The catch-22 of entry-level IT: jobs want experience, but you can’t get experience without a job. Here’s how to break out of it.
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The Reality Check First
Getting your first IT job takes longer than you expect and involves more rejection than feels fair. This is normal. It’s not a sign you’re doing it wrong or that you’re not cut out for it. The volume of applications required to get one offer is discouraging, and most of the advice online underplays this.
Set a realistic expectation: if you’re applying consistently and doing the right things, 3-6 months from “actively looking” to “first offer” is typical. Can be faster with the right luck and network. Can be longer without them.
The Routes That Actually Work
1. Apprenticeships
The most overlooked route. You get paid while you train. You get real experience. You have employer backing. You build a network from inside an organisation.
The downsides: the pay is low, the training component varies in quality, and you don’t get to choose what you work on.
For people without a degree or prior experience, an apprenticeship is often the fastest route to sustainable employment in IT. Search: IT apprenticeship [your city] on GOV.UK Find an Apprenticeship and LinkedIn.
2. Helpdesk/1st Line
Every IT department has a helpdesk. The work is unglamorous — resetting passwords, fixing printers, walking users through problems they’ve already googled. But it gives you exposure to real environments, and helpdesk roles are the entry point for almost every technical specialism if you push in the right direction.
The mindset to have: it’s a temporary position, not a career. 12-18 months, learn everything you can, move on. The mistake people make is treating it as an endpoint.
3. IT Technician Roles (MSPs)
Managed Service Providers are companies that run IT infrastructure for other businesses. They hire junior technicians at entry level, and the exposure is broad — you’ll work across multiple different client environments, see a huge variety of technology, and build skills fast.
The downsides: pay is often on the lower end, the work can be reactive and stressful, and progression depends heavily on the specific MSP. But as a first job, the skills accumulation is faster than most other routes.
Making Your Application Stand Out
Build something you can point to
A home lab. A TryHackMe profile with completed rooms. A GitHub with scripts you’ve written. Anything that shows you’ve engaged with technology beyond reading about it.
This matters more than most people think. An application with “I’ve built a home lab, here’s what I’ve learned” gets more attention than the same application without it.
Tailor your applications
Generic CVs perform badly. Read the job description. Mirror the language they use. Specifically address the requirements they’ve listed. Five tailored applications a week will outperform fifty generic ones.
Get LinkedIn right
A complete LinkedIn profile with a real photo, accurate job history, and a brief bio that says what you’re looking for. Connect with people at companies you’re targeting. Engage with posts from people in roles you want.
Don’t spam recruiters with generic connection requests. Actually engage with content. Comment with something worth saying. Recruiters notice this.
Use recruiters for what they’re good at
Specialist IT recruitment agencies (Computer Futures, Hays Technology, Modis) have relationships with employers you won’t find on job boards. Send your CV to a few, have the call, be clear about what you’re looking for.
They’re commercially motivated to place you, which aligns with your interests. Use that. Don’t rely on them exclusively — they won’t always have the right roles — but don’t ignore them either.
The Certification Minimum
Before you start applying seriously, have at least one cert. CompTIA A+ or Network+ for helpdesk roles. Security+ if you’re targeting security. AZ-900 if you want cloud.
It’s not that one cert will get you the job — it’s that having none signals you haven’t engaged with learning in a structured way. The cert is evidence of effort and baseline knowledge.
What to Say in Interviews
Entry-level interviews are mostly about attitude, learning ability, and cultural fit. The interviewers know you don’t have experience — they hired you for potential.
What they’re actually evaluating:
- Can you communicate clearly and honestly?
- Do you show curiosity and initiative?
- When you don’t know something, do you admit it or bluff?
- Do you seem like someone people will want to work with?
Prepare examples for: a time you solved a problem independently, a time you had to learn something quickly, a time something didn’t go to plan and how you handled it.
The Part About Rejection
You will apply to things you don’t hear back from. You will have interviews that don’t lead anywhere. This is not a personal judgement — it’s a numbers game complicated by timing, internal candidates, and hiring managers changing their minds.
Keep a record of what you’ve applied to and the outcome. Review it monthly. If you’re not getting interview invites, the CV needs work. If you’re getting interviews but not offers, the interview needs work. Identify the bottleneck.
The first job is the hardest. After that, the experience opens doors.