Is Work Experience Needed For Entry Level Jobs?

I was asked this week by Cayla Dengate, Linkedin News Editor, for my thoughts on this one and was glad to share my 10 cents worth because…

Interestingly enough I’ve been approached by a number of women at university over the last 12 months for this very reason:

They want to land internships within banks whilst still at uni to gain that ‘requested work experience’ (as well as a competitive edge) so that they have a flying start when they are ready to enter the job market once uni is finished.

So let’s back up…

An ‘entry’ level job traditionally meant ‘having next to no work experience’… traditionally, it was a starter job for fresh university graduates keen to join the workforce.

Certainly this has begun to change in many highly competitive industries (which is most of them, let’s be honest)…

Employers can be more bullish about requesting more from candidates and, in some respects, I can see why.

 

 

Say a fresh candidate out of uni has attained a good degree and has also:

• Volunteered for 3 months for a not-for-profit or
• Spent some quality time shadowing an exec or
• Landed an active internship (or maybe a few different internships) whilst at uni…

This tells a prospective employer a lot.

These additional real, relevant corporate work experiences will have given the candidate:

A genuine insight into working life…

She will have had exposure to real-life problem solving and commercial decision making…

Whilst also demonstrating her proactivity and genuine interest for an industry…

And her ability to think strategically about her career.

 

 

It’s a win/win:

The employer gets a more rounded candidate… who has skill, competency, proactivity and a degree of ‘savvy’…

And the candidate, with this extended experience, has the capacity to think more critically about whether a particular first job is what she really wants.

In my experience, potential employers at interview stage become very interested in what you have learned in these real life work placements…

Almost more so than the grades you graduated with at uni.

Because that experience is gold.

Experience undoubtedly adds a phenomenal amount to the value you offer a prospective organisation…

Whilst also helping you to rule out those opportunities that aren’t right for you…

AND giving you the knowledge to pursue the opportunities that are more deeply aligned with your mission and ambitions…

So why not get as much experience as you can?

Rebecca x

 

 

Author: Rebecca Allen is a Career Success Coach for corporate women chasing down big ambitions and who demand more from their opportunities. She works with corporate managers and early leaders to help them build credibility and visibility, land dream career opportunities and get paid their worth.