I’ve recently seen a lot of activity in our Student Learning Community and on our Facebook page surrounding questions of how to get experience in your area of interest. Many of you have taken courses in your field of interest, read supplemental materials, and asked a lot of questions, but may be struggling to find work without any on-the-job experience. It’s the old Catch-22: can’t get a job without experience, and can’t get experience without a job.
Well luckily, a ‘job’ is a very loose term these days. Between volunteering, interning, being employed part-time or full-time, shadowing, apprenticeships and work experience, there are plenty of ways to gain the experience you may need to take the next step up in your career. If a formal job offer is eluding you, try work experience. Give it your all, ask a lot of questions, be innovative and enthusiastic, and you’ll likely impress your supervisors enough to at least remain in their top 10 candidates should a position become available.
If work experience isn’t right for you, how about volunteering? Offering your help for free, even part-time, is a great way to gain contacts, skills, confidence and a foot in the door. Not to mention your passion for the industry will be obvious – a characteristic any employer will be delighted to see. Loads of formal positions are filled by former volunteers. They already know the work, the team, the processes and procedures, which means the employer spends less time and money on training and waiting for the new guy/gal to get through the learning curve.
There are countless avenues to reach your career goal. Be positive, inventive, courageous and persistent. If you want it that bad, you’ll find a way to get it.
Nice blog. Now, with the crisis, it’s hard to find jobs even when you possess experience. lol. Volunteering might mean expenses like for traveling (via car, bus, train..), not easy.. Many are struggling and I wish all good luck in the job hunt. I agree with Josie, to stay positive and persistent. All the best!
nice blog, i have been asking questions about apprenticeship, voluntering and work experience, some nice kind words given and will take into consideration.
I think this would work for some career options but not others, for example I don’t think you’d be allowed to shadow a Psychologist or therapist due to patient confidnetiality and Data protection, I wonder how one gains experience in these fields? Other fields though it’s certainly worth exploring, I found when I was first job hunting that jobs wanted experience, but like you say, how can we get experience if you wont employ us? Lucky enough I found myself on an apprentiship and never looked back 🙂
Great blog and pointers!
In beauty offering free makeovers/spray tans etc can gain valuable experience and clients!