Archive for the 'Graduate' Category
Tuesday, December 4th, 2007
Overcoming The Experience Gap In A Graduate Interview
Graduation is an exciting time for anybody has had earned a degree by working hard throughout their time in University. Once you have graduated, the long process of delving through the many job sites available to you begins. No doubt you’ve registered with many and may have had a few interviews, however it is likely that you have been unsuccessful due to a “lack of relevant experience”.
As a Graduate seeking a job, it its vital that you understand what “experience” is and why it is always relevant for employers. For example in any interview, the employer will ask a few basic questions which will establish the candidates suitability for the role. These are likely to include asking what the candidate has done before to asses if it is relevant to the role. If it is, then they will try to ascertain how successful they were.
When asking these questions, a few simple recruitment “methods” will come into play. It’s well known amongst those who work in recruitment that people’s basic traits and behaviour are consistent over time. To put this in perspective, if a candidate has done well at a previous task to the one that lies ahead, they will more than likely be a success again. An interviewer will be looking to establish if this will be the case with you.
How is this relevant to a graduate with little to no real work experience? Well a potential employer will have a list of traits or experience that they would like to see. If the interviewer can find somebody being successful in the job advertised for a different company, then the decision could be pretty much made on the spot. However there will still be some questions that would need to be addressed. For example, if somebody is that successful in the similar role, why would they be applying in what would be considered to be a sideways move? Perhaps they aren’t as successful as they appear to be? Have they fallen out with management or co-workers. This could then make them think that a fresh faced, determined graduate who is highly motivated to make an impact could prove to be the better option.
In the interview, your aim is to find achievements from your past that can be related to the job you are applying for. For example, you could be are applying for a sales job, but have never been employed in that capacity before. To begin with, consider the definition of selling. Selling is ultimately persuading somebody to decide upon something. Have you ever done this before? There is no doubt you have and you would have done this by selling the benefits of your proposition against their current choice of thought. For example if you convinced somebody to go out instead of stay in, you have persuaded them by selling the benefits of your proposition.
All you will need to do is to demonstrate that you understand what is required in any role and show the processes that you can go through to be a success. This will show your potential in the role and many employers do favour to employ graduates.
You should also make a conscious effort in the interview to remind employers that whilst you may not match others of more direct experience, you do have transferable skills you can demonstrate and also that you are hungry to prove a point and want to make your mark.
Finally, please don’t be put off if you are not successful immediately by not getting the first job that you apply for. The truth is very few people do and interviews are like anything, they take practice.
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Author: Jonathan Walker of Graduate Vacancies
Tuesday, December 4th, 2007
No previous experience required!
Are you new to the labour force? Being young, inexperienced, out of the workforce for any length of time, or just anxious to ‘get out’ of what you’ve been doing so far can mean a difficult job search ahead. What is important is your willingness to work, and work hard to reach your goal, to find meaningful employment.
There are jobs out there for just about everyone. Getting experience on your resume can mean taking a job to do just that–have something, anything to put on that resume of yours. If you are resigned to such work, consider your long term goals. A mundane, entry level job might be better than it seems, if it is a foot in the door to an industry you would like to work in.
Don’t forget that a resume devoid of paid work experience, can be filled with other types of work, like volunteer, committee or service club work. Talk about the things you have been doing, highlighting the skills that you have utilized and/or developed through this work. Letters of reference from those you have worked with can be a great asset, so approach colleagues or supervisors that have expressed their appreciation for your work as a volunteer, chances are they will provide you a glowing recommendation.
It has been said, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” so remember to network. Let people know you are looking for a job (unless of course you are already working and just looking for a move, advertising your discontent with your current position might put you in an awkward situation and lose you a future job reference). You never know when a friend or relative of a friend might have a line on a job that would be suited to you.
Lack of necessary education can be a difficult obstacle to overcome. If you do not have it already, achieving your high school equivalency may be an important first step. There are many organizations out there that offer free training courses—availing yourself of these services can be a great way to bolster your resume and your self-confidence. Attending courses and workshops can also be a great way to network to find work. Consider applying to temporary employment agencies that offer free courses for their workers—this is how I learned to use a number of software packages when I first got out of school. Temp agencies are also a good way to get your foot in the door, getting some experience on your resume without having to remain in what might be a ‘dead-end’ job. Keep in mind, however, that most agencies will have a contract with both the employer and the worker forbidding offers of permanent employment unless arranged through the agency.
The internet is a great resource for finding all types of work. Use the search engines to find work by searching jobs where you don’t need any experience, be sure to specify your area, for example you could search the phrase “Toronto job no previous experience required” and you’ll be linked into a number of jobs from a wide variety of industries.
Keeping a positive attitude will serve you well, and remember, finding a job is a job in itself. Approaching your job search with a combination of creativity, hard work, creativity and a good attitude is a sure recipe for success.
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Author: Vin Domino, a freelance writer based in Toronto, Canada and the associate editor of http://www.TorontoJobClassifieds.com