Job hunting is excruciatingly difficult at the best of times. Before the stress of picking cute interview outfits and figuring out our strengths and weaknesses even begins, you’ve got the whole mess of needing to craft a sweet resume.

Lordy, lordy, it’s tough. It’s even tougher if you haven’t actually held a grown up job before. As the sad truth goes: you need experience to get experience to get experience. Ugh.

If you’re struggling with what how to approach this whole thing when your resume lists next to nothing, never fear. Help is here.

#1 Think About What You Have Done, Not What You Haven’t

It’s good to start this whole process with a positive mindset. You might not have had a paying job before, but you have done a bunch of other stuff. Have you joined a uni society? Or spent a few days a week volunteering at an event? Fail that, are your marks really great? Talk about that!

We highly doubt you do nothing but binge watch TV all day – you got into uni after all! So think about the positive side of everything you’ve achieved.

#2 Speak To Someone Who Can Help You Realise Your Strengths

You might not be great at realising where your strengths are, but other people will be. Ask your parents, your mates or even your uni tutor to list out some things that are unique and positive about you. Then write them down and say, “Thanks!” because it’s good to take a compliment, OK?

If you’re worried about what you’re going to put on your resume, start it off with a quick paragraph about yourself playing up all of these nice things people have said about you.

#3 Be Persistent

Just because you might not get the job the first time, doesn’t mean you’re unfit for the workplace. You’re not doomed to an eternity of resume writing and sweaty interview handshakes. It just means that a particular job wasn’t for you.

Also, a good friend of mine always says that you don’t get a job you don’t apply for. Don’t talk yourself out of applying for stuff because you’ve been unsuccessful before. Just keep swimming.

#4 Use Your Networks

Surely you’ve got a uni mate who works at Michel’s Patisserie or part-time at a law firm? Ask them to let you know when something comes up. Or see if they can put a good word in for you so you’re considered for future opportunities. Never underestimate the power of personal recommendations.

#5 Entry Level Is Totally Fine

It might seem like a bit of a bummer to have all that education behind you and nothing but an shop assistant role to show for it. We get it. But it’s totally standard to enter at the bottom and work your way to the top – success takes time, and no high-flying CEO walked right into that role.

If you think all is doomed, just remember that Lauren Conrad was the worst intern of all time – and she worked at Teen Vogue for ages! Dreams can come true.

(Lead image: The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/Netflix)