In our MBA career search over the last two years, my fellow MBAs and I have encountered a number of career fields that appear “closed” to those without previous experience in those fields.

I have personally faced this Catch-22 in my pursuit of brand management opportunities.  At both career fairs and in interviews, I came across many employers and recruiters seeking prospective brand managers who would only seriously consider individuals with previous brand management experience.

This left me seeking an answer to a question that has stumped many MBAs:  How do you acquire the initial experience necessary to successfully pursue more opportunities in a specific career field when no one will give you the opportunity to gain that initial experience?

While there is not one answer to this question and while I am not an “expert,” here are some ways that helped me to beat this Catch-22:

• Review the job descriptions for current job postings and identify those skills etc. that overlap with your own. Highlight these in your resume, cover letter, interviews, LinkedIn profile etc.
• Find contacts in companies/industries of interest and request informational interviews. Ask questions about the industry, company, culture and their career. This will not only help you learn enough to be “dangerous” in future interviews and conversations, but also starts discussions about pursuing careers in that field.
• Ask these individuals how they got their “foot in the door” in the industry/field and what advice they might share with you on how to effectively do so. This can lead to you and your contacts finding common ground and more career networking opportunities and potential future job interviews.
• Touch base with them every few weeks. This refreshes your name in their minds when new opportunities become available. In addition, if you apply to specific positions posted by their company, let them know and they may help you.