Getting experience before a job
Aug 07, 2007
TO get a good job, one needs experience, but to gain experience you need to have done the job. So what are job seekers without experience supposed to do? Career counsellors advise that the time one spends walking on the streets can be used to get experience.
By Arthur Baguma
TO get a good job, one needs experience, but to gain experience you need to have done the job. So what are job seekers without experience supposed to do? Career counsellors advise that the time one spends walking on the streets can be used to get experience.
John Twine, a social scientist who graduated four years ago, but he has never got a job, blames employers who insist on employing people with experience of many years.
“Where do you get the experience without working first?†Twine wonders.
But while it is true one can get experience through formal employment, one can also get experience without necessarily being employed.
Francis Ojede, the head of human resource at the Electoral Commission, says there are several ways in which one can get work experience without having to pay money to take vocational training:
Get a mentor
Ojede advises that one way to get experience is to find a mentor.
A mentor is somebody who currently works in the professional field one is interested in and who agrees to teach the ins and outs of their career to an eager young person.
Be an intern
Internships are similar to mentoring programmes in that one gets a chance to learn more about the chosen career.
Ojede says many organisations give internships to graduates to help them understand the real world of work.
This is common with the legal and medical professions.
Join a club
Ojede says clubs have more to offer than merely adding to your social calendar.
Some clubs have obvious vocational benefits. Any club you join adds value to your resume. Clubs that teach you skills are best, but the simple fact that you devote time to a club shows potential employers that you have diverse interests and are able to make and keep commitments.
Volunteer your time
Volunteering helps one gain specialised experience. Part time students are in the perfect position to take full advantage of what volunteering has to offer.
For instance, if you have an eye toward entering politics, join a political party. And when campaigns heat up gain experience and make contacts working for the candidate of your choice. Think your future is in public service? There are many public service groups looking for helping hands.
Want to dabble in the social issues field? Work for a cause with special interest groups that focus on the environment, health care, poverty or animal rights, whatever you are passionate about is sure to have a group looking for all the volunteer help they can get.
Volunteering is a win/win situation for everyone involved. Along with experience, you get the opportunity to network with people who could write you a letter of reference to present with your resume when you go to look for a paying job.
Take advantage of school or government-sponsored work experience programmes.
Ojede says in this case you can gain experience and make some money although your options are more limited than with volunteering.
Many institutions have work-experience programmes that are available to students in their final years. These programmes work by offering school credit for students who have jobs.
If your institution does not offer a work experience programme, you may want to look into government sponsored programmes in your area.
TO get a good job, one needs experience, but to gain experience you need to have done the job. So what are job seekers without experience supposed to do? Career counsellors advise that the time one spends walking on the streets can be used to get experience.
John Twine, a social scientist who graduated four years ago, but he has never got a job, blames employers who insist on employing people with experience of many years.
“Where do you get the experience without working first?†Twine wonders.
But while it is true one can get experience through formal employment, one can also get experience without necessarily being employed.
Francis Ojede, the head of human resource at the Electoral Commission, says there are several ways in which one can get work experience without having to pay money to take vocational training:
Get a mentor
Ojede advises that one way to get experience is to find a mentor.
A mentor is somebody who currently works in the professional field one is interested in and who agrees to teach the ins and outs of their career to an eager young person.
Be an intern
Internships are similar to mentoring programmes in that one gets a chance to learn more about the chosen career.
Ojede says many organisations give internships to graduates to help them understand the real world of work.
This is common with the legal and medical professions.
Join a club
Ojede says clubs have more to offer than merely adding to your social calendar.
Some clubs have obvious vocational benefits. Any club you join adds value to your resume. Clubs that teach you skills are best, but the simple fact that you devote time to a club shows potential employers that you have diverse interests and are able to make and keep commitments.
Volunteer your time
Volunteering helps one gain specialised experience. Part time students are in the perfect position to take full advantage of what volunteering has to offer.
For instance, if you have an eye toward entering politics, join a political party. And when campaigns heat up gain experience and make contacts working for the candidate of your choice. Think your future is in public service? There are many public service groups looking for helping hands.
Want to dabble in the social issues field? Work for a cause with special interest groups that focus on the environment, health care, poverty or animal rights, whatever you are passionate about is sure to have a group looking for all the volunteer help they can get.
Volunteering is a win/win situation for everyone involved. Along with experience, you get the opportunity to network with people who could write you a letter of reference to present with your resume when you go to look for a paying job.
Take advantage of school or government-sponsored work experience programmes.
Ojede says in this case you can gain experience and make some money although your options are more limited than with volunteering.
Many institutions have work-experience programmes that are available to students in their final years. These programmes work by offering school credit for students who have jobs.
If your institution does not offer a work experience programme, you may want to look into government sponsored programmes in your area.