Experience: the Catch 22 of job hunting

When it comes to job hunting there’s one element that frustrates and angers me the most – to the extent that I sometimes feel like jeopardising the occasional interview just to get it off my chest – and that’s the issue of experience.

Photo by amenclincsphotos via Flickr

In the current economic climate experience is prized for two reasons: one, it means that the company doesn't have to train you, nurture you or invest any more money and time in you than is absolutely necessary to make sure you understand the role and two, with the amount of redundancies being instituted across the spectrum of industries, there are an awful lot of experienced candidates out there. Now, in all fairness, you can’t blame companies for this, however it leaves new arrivals to the job market with their very own catch 22: can’t get a job without experience, can’t get experience without a job. 

This is less of a problem if you’re going down the corporate graduate scheme route (although you may still be surprised by the weighting that is given to summer jobs and internships and the expectation that you will have experience of one or the other). If you want to get into any kind of less mainstream career however, the job hunter’s catch 22 can leave you feeling like you’re staring through a glass door that you can’t get through because you don’t have a key – you can see where you want to be, you just don’t have the means to get there.

The unspoken message that companies are sending of course is that you need to get the experience you need in some other way than formalised employment – usually by working for free. It’s unfair, unfeasible for many and ultimately doesn’t do businesses any favours in the long run but these days most graduates without vocational career pathways are resigned to either doing the unpaid legwork, approaching their desired career in an extremely roundabout manner or giving up on it completely.

Unfortunately there isn't a never before heard solution or lifehack for dealing with this problem – if there was, believe me, I would spread the love. However, I do have some ways of dealing with this conundrum that might make the application process a bit easier.

Do the internship but minimise the damage.

Obviously not everybody is able to work for free or has guaranteed parental accommodation but there are strategies for handling the internship to minimise its negative impact on your life. A short-term internship that pays expenses is one option – it doesn’t cost you anything and it can get you on to the next step of your career journey. Alternatively you may be able to work out a part-time internship alongside another, less ideal, job. If you can’t manage a long term internship, at the very least try to get a few days work experience or shadowing in the industry of your choice – anything you can do to inch your CV up the pile makes a difference.

Give them something else they want

Although experience is prized by employers there are other skills and qualifications that you can develop that they may find sufficiently valuable to make up the difference on your CV. Languages are a good example – Spanish, German, Arabic, Chinese and Italian are frequently sought after by employers and there are often adult education classes run by your local authority that are discounted for those not in employment.  Another option is to develop your computer skills – but in a specific area. Everyone is good at MS Office but if you can demonstrate database management skills, knowledge of coding, web design expertise or graphic design abilities you can increase your on paper value to the companies you’re applying to.

Use the power of networking

The adage that it’s not what you know it’s who you know remains true even in 2014 so it’s worth examining your contacts for common ground with your interviewer or the company you’re applying to. If you can manage an informal introduction or meeting with someone before you present yourself formally they will have a face to put with the application – and it’s much harder to reject someone out of hand if they’ve already bought you coffee. Similarly, if you’ve been to the same university as the person in charge of the recruiting or you used to work at the same company or you even support the same football team then you are presenting yourself as someone familiar rather than a complete stranger and they are less likely to focus on your lack of experience if you have a common ground to discuss. Most positions are won or lost face to face, so if you get to that stage, any advantage is crucial. Attending industry events or conferences is another way to build up these connections – even if you don’t manage to meet the people you want to, just being able to talk about the event in cover letters and interviews will put you further up the shortlist.

Obviously, there’s no guarantee that following these paths with guarantee you success but your chances will increase and – most importantly – you will be actively involved in improving your changes rather than feeling increasingly impotent and resentful with every rejection and sometimes attitude is half the battle. Read here for more tips on dealing with rejection proactively.

Finding Your Silver Lining

 Hannah is a friend from university, one of the first to take the scary steps into the adult world. I asked her to write us a post about her experiences over the last year to show people how uncertainty and changing your mind can be extremely positive forces sometimes. She is an extremely talented writer so I hope you all enjoy this post!

