# "Experience Required"



## SelleSnowy (Dec 9, 2013)

This is my rant about trying to secure an entry level position in my field. I'm sure many of you recent graduates can relate!

I studied Animal Veterinary Science at a very competitive university. My parents agreed to split my loans 50/50 IF I finished in exactly 4 years, with no course repeats. It's widely known to be a 5-year degree, but I worked my butt off, took 21 + units, and took summer classes to finish exactly 4 years later.

Now I am finding this to be a poor decision, because I wasn't able to work a minimum wage starting position in my field while in school and build experience.

Nevermind that my classes were all hands-on.
Nevermind that I completed 3 internships in animal health & husbandry.
Nevermind that I have been volunteering with animal organizations for 7 years.

Because I don't have _paid_ animal experience, I cannot secure a job in my field. Even becoming a kennel tech who gets paid $9.00/hour says "3+ years experience required".

Where do you get experience, if every level job requires experience???

What a stupid system. It just feeds companies to hire friends and family, because they put up these barriers to anyone new. I have a long collection of rejection letters for jobs that I fully qualify for, because I "lack experience". 
Ex. The reptile zoo said that I didn't have enough experience with children.

...I've worked at Disneyland, at a therapeutic riding center, and on weekends I used to be a contracted children's party princess. I even told them that during the interview.

"Lack Experience" is clearly a cover up for "We hired someone's cousin/best friend/schoolmate instead".

Now I have to consider applying to vet school because I can't find a job with my BS. Vet school is more competitive than med school, and pretty much the same price but you almost never make as much salary as a doctor does to pay it back. Rock and a hard place, for sure.

Having SA and being a transplant to my area makes it pretty hard to network with the people I need to, any suggestions?


----------



## jessewills (Jan 24, 2014)

Dear friend, i am very sorry to hear that you are not getting your desire job just because of poor system. But you don't loose your hope. Just keep trying in some other organisation. Your education won't go in vain, you'll definitely get your desired job.


----------



## allthatsparkles (Mar 1, 2013)

Wait, do these positions really require paid experience? Most of my friends (also recent grads) use unpaid internships and other volunteer work as their "work experience" on their resumes and it seems to work fine for them. 

Are you specifying on your resume that the internships you had were unpaid?


----------



## Lish3rs (May 5, 2013)

Unfortunately, the hiring process does involve networking connections. Companies first go from possible internal hiring then to someone an employee knows, etc. At least that's what the pyramid sorta looks like in "What Color is Your Parachute".

I would think in most cases that experience can paid or unpaid. It's all still experience.


----------



## ShadowOnTheWall (Dec 24, 2010)

You can get experince with volunteer work, though that can be hard to get to. Politicians design the econamy for other rich old guys like themselves, not out our generation


----------



## Psychonaut (Jan 25, 2014)

SelleSnowy said:


> This is my rant about trying to secure an entry level position in my field. I'm sure many of you recent graduates can relate!
> 
> I studied Animal Veterinary Science at a very competitive university. My parents agreed to split my loans 50/50 IF I finished in exactly 4 years, with no course repeats. It's widely known to be a 5-year degree, but I worked my butt off, took 21 + units, and took summer classes to finish exactly 4 years later.
> 
> ...


It's not you, it's the economy.

The most important thing to remember is that companies tell you you're inexperienced because employers have unrealistic demands. They want someone with 9+ years of experience for an entry level salary. When the truth is, you (and everyone else) are worth more than 9 dollars an hour...

But that's just my two cents.


----------



## blueidealist26 (Dec 16, 2012)

allthatsparkles said:


> Wait, do these positions really require paid experience? Most of my friends (also recent grads) use unpaid internships and other volunteer work as their "work experience" on their resumes and it seems to work fine for them.
> 
> Are you specifying on your resume that the internships you had were unpaid?


Yeah, don't specifically say the positions were unpaid unless asked, and see if that helps. I didn't even know a position of my friend's was unpaid until I looked at the company website lol.


