EXPERIENCE – A CATCH 22
Ok, so now you’re looking for a job. You’ve got your CV ready, you’ve applied for job vacancies, you go to the interview and then you are turned down for “lack of experience.”
“Lack of experience,” is the number one reason a young person is turned down for a job role.
How is a person meant to gain experience in the workplace if they are not given the chance or opportunity to prove themselves?
Now, more than ever, there is more and more competition in the workplace, meaning the need to promote yourself has become increasingly important.Employers are looking for individuals who stand out above the rest. All people have skills and strengths that can benefit and bring fresh ideas and inputs to employers and their businesses. Don’t be afraid to put yourself forward.
Here is some advice on how to get ahead:
1. Pre Interview Prep – make sure you are clued up to the job role you are applying for, read the job description and make sure you understand what is expected of you. Do some research on the employer/company, check out their website, and find out what they offer and who their clients are. Having a clear understanding of the type of business and the role you are applying for will help prepare you for any questions the interviewer might ask.
2. Experience – What or where do you have experience? Remember life is full of experiences, draw on these experiences and life lessons learnt and use them to guide and promote you in the workplace. Asking the advice of other can also be beneficial to your progression.
3. Climbing the ladder - Understand that in order to get the job role you truly dream of and want, you might at first have to prove your competence in performing basic tasks. Everybody has to start somewhere and no matter how easy or small a job can be it’s the effort you put into it that counts.
4. Be Hungry For More – use your initiative; show your employer you want more responsibility and that you are keen and willing to learn. This will prove you are a capable, dedicated, ambitious person who is willing to pitch in and go the extra mile. The more an employer sees this drive, the more likely to promote you in the future and see you as a valuable member of the team.
5. Respect – A good way to show you are a dedicated responsible employee is to make sure you are on time for work and you have made an effort with your appearance. Communicating with co workers and clients and people in general, in a polite and respectful manner is a vital skill you can demonstrate continually.
6. Invest in yourself – Try to use any extra time you have to increase or sharpen your job skills. There are lots of free ways to do this; free courses in computing; touch typing, Basic English and maths, self teaching books. You could volunteer for programmes and organisations that either interest you or the company you work/or would like to work for. The more an employer sees you take your own initiative, to improve yourself through training, the better chance they will invest in you.
7. Be confident – Being confident in who you are, where you come from and what you have to offer is your unique selling point. Don’t shy away from showing your true self and realise what you have to bring to the table can be an asset. Be yourself. Career Coaching can help you whether you're thinking of changing career direction, wanting to climb the ladder or simply want to figure out what career you really want to pursue.
Click here for more information on Career Coaching or call us on 0203 3030 0468.
Article by Rachel Suckle
