How to get into the trades with zero experience
Companies rarely hire for trade jobs without several years of experience, making it hard to know whether to attend trade school or keep searching for a helper position. This lack of a clear entry point leaves career-changers blindly applying to jobs and feeling like failures when they just want to work outside with their hands.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1seeking a helper job to get hands-on experience and earn money while learningDid this help you?
- 2enrolling in a trade schoolDid this help you?
- 3Applying to jobs anyway even when the listing states experience is requiredDid this help you?
- 4Showing up at businesses in person with a CV for a face-to-face conversationDid this help you?
- 5Seeking out basic helper or commercial weed-eating roles to get a foot in the doorDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I really want to work outside with my hands but literally NOWHERE hires without several years of experience. I dont know what to do so im just applying to things.”source ↗
“Im currently a shift lead at papa johns and i have 0 experience working outside. I just want a job that doesnt make me feel like a failure”source ↗
“I have 0 experience in the trades ive been working in management but i wanted to make a career change i feel old and bad abt this but im 24M.”source ↗
“What do u guys recommend? Should i go to trade school or should i try to get a helper job and how realistic is a helper job w 0 experience at all.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 5How do I actually start becoming an electrician with no experience?
- 77How to get an entry level job with no experience
- 28How to start a business with no industry experience
- 2Not getting any hands-on experience at my internship
- 13Is it normal to have no training or supervision on a new job?
- 2Paying for IT certifications without company sponsorship