Three Practical Ways You Can Gain Work Experience

By , Contributor
Do you dream of landing a particular job but don’t have the adequate experience? The criteria “must at least have one year (or more) experience” is frustrating for any person who has just graduated or who’s hoping for a career change. After all, how can you gain experience when no one wants give you experience? Fortunately, there are people and organizations out there who can help you in this area. Here are some suggestions.

Look for Entry-Level Jobs

entry level.jpgThe obvious way for many people would be to get an entry-level job. Everyone has to start somewhere, and an entry-level job would be one of the best ways for you to acquire the necessary skills to jump start your career. Entry-level jobs are usually seen as low-paying jobs where your skills will be underestimated. However, they also have certain benefits. First, they give you the opportunity to decide if this is the field you really want to get into. Getting hands-on experience can help you decide if a particular job can be made into a full-blown career. If you’re truly set on pursuing a particular field, then the hardships that come with the job should be taken as challenges you’ll learn to surmount.

Second, entry-level jobs also give you the opportunity to ask questions. Experts don’t have the same privileges of asking basic questions. After all, it’s already expected that they know the answer. Being a newbie puts you in a good position to ask and inquire. Third, entry-level jobs also teach you a very important character trait—humility. You can make the most out of any season in your career. When you’re just starting out is the best time to learn submission to authority. Fourth, you can be more motivated to seek a promotion. Just because you’re in an entry-level job doesn’t mean that you’ll have to stay there. This is your chance not just to improve but to also prove your worth.

Start Your Own Business

own business.jpgThis suggestion will take a bit more of guts on your part, but if you have the passion for business, a well thought-out plan, and a service or product that you think your community needs, then go for it. Starting a business entails hard work and investment, but there are ways to make it easier for you nowadays. For instance, you can start with opening an online business that won’t entail an actual physical office. You can set up your own virtual office by putting up a website, subscribing to VoIP service, and getting a virtual office address.

Volunteer

volunteer.jpgVolunteering is one of the best ways to gain experience and connect with amazing people. Many organizations like non-profits and churches lack manpower, and this gives you the great opportunity to practice your skills. Volunteer work also teaches you that some things can’t be acquired by money alone. Many volunteers testify to their experiences as life-changing and inspiring. For instance, volunteers at Habitat for Humanity describe their involvement with the non-profit organization as “meaningful, eye-opening, fun, and positive.” It is not only the volunteers’ lives that were changed, but those on the receiving end as well. Stories from those who built their own homes through Habitat share that they feel blessed and ecstatic to finally have a place to call their own after working so hard for it.

Volunteering doesn’t need to be with any organization; you can also volunteer your skills and time to your own circle of friends and family who in turn may recommend your services to other people. Don’t ever think of volunteering as a burden; rather, think of it as a great way to network with others and to share your talents and skills. The experience of volunteering is something that all other work experiences can’t give you.

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About the author

Nancy Perkins, a full-time mommy wannabe, has been a freelance online writer for two years now. She loves sharing information on health, business, technology, fashion, women's issues and motherhood. Nancy lives life to its fullest each day and is dreaming of retiring on an island she will someday own.

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