Experience, Experience

[dmvbatman]

Originally Posted by TheAbove

Originally Posted by ooIRON MANoo

It's called "Interning"...

If you don't have any experience coming out of college you have no one to blame but yourself.

Interning is key. I'm about to complete mine at the end of April for We Can Pretend. They were responsible for filming the Find Makarov Call of Duty video.

It's a start up, so I'm learning everything and its chill. We played football in the afternoon in the park.

But OP, if you're a college guy, you'd be lucky to get that forklift job because you're more than likely to be over qualified and leave the job in the long-run.

i see, plus i don't know too many internships that have to do with teaching people how to use a forklift lol.

 

[curiousgeorg3]

so frustrated that Im probably going to be stuck working retail over the summer when I should be getting internships by now.

tempted to lie on my resumes and see where that gets me

 

[curiousgeorg3]

so frustrated that Im probably going to be stuck working retail over the summer when I should be getting internships by now.

tempted to lie on my resumes and see where that gets me

 

[dmvbatman]

Originally Posted by CuriousGeorg3

so frustrated that Im probably going to be stuck working retail over the summer when I should be getting internships by now.

tempted to lie on my resumes and see where that gets me

hey i think about that too, and i've heard it works.

 

[dmvbatman]

Originally Posted by CuriousGeorg3

so frustrated that Im probably going to be stuck working retail over the summer when I should be getting internships by now.

tempted to lie on my resumes and see where that gets me

hey i think about that too, and i've heard it works.

 

[dman14]

Originally Posted by Dmvbatman

Originally Posted by CuriousGeorg3

so frustrated that Im probably going to be stuck working retail over the summer when I should be getting internships by now.

tempted to lie on my resumes and see where that gets me

hey i think about that too, and i've heard it works.

i wouldnt call it lying but i do stretch the truth.  add some more responsibilities, maybe change my job title, bumped up the gpa a few points, etc

if you dont have work experience, you better be doing some volunteer work, or be part of a club or some extra curricular activity.

 

[dman14]

Originally Posted by Dmvbatman

Originally Posted by CuriousGeorg3

so frustrated that Im probably going to be stuck working retail over the summer when I should be getting internships by now.

tempted to lie on my resumes and see where that gets me

hey i think about that too, and i've heard it works.

i wouldnt call it lying but i do stretch the truth.  add some more responsibilities, maybe change my job title, bumped up the gpa a few points, etc

if you dont have work experience, you better be doing some volunteer work, or be part of a club or some extra curricular activity.

 

[drtobaggan]

DMan14 wrote:
i wouldnt call it lying but i do stretch the truth.  add some more responsibilities, maybe change my job title, bumped up the gpa a few points, etc

if you dont have work experience, you better be doing some volunteer work, or be part of a club or some extra curricular activity.


Yep. Have been doing this since I graduated college. I would change my resume every time I applied for a job so it would apply to what they were looking for. I would always exaggerate title. I can't remember the last time an employer checked my references, and I'm not working bs jobs either. I've worked for major TV networks and in the Commissioner's Office for the MLB.
Moral of this story, let your resume snowball into one big lie until you get where you want to be.

 

[drtobaggan]

DMan14 wrote:
i wouldnt call it lying but i do stretch the truth.  add some more responsibilities, maybe change my job title, bumped up the gpa a few points, etc

if you dont have work experience, you better be doing some volunteer work, or be part of a club or some extra curricular activity.


Yep. Have been doing this since I graduated college. I would change my resume every time I applied for a job so it would apply to what they were looking for. I would always exaggerate title. I can't remember the last time an employer checked my references, and I'm not working bs jobs either. I've worked for major TV networks and in the Commissioner's Office for the MLB.
Moral of this story, let your resume snowball into one big lie until you get where you want to be.

 

[ooiron manoo]

i see, plus i don't know too many internships that have to do with teaching people how to use a forklift lol.

Heard of Craigslist?

Check out their general labor, I'm sure you will find a warehouse job that doesn't require forklift experience.

Once you get in, eventually they will just put you on the forklift,

Employers still do on the job training, however you have to be "on the job".  Why hire someone off the street that doesn't know how to drive a forklift, when you can get someone that's already on the payroll?  They are specifically looking for a forklift driver, not someone that they need to teach how to use it.

For the record, I learned how to drive a forklift in college when I worked in a Food 4 Less (Supermarket).  Just asked the dude in the back, "Yo, show me how to drive this Beast".

