So now that I am in my final year of school and have pretty much narrowed down what my career will be, I am in the process of searching for jobs. Now, I know I’m not officially done school until May, at the end of my internship, but it’s exciting to look. Mainly I just go to the CPRS and IABC website to look. They always have great jobs up all over the place. But it seems like evertime I look at these job posts, everyone wants someone with 5-10 years experience! I’ve seen some that only want 3-5 years, but what about us entry-level people?! Are we not allowed to apply for these jobs, or is there some secret rule that we could because we might actually get the job? I don’t know. I guess I will just have to apply and pray. However, I must say that the upper-level jobs that do require experience pay great money. So it’s only a matter of time before I could be working one of those jobs!!
I remember looking at some job descriptions in Intro last term. Like you’ve pointed out, many of them said an applicant had to have five to 10 years experience in the field, which is unfortunate for us newbies. However, I remember Christine said we could still make the running for those positions asking for applicants with three to five years experience.
Perhaps it’s all about knowing how to use our school projects and transferable skills as the experience employers are looking for.
The way I see it, if employers give us a chance, we can show we can be just what they’re looking for : )
Being open to possibilities leads you in some interesting directions. At this point, forget about waiting for the “ideal” Field Placement or the “best” starting position. This approach often leads to disappointment.
Get in the game first. Get in the game now.
Apply for positions/internships where you think you might make a meaningful contribution. If your application package impresses, you’ll land the interview. If that goes well, you’ll get an offer.
Then, and only then, can you negotiate and see if the offer meets some of your criteria, whether its organizational preference, geography, corprate culture, nature of work, etc.
As a part of last month’s in-class exercise to get the juices flowing — I’m still trying to determine where I picture myself five years from now. (Intended to act as light conversation, I’ve found myself in a quarter-life crisis. Just joking, I don’t take it THAT seriously.)
I second your concerns about years 1-5 in the field. Suppose, after our internships, full-time placement is not an option. In fact, I’m banking on the fact that my placement will only be two months. I understand the importance and benefits of networking to find un-advertised opportunities, but what are the best resources and job search tools for finding advertised entry-level positions?