In every interview I’ve been in, on either side of the table, someone has asked about the candidate’s leadership and management experience. Why is this such a popular question? Well, two primary reasons. First, most managers don’t want to spend their whole day telling their new employees what to do. They need someone who is a self starter who will figure things out on their own.

Second, almost every job will require the employee to be responsible for projects or people. Interviewers want to hear that you’ve had a positive track record and won’t drop the ball.

But this is a vicious cycle. If everyone wants to see management experience on the résumé, but won’t give you a chance if you haven’t done it before, it’s hard to get started.

But not that hard. Here are some ideas of how you can get some leadership experience on your résumé, without actually being in a management role.

1. Try something new. For several years all of the other tech companies looked to Apple as a leader because they broke new ground with the iPhone. Your new project doesn’t have to be big. Come up with a new idea. Try it out. Tell a few people about it.
2. Volunteer for a new assignment. Go find a busy person who has too much to do. Volunteer to take something on for them. This might take a few tries. Don’t give up. When they do give you something, get it done as soon as possible and report back. Do it right and you’ll become their goto guy or gal.
3. Go to a meeting prepared. Most meetings I go to, most people haven’t prepared anything because they just came from something else. If you actually go in with a printed list of ideas and pass them around, you control the meeting. You are the leader.
4. Hire some help. The best place to start is an intern or part-time employee. Because they are brand new, they will look to you as the leader.
5. Do regular one-on-one meetings. Meet with your new employee every week or two for 30 minutes. Talk through any questions they may have. Take time to mentor them and help them understand possible career paths.
6. Read a book. There are a lot of great books out there about leadership. Try It’s Your Ship, Great by Choice, or the Five Levels of Leadership. Find a few ideas in the book that you can put into practice and try them out. Tell a few people about it.
7. Take a class. This one takes the most time. It takes a lot of work to complete an MBA or similar degree but it opens a lot of additional possibilities for your career. People will be more likely to trust you with leadership assignments.

This isn’t a comprehensive list, but it’s a start. If you would like to talk about some leadership ideas for your particular situation, let’s get in touch.