----------



## blueidealist26 (Dec 16, 2012)

Psychonaut said:


> It's not you, it's the economy.
> 
> The most important thing to remember is that companies tell you you're inexperienced because employers have unrealistic demands. They want someone with 9+ years of experience for an entry level salary. When the truth is, you (and everyone else) are worth more than 9 dollars an hour...
> 
> But that's just my two cents.


For sure. Something's gotta change sometime.. this can't go on forever.


----------



## SelleSnowy (Dec 9, 2013)

blueidealist26 said:


> Yeah, don't specifically say the positions were unpaid unless asked, and see if that helps. I didn't even know a position of my friend's was unpaid until I looked at the company website lol.


Hm this is good advice especially since the organizations I've volunteered at and interned with are small businesses, and some aren't even around anymore to verify that I even worked there.

Not saying I would ever lie on a resume, but it's true that paid/unpaid experience shouldn't matter - it's all experience.


----------



## SelleSnowy (Dec 9, 2013)

Psychonaut said:


> It's not you, it's the economy.
> 
> The most important thing to remember is that companies tell you you're inexperienced because employers have unrealistic demands. They want someone with 9+ years of experience for an entry level salary. When the truth is, you (and everyone else) are worth more than 9 dollars an hour...
> 
> But that's just my two cents.


 I believe this as well. I've heard all across the board that people can't find jobs, even people who went into Nursing. We were all lied to that going to college = more job opportunities.

Hopefully there is an upswing soon, but with all the companies outsourcing and downsizing it'll take a long time to readjust, if at all.


----------



## ToughUnderdog (Jul 7, 2013)

I'm in almost the same exact position as you are: educated; have all kinds of volunteer and some customer service experience; and am capable of going beyond the tasks of a job if given the opportunity. This whole economy has been one gigantic mess for several years now. We have older folks that cannot get a job because of their experience and proximity to retirement age (and Wal-Mart greeters); we have young college students graduating with a mountain of student loan debt who cannot get any kind of experience; and then we have people that have been laid off looking for work at no fault of their own. Added to that, a declining middle class where people just can't follow their dreams. 

It's too bad that you can't lie on your resume. That might take some explaining to do once you get to an interview and if they find out. 

You just have to try and chart your own path. Right now I've been speaking with a gentlemen about getting into a stable industry where I can utilize my business degree and build actual hands on experience at the same time.


----------



## SelleSnowy (Dec 9, 2013)

ToughUnderdog said:


> We have older folks that cannot get a job because of their experience and proximity to retirement age (and Wal-Mart greeters); we have young college students graduating with a mountain of student loan debt who cannot get any kind of experience; and then we have people that have been laid off looking for work at no fault of their own. Added to that, a declining middle class where people just can't follow their dreams.


 That's the biggest reason I can't quit my current, awful job and pursue volunteering full time. Not so much that I can't find the money for short-term, but any break in employment right now wouldn't be short-term like in better days. Even trying to get my current job back after a hiatus would take a miracle.



ToughUnderdog said:


> You just have to try and chart your own path. Right now I've been speaking with a gentlemen about getting into a stable industry where I can utilize my business degree and build actual hands on experience at the same time.


Hopefully that opportunity picks up for you! Networking seems to be the only way to get into an industry. I keep looking for ways to get more involved but I can never meet the right people.

I currently volunteer at the San Diego Zoo (where I'd love to work) and I meet people who work there and they are very supportive, but the supervisors are hidden in back trailers in Employee Only zones which I am not allowed to enter. I'll keep trying, but I don't know how it'll go.


----------



## spitfire444 (Feb 7, 2014)

Sorry to hear that - you seem like you are committed to caring for animals. This is a great gift to have. I am sure that things will get better and I will waft some GOOD KARMA your way.


----------



## londonguy202 (Jan 10, 2014)

Every job I apply requires exp. I so wish I was white. They just take one look at me and no


----------



## twitchy666 (Apr 21, 2013)

*The Type of Rejection I suffer from*

I what I need to understand, personally

Experience required does make me sick when I want to stand up and make it clear that I can and have done before. All companies buy specially designed for then and they need someone who used the same for 50 years. The underpinnings are all the same. Whether the front screen is white or blue, it all does the same job. Healthcare, CRM, telecomms.


----------

