Where do you get experience without having some?

This is the age old question: How do you get hired to get on-the-job experience if you
don't already have on-the-job experience?

There is no simple answer to this, but using myself as an example, you can create
a scenario that works for you and your specific situation.

When I was first starting out, I really wanted to work in the film industry as a visual effects
artist. I knew (rather intuitively, being the smart guy I am) that NO ONE was going to
hire me to work on huge feature film visual effects movies with no experience.

My dilemma:

How would I go about getting that experience if no one would give me a chance?

My answer:

Find people doing the types of films you want to do at a respectable, but smaller level,
and convince them that you can do something they cannot afford to do, but if they pay
you to do it, then they can afford it. Sounds simple. Too simple.

It's not like once I figured this out someone went "Oh, OK, you are hired!"

But there is one part to this that I am leaving out. You have to actually be able to
back up what you say you can do. And show them you can.

How do you do this, you ask? By learning how and doing something LIKE IT.

Do it on your own. Make mistakes. Learn for free (free for them, not you).

Do your homework, and read about how things like you want to do get done,
and try it out. Today's technology means that almost anyone can attempt to create
visual effects like those seen in the movies, for very little money. The effect doesn't have
to be a perfect a match, just good enough to convince them that you can come close
on your own, and that, with their guidance, and all the money they are saving by
hiring YOU to do the effect, you can get them something that will let them tell their
story the way they wanted to, but couldn't afford to.

In my life, I HOUNDED Roger Corman's company. It was when morphing was still
kind of "hot", and not everyone could do a morph on their cellphone.

I hounded (politely) until one day, when they had a need for some morphs, the only guy
they know who could do these "wiz-bang" effects they wanted was me. They called me,
and that very day, started my entire career.