How to Find the Right Entry Level Job for You

That's the question.

Whether you’re a recent college graduate or hoping to start a new career, it can be challenging to find entry-level jobs—especially when it seems like most job descriptions require a certain amount of experience. In fact, one analysis found that 35% of job postings on LinkedIn asked for five years of prior relevant work experience. 

How are hopeful new hires and recent graduates supposed to find their first job and meet the expectation of having five years of experience under their belts? What if you have a high school diploma without other higher education? 

There are always creative ways to show that your current skill set fits perfectly with the position you’re applying for, even if you never held that exact title. 

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Also, don’t be off-put if you feel like you’re not 100% qualified for the position. Women tend to apply for 20% fewer jobs than men because of qualification criteria. 

We’re always striving for more confidence, so shoot your shot! 

But first, let’s get down to the basics. 

What is an Entry-Level Job? 

An entry-level job is the starting point of a career and requires little to no job experience. Students fresh out of college often seek out entry-level positions because they are still in the learning phase of their career, and they help provide access to higher-level jobs down the line. 

Entry-level jobs are also a great way to learn how to communicate with coworkers, develop skills (like presenting and budget management), and discover new skills or areas of interest.

Additionally, you can network and make some really great contacts that will last for years—people you call on when you need a reference for a future role! 

Different Types of Entry-Level Jobs

Not all entry-level jobs are the same, sometimes making your search for a job feel frustrating. Here are a few descriptions to help you navigate job postings.

Entry-level Positions

A “true” entry-level job often requires a bachelor's degree in addition to internship experience. These jobs can usually be found in marketing, healthcare, law, consulting, and finance. 

"Professional Experience Required” Entry-Level Jobs 

These kinds of jobs typically require one to three years of professional experience in the industry or field. When you see this on a job posting, the employer is likely trying to decrease onboarding time so their new hire can start helping as soon as possible—without any job training. We're not saying this is sort of a red flag, but we're not not saying it, either. 

“Degree Not Required” Entry-Level Jobs 

These jobs do not require a college degree to apply and can be found mostly in the hospitality, administrative, real estate, and sales industries. 

Where to Find Your First Job

It can feel overwhelming to start looking for your first entry-level job, but it doesn’t have to actually be that way. If you are ready to kick off your job search, there are a few things that you need to nail down first. 

What industry do you want to work in? 

Whether it’s fashion, pharmaceuticals, technology, or finance, it’s helpful to choose one or two industries in which you have existing expertise or you’re interested in learning. Of course, you can always switch industries throughout your career, but building a skillset in one industry will make you stand out from other applicants further along in your career. 

What are your stand-out skills? 

Even though you're looking for your first entry-level job, that doesn’t mean you haven’t already developed key skills. For example, if you were the president of a club in college, that means you have leadership, organizational, and maybe even negotiation skills.

Or, if you were a lead cashier at a frozen yogurt chain, you might have some bookkeeping skills that you could add to your resume. Taking stock of your current skills will help you navigate all types of job descriptions.

Additionally, not having a degree doesn't necessarily count you out of the running. Increasingly, companies are loosening their requirements for higher education in favor of relevant coursework completed or for a strong grasp on specific skills. This is especially true in the ever-changing technology landscape. 

What are your long-term career goals? 

Hear me out. I’m not saying that you have to have everything figured out the minute you graduate. And it’s likely that your career goals will change! But, it’s helpful to narrow down what entry-level jobs you want to apply for if you have a general idea of your career trajectory.

If you know that you’d like to be a communications manager in a few years, then you would look for communications coordinator jobs. If you want to eventually be a project manager, be on the lookout for project assistant or project coordinator jobs. 

What is your desired salary?

Knowing your desired salary—and being aware of general starting salaries in the field of your choice—will help steer you in the right direction when looking for jobs. And, it will also help you negotiate later down the line once you get an offer! 

Speaking of figuring out your desired salary, read on for tips about how to gauge how much you’d like to make in your entry-level job. 

How to Research Starting Salaries in Your Desired Industry 

Before you start interviewing, make sure to take a look at the current starting salaries for positions you are interested in. Payscale.com is a great place to start, and you can make a free account so that you can look at average salaries and arm yourself with knowledge before an interview. Alternatively, check out Glassdoor or consider speaking with someone in the industry.  

Something else to consider is where you want to live and the cost of living in that area or region. Especially with so many companies offering remote work, it’s important to do your research so you can vouch for yourself and your worth during negotiations. We've written a lot about salary—Check out these additional tools and resources to help determine your desired salary:

Now that you're ready with a number in mind, it's time to find that entry-level job. Below, you'll find a list of the best entry-level jobs that might spark some interest during your job search. 

High-Paying Entry-Level Jobs 

If you're looking to break your piggy bank wide open, these are some of the highest-earning entry-level positions to look out for. Unsurprisingly, many of these positions require a set of hard skills and expertise. 

The good news? Pretty much all of these skills can be self-taught and won't require formal schooling. 

Financial Analyst

At first look, you might think a financial analyst position requires years of experience—and some do! However, there are plenty of financial analyst jobs at all levels, including entry-level. 

If you are interested in the ins and outs of how businesses profit, you might want to consider becoming a financial analyst. It has great growth potential and can be a solid starting point for a long career in finance. 

Finally, women and BIPOC are vastly underrepresented in the financial sector as a whole. According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, women make up 41.6% of financial and investment analysts. 10.5% were Black or African American, 20.2% were Asian, and 10.2% were Latino or Hispanic.