Just like that, added a bullet point to the resume

 

[ooiron manoo]

i see, plus i don't know too many internships that have to do with teaching people how to use a forklift lol.

Heard of Craigslist?

Check out their general labor, I'm sure you will find a warehouse job that doesn't require forklift experience.

Once you get in, eventually they will just put you on the forklift,

Employers still do on the job training, however you have to be "on the job".  Why hire someone off the street that doesn't know how to drive a forklift, when you can get someone that's already on the payroll?  They are specifically looking for a forklift driver, not someone that they need to teach how to use it.

For the record, I learned how to drive a forklift in college when I worked in a Food 4 Less (Supermarket).  Just asked the dude in the back, "Yo, show me how to drive this Beast".

Just like that, added a bullet point to the resume

 

[presequel]

internships will do wonders for you, so long as its the right kind of internship and its a worth some weight.

big mistakes many college kids make are

not interning
not making good with their professors - who can be their referrals
not networking
not having references that are relevant - this goes back to professors and bosses at internships - if you missed out on this then you're probably missing out on work

if you get the right internship, it pretty much is 'experience' if you pick the right one. if you pick one where you're basically doin grunt work and making coffee, well then thats no good. but if you're talented or skilled or good at anything, the company you intern with will give you some real work to do. unless its like a agency like CAA where everyone starts off doing @@!*% work before they can become an agent.

 

[presequel]

internships will do wonders for you, so long as its the right kind of internship and its a worth some weight.

big mistakes many college kids make are

not interning
not making good with their professors - who can be their referrals
not networking
not having references that are relevant - this goes back to professors and bosses at internships - if you missed out on this then you're probably missing out on work

if you get the right internship, it pretty much is 'experience' if you pick the right one. if you pick one where you're basically doin grunt work and making coffee, well then thats no good. but if you're talented or skilled or good at anything, the company you intern with will give you some real work to do. unless its like a agency like CAA where everyone starts off doing @@!*% work before they can become an agent.

 

[kwh3]

What presequel said. Internships place almost a bigger factor than grades. Coming out of college, I don't think any employer asked me about my grades (I'm in brand marketing). What they were concerned about and what I look for in a resume is relevant internship and work experience. Give me the applicant who has done work in the field over someone who focused solely on school. Like anything else, balance is critical. Networking is key as well. Go to events, talk to people in the industry, put yourself out there and gather contacts. The more people you know, the more doors that open up for you, even if someone isn't in the same field as you, they may know someone hiring or put you into contact with someone who can guide you.

 

[kwh3]

What presequel said. Internships place almost a bigger factor than grades. Coming out of college, I don't think any employer asked me about my grades (I'm in brand marketing). What they were concerned about and what I look for in a resume is relevant internship and work experience. Give me the applicant who has done work in the field over someone who focused solely on school. Like anything else, balance is critical. Networking is key as well. Go to events, talk to people in the industry, put yourself out there and gather contacts. The more people you know, the more doors that open up for you, even if someone isn't in the same field as you, they may know someone hiring or put you into contact with someone who can guide you.

 

[651akathepaul]

Your personality (enthusiasm) can really dictate whether or not experience can or can't be overlooked when hiring.

 

[651akathepaul]

Your personality (enthusiasm) can really dictate whether or not experience can or can't be overlooked when hiring.

 

[fullmetal]

Yo on the real, you are going to need experience whether you're applying for an internship or a job. I'm in my 2nd year in college and I've been trying to find a job for years (I'm talking fast food, supermarket, anything). The problem is I have no experience and I can't even get an entry level job anywhere, so how the +%*$ am I gonna get experience?

 

[p0tat0 5alad]

Like most have been saying, try to get an internship but luck has alot to do with it too. I was referred to someone for a job when I first started college and applied. He told me he didn't have anything and I should apply back when I had most experience in the field I was applying for (graphic design). I couldn't find a job my first 2 years but instead of being ideal I made sure to take summer classes to keep busy. I hit him back up this past summer and they scheduled an interview and had it not been for all the paperwork I had to do I would have been hired damn near on the spot. My boss is the guy that interviewed me & the person I kept contacting is his boss and I happen to have played basketball with him twice a week for the past 2 years without even knowing

.

And I got my internship through my friend/roommate (also graphic designer). He was looking for a job, found an internship and applied. Got hired at a local freelancer's studio and he asked if my friend could suggest any other graphic designers. My name came up and I started the next week.

It is definitely a right time right place type of thing and if you have patience, someone may be able to work with you. If you already graduated, the best I can suggest is to continue to hone your craft and strive to get better so people will double take when they see your work/resume.

