Page 39 - TITBITS FOR JOBSEEKERS

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HOW TO NAVIGATE THE WORK EXPERIENCE HURDLE

At one time or the other, you might have possibly seen a job you are well qualified for,

only to be frustrated by the fact that the employers wants someone with 2-3years

experience or more, and that disqualifies you! It is disappointing and demoralizing, yet it
happens every day.

Every job has required qualifications, criteria for shortlisting prospective employees, and
conditions for employment. Sad enough, one of the key criteria is the work experience of

the candidate. Nobody places a novice on sensitive roles in his company. There is hardly
any space for newcomers in experience hire employment because their level of training

and competence are inadequate for such roles; it can be counterproductive. Employers
believe that relevant experiences are key to an employee's success on the job, it is the

reason they are keen on such requirements. If you lack the basic experiences, they will
consider you unfit for employment.

But, if everybody keeps asking for certain numbers of years’ experience as requirement
for job placement, where do fresh graduates get the experience? How will you get the

requisite work experience if nobody ever gives you a chance to work? This is a big
challenge, and it has robbed many jobseekers the opportunity of getting employed.

However, it is not a hopeless situation and you do not have to sit at home crying over it.

There are smarter ways to go about it.

INTERNSHIPS AS JOB EXPERIENCE
One way to overcome the ‘work experience’ obstacle is by taking internships. Internships

are normally short and fixed term jobs (for 6 months, 1 year or more). You may not likely
get paid or you are paid poorly because you do not have work experience. It is like

employing you to learn. The employer bears the pain of training you on the job as well as

the risks of your mistakes. Many big organizations are aware of this and are willing to put
a few things at stake. They admit fresh graduates into their workforce through internship

programmes to enable these graduates get basic and relevant work experiences. You may
be lucky to get a pittance as allowance. The reason is because you do not pay for the

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