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Yeah, it sucks that entry level jobs have dried up in most places for most fields of work. It sucks even more when you go to interviews for jobs that don't require a degree and the interviewer looks at your resume and asks the dreaded "Do you plan on using your degree?" question. Usually I fumble and say that it is damn near impossible to get a job in my college educated field of study. Then the interviewer tries to mask the skepticism and disapproval written all over his face. Jobs that don't require a degree believe you will jump ship as soon as a job in your field comes along which is why many won't hire college degree holders. Recent college grads fall into the hellish overqualified for regular jobs but under-qualified for college educated jobs rut.
But when it comes to young recent college grads, most of us have to crawl before we walk. The days of 22 year olds making 50K+ a year straight out of college are gone for most of us. Young college grads who get good jobs immediately upon graduation are a statistical outlier nowadays as about only one in five recent college grads (or less in many places) gets a "real job" right after they graduate. Most of us have to face this brutal job market and find our own way.
There are entry level jobs for college educated work. However, these jobs often pay $10 an hour without benefits and you will be facing extreme competition to get one of these jobs. Start-up companies prefer to hire young college grads because they can get away with paying a skilled person to work for $10 an hour or less. I am a web designer. Many start-up companies I have interviewed with told me that they could not afford the expensive web master with years of experience because they expect at least $20+ an hour. It is not so much lacking experience that prevents someone like me from getting such jobs but the extreme competition from thousands of other young college grads like me willing to work for next to nothing. And I have worked shortly at an entry level job in web design for $10 an hour but quit because the company expected me to know as much as a web master for $10 an hour and they were very impatient with me. So yes, there it is; the work experience conundrum rearing its ugly head once again.
Last edited by goldenchild08; 08-13-2012 at 10:29 AM..
I meant relevant experience in a non-medical setting. For example, working as a receptionist in a medical office is more like working as a receptionist in a hair salon. You spend a lot of your time making appointments, making sure that the right person goes to the right service provider, and making sure that the right sign offs for chemical use are obtained prior to treatment. Working as a receptionist for Ed's Plumbing Supply you spend most of you time answering calls and forwarding them to a different extension, signing for packages, a little data entry, and some filling. Very different.
I'd suggest doing that and taking an inexpensive course on medical transcription or coding or something along those lines so you can say I have relevant experience and know the jargon.
Do you think someone with no experience is going to get a job as a receptionist at a hair salon? Your suggestion that they go become a receptionist at a hair salon to gain experience to work in a medical office is out of touch with reality. HOW does someone gain the experience if no one is going to hire them because they lack experience?
And if they are on unemployment, how will they afford these courses, inexpensive or not? UI barely covers rent and food...if that!
Do you think someone with no experience is going to get a job as a receptionist at a hair salon? Your suggestion that they go become a receptionist at a hair salon to gain experience to work in a medical office is out of touch with reality. HOW does someone gain the experience if no one is going to hire them because they lack experience?
And if they are on unemployment, how will they afford these courses, inexpensive or not? UI barely covers rent and food...if that!
The salon I go to just hired a new girl, she's just out of high school, first job, they were training her when I was there two Saturdays ago.
The salon I go to just hired a new girl, she's just out of high school, first job, they were training her when I was there two Saturdays ago.
THAT is a place that is willing to train. We are talking about those jobs that say, "must have experience..." which, frankly, are the majority.
I'm not asking for the rare exception to the rule. And, you know as well as I do, this "need experience" thing is nothing new. We went through it as well when we were just starting out and we managed to make it, somehow.
What I'm asking you is to explain to these people who are asking, how do you get this experience? Telling them an anecdote is not helpful. What can the majority do? What is it that they can do to get in?
It USED to be, go to college. That used to be the answer. Even if you didn't have experience, if you had a college degree and were willing to start way at the bottom, you could gain the experience.
Times have changed. It is not the "norm" anymore to get a college education and go in to some low paying job in a company, say mail clerk, and work your way up. Unfortunately, it's rare that happens anymore. Can it still happen? Of course. I'm talking about the majority.
oh my god, reading this makes me want to yank my eyeballs out and jump off a tall building...
you all have insane advantage of
a) speaking English fluently
b) understanding societal norms, culture and how to handle oneself in almost every situation
c) a huge network of friends and relatives who support you
over majority of emigrants from other countries and you still complain -- while they arrive to the shores of US with a hole in their pocket and are extremely happy they have a potential of living a normal life. some of those people have very advanced degrees and extensive work experience in their home countries, but they are forced to start from the square one and work at a local grocery store -- and they are OK with it.
so yeah, my fellow Americans, please learn to f-n hassle and deal with your "hard" lives. so many people graduate and somehow expect to be literally shovered with good job offers!
so yeah, go out, network, volunteer, find new connections, work some ****ty jobs and learn how to swim.
oh my god, reading this makes me want to yank my eyeballs out and jump off a tall building...
you all have insane advantage of
a) speaking English fluently
b) understanding societal norms, culture and how to handle oneself in almost every situation
c) a huge network of friends and relatives who support you
over majority of emigrants from other countries and you still complain -- while they arrive to the shores of US with a hole in their pocket and are extremely happy they have a potential of living a normal life. some of those people have very advanced degrees and extensive work experience in their home countries, but they are forced to start from the square one and work at a local grocery store -- and they are OK with it.
so yeah, my fellow Americans, please learn to f-n hassle and deal with your "hard" lives. so many people graduate and somehow expect to be literally shovered with good job offers!
so yeah, go out, network, volunteer, find new connections, work some ****ty jobs and learn how to swim.