 

[fullmetal]

Yo on the real, you are going to need experience whether you're applying for an internship or a job. I'm in my 2nd year in college and I've been trying to find a job for years (I'm talking fast food, supermarket, anything). The problem is I have no experience and I can't even get an entry level job anywhere, so how the +%*$ am I gonna get experience?

 

[p0tat0 5alad]

Like most have been saying, try to get an internship but luck has alot to do with it too. I was referred to someone for a job when I first started college and applied. He told me he didn't have anything and I should apply back when I had most experience in the field I was applying for (graphic design). I couldn't find a job my first 2 years but instead of being ideal I made sure to take summer classes to keep busy. I hit him back up this past summer and they scheduled an interview and had it not been for all the paperwork I had to do I would have been hired damn near on the spot. My boss is the guy that interviewed me & the person I kept contacting is his boss and I happen to have played basketball with him twice a week for the past 2 years without even knowing

.

And I got my internship through my friend/roommate (also graphic designer). He was looking for a job, found an internship and applied. Got hired at a local freelancer's studio and he asked if my friend could suggest any other graphic designers. My name came up and I started the next week.

It is definitely a right time right place type of thing and if you have patience, someone may be able to work with you. If you already graduated, the best I can suggest is to continue to hone your craft and strive to get better so people will double take when they see your work/resume.

 

[p0tat0 5alad]

Originally Posted by FullMetal

Yo on the real, you are going to need experience whether you're applying for an internship or a job. I'm in my 2nd year in college and I've been trying to find a job for years (I'm talking fast food, supermarket, anything). The problem is I have no experience and I can't even get an entry level job anywhere, so how the +%*$ am I gonna get experience?

Donating time to charity events, tutoring, any sports experience, school clubs, big brother type type things. I think most entry level jobs want someone that can work well with others and do so in an efficient manner. Charity events don't really have any type of requirement besides so up so you can probably donate sometime to help set up some school events around campus or whatever. I got a friend in the same exact boat as you except he is in his 3rd year at college.
It really is a trip though because the way the economy/job market still is, most entry level positions would probably be more prone to hire someone who may have gotten laid off someone else part-time versus someone who has never held a job. I mean, my dad retired in the Army with 23 years and did government work afterwards for a solid 4 years. He quit last September (overworked & underpaid) and has been looking for a similar job since. He finally just gave in and got a parttime, late night shift operating a forklift at Home Depot. Thats just how things are now.

 

[p0tat0 5alad]

Originally Posted by FullMetal

Yo on the real, you are going to need experience whether you're applying for an internship or a job. I'm in my 2nd year in college and I've been trying to find a job for years (I'm talking fast food, supermarket, anything). The problem is I have no experience and I can't even get an entry level job anywhere, so how the +%*$ am I gonna get experience?

Donating time to charity events, tutoring, any sports experience, school clubs, big brother type type things. I think most entry level jobs want someone that can work well with others and do so in an efficient manner. Charity events don't really have any type of requirement besides so up so you can probably donate sometime to help set up some school events around campus or whatever. I got a friend in the same exact boat as you except he is in his 3rd year at college.
It really is a trip though because the way the economy/job market still is, most entry level positions would probably be more prone to hire someone who may have gotten laid off someone else part-time versus someone who has never held a job. I mean, my dad retired in the Army with 23 years and did government work afterwards for a solid 4 years. He quit last September (overworked & underpaid) and has been looking for a similar job since. He finally just gave in and got a parttime, late night shift operating a forklift at Home Depot. Thats just how things are now.

 

[throwedindagame]

Originally Posted by Dmvbatman

lot's of employer's always ask for someone with loooooads and loads of experience.

but then i think of all the college kids and graduates and wonder...if all of these employer's are asking for experience, then what chance do student's coming out of college have?

Internships and Co-ops?

I've seen people with 3-4 internships on their resume by Senior year and people with 0. If you are in the latter category you are SOL in this market. You better have a high GPA and stellar ECs or connections.

 

[throwedindagame]

Originally Posted by Dmvbatman

lot's of employer's always ask for someone with loooooads and loads of experience.

but then i think of all the college kids and graduates and wonder...if all of these employer's are asking for experience, then what chance do student's coming out of college have?

Internships and Co-ops?

I've seen people with 3-4 internships on their resume by Senior year and people with 0. If you are in the latter category you are SOL in this market. You better have a high GPA and stellar ECs or connections.