The ridiculous cycle of experience - Rant

JDC14

You've had fair warning this is purely a rant...

... About the annoying f******g amount of rejections based down to experience.

If there's an actual reason you don't want to hire me - tell me. If you can't be honest, you shouldn't be in a position of power.

If it is down to experience. Then again, you should not be in business if you're not willing to take a risk.

Bored of being told I'm a good candidate, but I lack experience. I'm aware of that. But what are you going to do, when the people in my age group (20) are the top of the food chain for candidates, but you've given us no experience?!

I can't even get voluntary placements. It's like people think I'm applying to be the Prime Minister voluntarily for the week.

denla

Maybe you're not physically attractive enough? Maybe your personality sucks? Maybe they dislike your dress sense?

JDC14

I will have you know I am a lovely bloke.

And I'm there to do some work, not shag my boss funnily enough. Which I think in most companies, they would class as a plus point in my mind.

--

Plus, I wear suits to my interviews, which other candidates have not. So I wouldn't say it's down to that.

2 of my references actually touch upon my self-presentation funnily enough.

miduck

Think about it from the other side - they have a ready supply of applicants, many that will have experience. Why would they take a chance of someone that does not?

What kind of roles are you looking at? How else can you get relevant experience?

WolfSong2000

It's a trickle down effect - people higher up the chain with more experience are being made redundant and so taking the positions usually snapped up by younger people looking for experience. If you were the employer, which would you go for after all - someone with proven experience or someone with just potential?

I completely understand your frustration. I have a masters degree from a good university as well as a tonne of voluntary experience, but was unable to get a paid job in my ideal field because of "lack of experience". I got into my current admin/marketing job purely by accident - started off as a temp and proved myself, so got made permanent, despite having no previous admin or marketing experience. Enjoy the job, but realistically it's something a school leaver or an undergrad could do. Still ,what can you do? I do what I can to get relevant experience, and am still doing my voluntary work with the eventual hope of breaking into the field I want to be in and have my masters in (Peace Studies), but it seems a long way off right now!

dori2o

The experience needed quote in job adverts is one thing that annoys me.

I can foresee that in 10/15 years time there will be reports of employers unable to get suitable candidates for jobs as nobody has the required experience.

Who will be to blame? No doubt it will be the Labour Party. They seem to be taking the blame for everything recently, even Osbornes !!!! ups.

No, the blame will fall directly at the employers feet, as it should, for not providing opportunities for people to gain the experience by way of the employer providing the necessary training and guidance to someone who is willing to learn and work hard.

tonyh66

dori2o wrote: »

The experience needed quote in job adverts is one thing that annoys me.

I can foresee that in 10/15 years time there will be reports of employers unable to get suitable candidates for jobs as nobody has the required experience.

Who will be to blame? No doubt it will be the Labour Party. They seem to be taking the blame for everything recently, even Osbornes !!!! ups.

No, the blame will fall directly at the employers feet, as it should, for not providing opportunities for people to gain the experience by way of the employer providing the necessary training and guidance to someone who is willing to learn and work hard.

this has been happening for years, employers moaning about no skilled engineers but not creating apprentices to get to that point.

AP007

denla wrote: »

Maybe you're not physically attractive enough? Maybe your personality sucks? Maybe they dislike your dress sense?

How can they tell all this from the application I wonder?

Daedalus

Nonsense. An employer needs a new employee. It can't get anyone with experience, it WILL take on someone without experience and train them up, they have no choice. To think that companies cut of their nose to spite their face is ludicrous.

My work has just taken on three new people, one just left uni (no relevant experience) and the other 2 had decades of experience after being made redundant. Same job, the reason the graduate got it was because he convinced them that he could meet all the requirements despite having no experience that implied this.

What kids have an advantage in these days is technology. They are computer literate and can pick up MS very quickly, but when asked 'Do you have experience of Excel?' they say no as most kids won't have used it. Instead they should say they are computer literate and can pick up new software very quickly, highlight that ICT GCSE etc. Or just lie and say you have used it before. If you are offered the job have a little fiddle around with it and claimed to be rusty when you start.

flexrider

JDC14 wrote: »

I will have you know I am a lovely bloke.

And I'm there to do some work, not shag my boss funnily enough. Which I think in most companies, they would class as a plus point in my mind.

--

Plus, I wear suits to my interviews, which other candidates have not. So I wouldn't say it's down to that.

2 of my references actually touch upon my self-presentation funnily enough.

Mate how can i say this?

Do you your first (possibly) crush rejection on a hottie girlfriend at childhood dance if it ever happened you see each other and think ooooh yes but she rejects you "saying its not you its me" sorta thing


Sam with the job market, As a employer i have to tell white lies, Its not personal its just the client i have to fulfill to attract more buisness to us, The amount of applications we could build a house and plenty of stairs in Cv's so i understand how many say Experience only but lets break this down in terms of experiences

If i placed a JOB AD tomorrow for experienced Chipshop staff it would be something like this

New chip shop staff requided must have experience

I guarantee in a week if i was in the chip shop business i would get

200 claiming there experienced chippies
100 claiming there cooked in a kitchen at home in a microwave chips and peas.....but never worked in a chippy
50-100 sent to get there dole or get santioned by jobcentre
another 100 immigrants and recruitment consultants

If your having experience problems then look at your CV and what you have done, You have experience in your own personal life fore example applying for accountancy job you mange your bills daily for a family of four per month there experience...


hope that helps

TrickyWicky

JDC14 wrote: »

And I'm there to do some work, not shag my boss funnily enough.

You know, despite all you're taught when you're young, brown nosing is usually the best way of getting somewhere in the workplace. If you're not prepared to suck up to the boss they don't want you. You have to treat them like a god these days when they have such a huge choice of potential employees.

JDC14 wrote: »

Plus, I wear suits to my interviews, which other candidates have not. So I wouldn't say it's down to that.

Sound like you go in taking it too seriously if you ask me. Try just a shirt and tie for the next few interviews. Going in with a suit as a young bloke in his 20s might be overkill unless you're after the CEOs job.

JDC14 wrote: »

2 of my references actually touch upon my self-presentation funnily enough.

That could be your problem. Either that or your face doesn't fit (and yes, I've been there many times).