First Job Problems: Experience Required!

First Job Problems: Experience Required!

“I am looking for my first job, but all of the positions I find require 3-4 years experience! This is ridiculous!”

This is a common complaint that I have heard from many people entering the work force. As a new graduate, finding that job that matches your ambitions, academic emphasis and experience is getting tougher and tougher. With statistics from the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics showing that 13.5% of new graduates with bachelor degrees are unemployed and 20%+ are underemployed (due to lack of hours, overqualified, or seasonal employment), one case see where the frustration derives. When someone is nearing graduation or beginning to think of job prospects, I normally ask 3 questions to recalibrate the young grad
: What relevant work experience do you have? What positions are you looking at? What knowledge do you have of the job? These three questions have helped to guide career preparation and job searching prospects.

What relevant work experience do you have?

In a recent study by Adecco, a top recruiting firm, 66% of the hiring managers interviewed felt that new graduates are not prepared for the work force. When asked to further explain that answer, most responded that new graduates had a weak background and lacked basic, necessary skills. Although college provides one with a vast array of knowledge and skills, having relevant and applicable work experience outside of an academic setting is essential when trying to get that first job.

Internships, volunteer leadership, nonprofit experience, entrepreneurship endeavors, freelance work, group or organization leadership and competitions all count toward relevant work experience. You could be published periodically in your local periodical, leading a team of volunteers to raise X amount of dollars, instructing a cooking class, staring a photography company, competing in IT security design competitions, and interning in a field close to your major. All of those ways show leadership, potential, applicable knowledge, passion, passion and a unique experience to hiring managers. Hiring managers are looking for someone that did more than just graduate, they want someone who applied that knowledge, showed results, committed to the field/profession, led others, worked in teams and can transfer those skills to the open position.

If you did not get relevant work experience or applied yourself in extracurricular ways during your education, you have a high likelihood of falling into the underemployed category in order to get relevant work experience. With a lot of your career earning potential coming in the first 10 years of employment, I highly recommend getting as much relevant work experience as soon as possible.

What positions are you looking at?

With hiring rates only growing 2.1% year over year, according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, hiring managers and being more selective. So I ask, are you applying for a job which you meet the requirements and have relevant experience which is clearly displayed in your resume? This is a necessary and important question. Rejected applications due to not meeting qualifications and applying to every entry level position at a company are ways to surely kill your chances within a company.

Due to the demanding nature of hiring managers, job requirements are also advancing, in an attempt to weed out potential candidates. A study by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) found that 52% of the positions that were filled by new graduates this year did not require a degree last year. So I ask the question again, are you going for a position which showcases your aptitude and it is shown in your resume? For example, if you are going for a company that makes machinery - have you had experience building a car, working in a warehouse, worked with machinery, designed a robot or anything which would shows interests and sets you apart? For the highest chance for success you must be able to quantify and qualify your relevant work experience to differentiate and meet the requirements for the position.

What knowledge do you have of the job?

I want to be VP of Technology at Google, but I don’t know anyone at Google, I don’t know how to code, I don’t have previous experience in the technology industry and I didn’t major in a relevant subject - I think my chances might be pretty slim. In searching for a position, one must know specific information about the targeted company, the nature of the job, nature of the work, and necessary skills/abilities to perform the position. This insight can be gained through informational interviews, online through company websites, online through reporting websites (ex.-glassdoor.com), industry publications, analyst reports, and a multitude of other sources. In gaining this knowledge, an applicant can target their resume better at a specific job using specific keywords and phrases, speak intelligently about their ambitions within the position or industry and format gain a support network to recommend an ideal or open position.

One must tell a story to an employer – through your resume, through your network, through your knowledge, and through your online profile. Your resume needs to portray a story that you are the ideal candidate and you have what it takes to succeed in this role. If you are being considered for a position and the recruiter notices that you already have a network within the company, work experience that aligns with expectations, relevant industry experience and other interest which show leadership, the odds are much better in getting past that wretched first screening process.

Be proactive and be cognizant. To get that first job you must ask the right questions to: prove experience, target the right job and show your depth knowledge.

-thePonderingNick