Software Engineer

Software engineers are coveted at companies in every industry across the world. One of the more high-paying careers, a software engineer position means you'll research, design, and write new computer programs for companies. If this is a career path you’d like to pursue, you'll open yourself up to many different opportunities in the tech field. 

Data Scientist

Data scientists examine...data! But actually, they examine different questions and hypotheses and find out where to get the data to answer them. Typically, they will use data mining and machine learning to test algorithms and find potential solutions to business challenges. This role requires a lot of math skills, so it's great for people who tend to enjoy working with numbers.

Paralegal

If you’re obsessed with legal dramas, why not become a paralegal? That way, you can help lawyers prepare for hearings and trials. Also, if you choose this career path, it might even spark some interest in going to law school. 

Dental Hygienist

Interested in dentistry and maintaining oral health? This could be a great job for you. Just be sure to check out the requirements to get into the field, as they vary from place to place. There is a high demand for dental hygienists, so there are plenty of opportunities in most cities across the country. 

Flight Attendant

If you love people and travel, becoming a flight attendant might be a great option for you. They help passengers board planes and provide assistance as needed once the plan is in the air. Super bonus? You get discounts on flights. 

Management Consultant

This might sound like a vague job, but management consultants have very clear goals, such as identifying and solving complex business challenges and improving processes. As a consultant, you would also have the opportunity to work with a variety of companies which can help boost your resume for future jobs. 

Investment Associate

Investment associates provide investment recommendations to companies. If you're interested in the stock market, this position might interest you. 

Executive Assistant

Executive assistants are incredibly important and often provide support to executives in the C suite. If you are super organized and enjoy planning and managing schedules, this role could be a great fit for you. 

Field Engineer

Field engineer roles are often found in the construction industry. In this role, you'd manage entire projects—from inspections to design to directing crews on site.  

Process Engineer

Process engineers work in the background of the manufacturing industry to design, implement, and optimize processes and machinery. In a nutshell, it’s the end-to-end manufacturing of products. 

Real Estate Agent 

Real estate agents and other jobs in real estate are attractive to many entry-level employees because they don't require a bachelor's degree. They do, however, require a real estate license, which can be obtained affordably and within a six-month timeframe. There are many jobs in real estate, where entry-level candidates can combine other skills and expertise with real estate credentials. 

Entry-Level Remote Jobs 

If you're looking for a job that can be done from the comforts of your own home, you're not alone. Here are some of the most popular work-from-home entry-level jobs. 

Graphic Designer

If you’re obsessed with social media ads and images, graphic design might be a great career path for you. In this role, you help communicate through visuals like advertisements, infographics, reports, and more.

Graphic designers use software like Adobe Photoshop, Canva, and Adobe InDesign—so if you've used any of those in the past and you are applying to graphic designer jobs, make sure to add that to your resume. 

Social Media Manager

It’s time to put your Instagram and Tik Tok scrolling to good use! As a social media manager, you can help companies and brands create campaigns that resonate with audiences. Social media is a fun career path because there are always new platforms to learn and opportunities for creativity.   

Customer Service Representative

If you like interacting with people and believe that customers should always come first, consider becoming a customer service representative. The best part? Most of these roles can be done from home. Additionally, you'll learn a lot of transferable skills that can carry over to other roles, such as sales and marketing. 

Sales Representative

Sales representative positions are aplenty! This is a great entry-level job to learn how to sell products or services for a company, and it opens you up to a variety of industries that might interest you in the future. 

Marketing Associate

As a marketing associate, you take data that has been collected via surveys and focus groups and help create campaigns that will resonate with certain audiences. Marketing requires a combination of creative and analytical skills and offers lots of room for growth. 

Copywriter

If you enjoy writing and are clever with words, copywriting could be a great career for you. Day to day, copywriters are tasked with writing succinct and creative copy for ads, marketing materials, and websites—for virtually any audience and any industry.

IT Technician  

If you know more about fixing computer problems than the tried and true “reboot your computer,” you should consider becoming an IT technician. In this role, technicians install and fix computer systems and other platforms that companies typically use. 

Web Developer

If you are interested in coding, HTML, and aesthetically pleasing websites, then this role may be of interest to you. Web developers create (and sometimes maintain) websites, including performance and traffic capacity. 

User Experience Designer

User experience designers look at digital applications from the user’s perspective to ensure that it’s a seamless experience. Not only does this position provide plenty of opportunities for growth, Forbes also ranked it as the second-best job for work-life balance. 

Talent Acquisition Specialist

This entry-level role can be extremely rewarding, especially if you enjoy networking. As a talent acquisition specialist, you would be in charge of finding top candidates for different roles. In this position, you'll learn skills that will set you up for a career in human resources. 

Tutor

If you enjoy working with children and are skilled in a certain subject, tutoring can be a great entry-level career choice. With tutoring, you can usually create your own schedule, so there’s a lot of flexibility in this entry-level job. 

Project Coordinator 

If you color-code your calendar and have very detailed to-do lists, this job might be a great fit for you. Project managers facilitate day-to-day tasks for projects within a company and are responsible for bringing in key stakeholders. As a project coordinator, you have the opportunity to become a project manager in the future, which is a very lucrative career that's needed across all industries.   

Public Relations Associate

Oftentimes, if you see a brand featured in a magazine or on a news website, that is the work of a PR associate. In this role, you'll develop relationships with journalists and media outlets to get coverage for your clients. If you're interested in a fast-paced career, PR could be a great fit for you. 

HR Coordinator

There are many aspects of a human resources department, but if recruiting or talent development is of interest to you, HR coordinator positions might be a good option. They also offer great opportunities for career growth.