Great perspective...great post.
Too many of us are still in the "jobs Americans won't do" rut.
oh my god, reading this makes me want to yank my eyeballs out and jump off a tall building...
you all have insane advantage of
a) speaking English fluently
b) understanding societal norms, culture and how to handle oneself in almost every situation
c) a huge network of friends and relatives who support you
over majority of emigrants from other countries and you still complain -- while they arrive to the shores of US with a hole in their pocket and are extremely happy they have a potential of living a normal life. some of those people have very advanced degrees and extensive work experience in their home countries, but they are forced to start from the square one and work at a local grocery store -- and they are OK with it.
so yeah, my fellow Americans, please learn to f-n hassle and deal with your "hard" lives. so many people graduate and somehow expect to be literally shovered with good job offers!
so yeah, go out, network, volunteer, find new connections, work some ****ty jobs and learn how to swim.
Oh please. Speaking English fluently doesn't do squat for you if you live in Miami. Many other places want bi-lingual as well.
Understand societal norms? How to handle oneself in almost any situation? WTH are you talking about?
A HUGE network of friends and relatives to support you? Man, you are drinking some serious Kool Aid. Not everyone has that, a lot of people do NOT have that.
If you have an advanced degree from another country and you come here, you have a good chance of finding a good job so why don't you stop whining and learn how to swim. Who got you through college to get that advanced degree?
THAT is a place that is willing to train. We are talking about those jobs that say, "must have experience..." which, frankly, are the majority.
I'm not asking for the rare exception to the rule. And, you know as well as I do, this "need experience" thing is nothing new. We went through it as well when we were just starting out and we managed to make it, somehow.
What I'm asking you is to explain to these people who are asking, how do you get this experience? Telling them an anecdote is not helpful. What can the majority do? What is it that they can do to get in?
It USED to be, go to college. That used to be the answer. Even if you didn't have experience, if you had a college degree and were willing to start way at the bottom, you could gain the experience.
Times have changed. It is not the "norm" anymore to get a college education and go in to some low paying job in a company, say mail clerk, and work your way up. Unfortunately, it's rare that happens anymore. Can it still happen? Of course. I'm talking about the majority.
What is the real answer for today's youth?
I think you also have to be in the company clique already to get hired or promoted. Of course, it's always been that way but only nowadays is it so obvious.
THAT is a place that is willing to train. We are talking about those jobs that say, "must have experience..." which, frankly, are the majority.
I'm not asking for the rare exception to the rule. And, you know as well as I do, this "need experience" thing is nothing new. We went through it as well when we were just starting out and we managed to make it, somehow.
What I'm asking you is to explain to these people who are asking, how do you get this experience? Telling them an anecdote is not helpful. What can the majority do? What is it that they can do to get in?
It USED to be, go to college. That used to be the answer. Even if you didn't have experience, if you had a college degree and were willing to start way at the bottom, you could gain the experience.
Times have changed. It is not the "norm" anymore to get a college education and go in to some low paying job in a company, say mail clerk, and work your way up. Unfortunately, it's rare that happens anymore. Can it still happen? Of course. I'm talking about the majority.
What is the real answer for today's youth?
Do what many of us did--take a job, ANY job and work your way up. The resorts and theme parks near me are all hiring. The kid next door (zero experience) spent an afternoon a few weeks ago putting in applications with them and got called for interviews according to his mom, "A bunch of different places." He started working at a Marriott last week as a housekeeping runner. But over and over on these boards I read about people who refuse to take a job pushing a broom because they have a college degree so it's beneath them. Well given my choice of working and having potential to meet people to add to my network and possible internal promotion, I'd rather do that than feel sorry for myself.
There are plenty of retail places getting ready to hire for the holidays, JC Penney, Kohl's, Macy's, Target, Toys R Us, The Disney Store, etc. all hire people with no experience as seasonal help. Yes, you'll have to fill out an online application, but I know for a fact that that they convert the best of the bunch of seasonals to regular employees after the holidays. To me, that possibility is worth filling out an application.
1. Many people who can push a broom better than you believe it or not.
2. There is such a thing as over qualified.
3. You need to make enough money to survive/pay off student loans.
4. Someone has to hire you.
5. Some companies aren't investing in their workers like they used to; many people have been stuck in their current position for a few years even while working hard.
6. It does take networking, and those who do it better have better chances at succeeding. Those who don't have ins, or "get it" will be left behind no matter how hard they work.
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Great perspective...great post.