or ISET employment office can often fund them. One afternoon of training can be the difference on a stack of applications.

Make a real resume in fifteen minutes

Even for entry-level jobs, a clean one-page resume beats a blank application. The free resume builder walks you through it with prompts and gives you a professional PDF. No account, no cost.

Apply in volume, follow up once

First jobs are a numbers game. Apply to ten postings, not two. If you have not heard back in a week and the employer is local, one polite follow-up shows exactly the reliability they are hiring for.

Common questions

What if I do not have references?

Teachers, coaches, Elders you have helped, and program coordinators all count. Ask them first and make sure their number is current.

Is it free to apply on Aboriginal Hire?

Yes. Searching, applying, and the resume builder are all free for job seekers, and every employer posting here chose to reach Indigenous applicants.