The Catch-22 - Securing Work Experience

You've just successfully completed your coursework for your college degree. It is a time of great expectation and excitement. You are embarking upon the next phase of your life your career. And you want to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible.

The search for a job is likely to be challenging. In today's economy, the competition for jobs especially well-paying jobs is fierce. In addition, as a recent college graduate, you may be at a competitive disadvantage, since you might not have any work history to speak of. How can you secure work experience when you need experience to land a job in the first place?

Consider an internship

One effective thing you can do in order to prepare for the world of work is to obtain an internship. While most internships are not paid positions, they can provide you with a world of experience. You can obtain internships in a number of fields, including business and journalism.

Check with your college placement office to find out what internships are available. You might also place a call to a company that you're interested in to see if they have an internship program available. But be warned you might face some stiff competition in your effort to obtain an internship, so be prepared to sell yourself.

Consider volunteer work

If you cannot obtain a formal internship, you might consider doing some volunteer work. Volunteering for a local non-profit organization can help you to gain valuable work experience. A number of volunteers do far more than answer phones and stuff envelopes. You might have to take charge of a project or help organize a fundraising effort in a volunteer capacity.

Realize that you can list volunteer work on your resume as an indication of your experience. While this work was unpaid, it was work nonetheless. You can even list it under the "experience" section of your resume provided that you note that the work was on a strictly volunteer basis.

Consider an entry-level position

It may very well be that your college courses trained you to become a manager. However, you might have difficulty securing a management position if you lack experience. Therefore, consider applying for an entry-level position. The position might involve low pay, long hours, and little responsibility. Still, it could pay handsome dividends in terms of helping you gain experience. With one job under your belt, it will be easier for you to secure additional employment.

Focus on your strengths

Even if you have no experience whatsoever, you still might be able to land a job in your chosen field. But, in order to do so, you'll need a resume that really highlights your accomplishments. Be sure to list any academic awards or service awards you've received on your resume. If you graduated cum laude or summa cum laude, be sure to point that out as well. You'll need to showcase your strengths as best you can and your resume is the best place to do just that.

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Eliminate Your Doubts To Achieve Career Success

The key to success in both personal and career issues is to be positive and confident in your skills and abilities. If you appear to be doubtful or unsure of your knowledge or skills it will be obvious to the interviewer or prospective employers.

Doubts are natural and are often a signal that perhaps there is insufficient training or skill development in an area of the workplace. If you are experiencing doubts there are some steps that you can take to eliminate them.

• Know your level of training and keep current with new trainings available. If you were currently employed perhaps your employer would be willing to fund trainings or to share the cost. Attend refreshers and seminars that keep you up-to-date with research or advances in the field.
• Understand what the expectations are for minimum requirements in your career area. Strive to exceed rather than just meet these requirements. Motivated employees and candidates stand out in interviews and in work performance.
• Be aware of technical changes that are occurring in the workplace. Many IT websites offer free or very low cost tutorials or on-line classes.
• Talk to other employees or colleagues regarding their level of training or skill development. Once you understand what others are doing you will be able to either update your skills or build confidence in the ones that you have.

Besides training and skills issues there may also be personal factors that lead to doubt. By changing your perspective from one of doubt to one of positive self-confidence you will have greater career success. Changing this perspective is up to you, but friends, family and co- workers can play an important role.

• Make a list or journal of your personal and career accomplishments.
• Take compliments, awards and recognition to heart. Don't minimize these positives.
• Encourage friends, family and co-workers to discuss positives in both their life and yours.
• Focus on the future and the potential for success, not the past and the issues that were not as beneficial as you would have liked.
• When you find yourself having doubts, determine what the concerns are and address them.

Just realizing you have doubts is a positive aspect of your ability to judge yourself. Get additional training or experience and re-evaluate your skills. Deal with your doubts when they arise and they will quickly be replaced with a positive outlook on your career possibilities.

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