So I’ve got a degree, quite a good one actually- I am a Cambridge Graduate. But I didn’t spend my summers selling my soul to Deloitte, or working for free at a top law firm, or anything particularly useful. I think of myself as a creative, socially aware sort of person and I certainly don’t want my person to be defined by my degree and the university I attended. So what do I do with that degree?

When I was in my final year of university I decided that I would put off all the life-changing career decisions and do a Masters in Material and Visual Culture at UCL. I got the place, and had the enthusiasm to give it a good shot. I found two good friends to live with and a cheap flat on a council estate in Clapham. I thought I was sorted.

Then I had the induction day for the course and had a realisation, as it turned out, the first of many. I didn’t want to do all that work, all that reading and pointless study and discussion. Not after three years already. So I gave that up after quite a few tears and a long discussion with my mum.

Next step... being bored and poor in London, which isn’t fun at all. I felt isolated, lost, a fish out of water. In London you have to fight to feel welcome, fight to turn the daily grind, the grime and the distance into a meaningful experience. And I didn’t have the inclination or the money to take arms.

I looked at the career options for those with a degree in Social Anthropology. PR and Marketing were quite near the top of that list so I thought I’d give that a go, I talked myself into it and really thought I’d be alright at it. I’d wear a pink pencil skirt and Topshop heels to work, buy a Starbuck skinny latte at lunch and join a yoga class. So I went to a recruitment firm that could find me an internship and ended up joining a small private tuition company as an intern. Supposedly I was their ‘marketing’ executive and they would be giving me a job in 3 months if I was any good. It turned out I was free labour; the latest of many interns. The company consisted of two people who shared a unit on with a chap starting his own company producing and selling organic ketchup. And they were running out of money.  

Then it was October. My Nan had a severe stroke. I didn’t want to be in London, I wanted to be at home with her. So I left within hours of it happening. This wasn’t a decision I had to think through; my Nan had lived with me and my parents at home for 7 years and she was more important to me that anything else in that moment. I visited her in hospital every day.

But this horrible shock made me question my career path. I talked to the nurses and got to know the people on the ward, and knew that I didn’t want to be stuck in an office or working with stuffed shirts. I needed to do something useful, to be part of a community that shared my principles. So while I was at home I volunteered at a primary school. Just to see if I liked it, which I did.  I went back up to London with my parents and moved out officially. I’m not usually the sort of person who makes off the cuff decisions, but at the time I just needed to get out.

On Boxing Day my Nan died in hospital. The teacher I was working with at school bought me some daffodils growing in a pot to cheer me up. Everyone was so supportive, and I felt I had found my place at last. I decided to stay. And then the school agreed to have me there to do the Graduate Training Programme to become a teacher. I’d just like to add that this is not the easy option. The school is in a tough area, the children are far from perfect, and some come to school at four years old not really knowing what a book is, or how to use a knife and fork. There’s no getting away with being a mediocre teacher, if you want to engage this children you have to be exciting, open minded and understanding. It’s a challenge!

I’m also lucky to have friends who did not go to university. They do not have degrees and yet they have a life that is based not on income or status but rather friends, family and enjoyment. When I came back from London my friends got me through a phase of confusion. I also have friends who were in the same boat as me which helped a lot. If you are stuck knowing what to do with your degree, I recommend talking to someone who doesn’t have one. These people taught me how to be grounded.

So what have I learnt? Life teaches you stuff. It’s not a matter of ‘finding your way’ or ‘choosing the right path’ or all those rubbish clichés. You’ll decide one thing, and life will change your mind. Something that’s outside your control can happen at any moment. My advice would be, if you don’t like what you’re doing, don’t feel stuck. Just give it up and trust that eventually you’ll do something you really do like. I don’t expect I’ll be a teacher for ever, but for now it suits me just fine, and hopefully I’ll be a good one.