4 Ways to Get Work Experience

I used to feel discouraged when reading job postings. They all seem to want someone with experience. But if no one hires me, how will I ever get the work experience I need to get hired? Not only was I frustrated, I was going cross-eyed just thinking about this faux paradox. Surely there must be a way to break the cycle? The good news– there is!

Hop Aboard the Internship

They may not pay much, if anything, but internships are a great way to get work experience and college credit. The IT-Web Designer/Developer program, which I’m enrolled in at MPTC, requires internship hours in order to graduate. They won’t let me leave school without getting experience first. It makes sense to me.

Recently, MPTC tweeted a link to an internship site, and I was happy to sign up for it. Keep your eye out for internship opportunities. Sometimes companies will hire an intern after the internship period is over. That’s work experience that can lead directly to a permanent job!

Trade Your Skills for Real World Experience

Volunteering doesn’t pay cash, but it could pay off when you need work experience. It’s a great option if you need schedule flexibility. If you can only give a few hours of your time every other week, they’ll take it. I love volunteering. It’s beneficial for everyone involved. You get to exercise your skills and the organization gets help. Through The Volunteer Center of Washington County I found a volunteer opportunity at an educational non-profit.

Find a non-profit related to your career interests and offer your services. You won’t likely be turned down. PS – It’s a great way to network!

Ahoy Ye! Do It For Free

When you need work experience, consider doing it for free. I have a background in graphic design. Most employers want their graphic designers to have published design work, even for entry-level positions. How did I get published work without having a job first? By creating guest speaker advertisements in the newspaper and designing the directory for my church. I didn’t get paid, but I did get published.

Arrr Ye Forgettin’ Somethin’?

Lastly, this might be something you may have overlooked or dismissed. I did at first. But, you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of your previous jobs. Many people start with jobs in the food and retail industries. They may seem unrelated to your future career, but if you worked in these industries you have customer service experience along with many transferable skills that can apply to almost any job. I learned about transferable skills in my Career Development class at MPTC. You can meet with a career instructor to discuss what transferable skills you may have picked up in previous jobs and learn how to apply it to your future job.

Don’t be lily-livered about not having experience, me maties. Be adventurous in finding opportunities and you may land-ho a job!

Completing Self-Paced Microsoft Access Course

Despite the fact that I thought December 8 was a Friday when it was actually a Thursday, I still completed all my self-paced Microsoft Access work at Moraine Park Technical College a few days early.

For self-paced classes, MPTC uses an online training system called MyITLab. I first used this at the beginning of the semester when I took the self-paced Microsoft Excel course. It took some time to learn how to navigate through the training system. When I started the Access class, I was much more comfortable with the system, and it went very smoothly.

I can see how Microsoft Access comes in handy when you have to manage several things for a company that requires more than a simple spreadsheet. I liked the label-making feature that allows me to make address labels. The book showed a lot of different ways to customize forms and reports to make them look nice and unique.

Even though this was a self-paced class, there were open lab hours staffed by the instructors of the courses a few times a week every week. I went in there a few times to work and to ask some questions I had. It was nice to work in that lab because the computer monitors had a horizontal orientation. I could have the PDF instructions on one side of the screen and the program open up on the other side of the screen.

The last task to complete for the course required some critical thinking. It was the Core Ability Self-Assessment. Besides learning technical skills, MPTC stresses these core abilities that employers are looking for in their employees. These things are transferable to every job position and include things like thinking critically and creatively, acting responsibly, and communicating clearly, just to name a few. I had to explain, while working through this course, how I demonstrated these abilities.

Since I turned in all my work early, my instructor was able to grade my work early. I am very pleased with my final grade. I feel confident that I learned the program well, and I’m excited to add it to my resume during winter break. I’m glad it’s over though, because I spent hours in the computer lab each week, and I’m looking forward to spending more time moving around and less time sitting.

Week in Review: A Reflection of September 26 – 30, 2011

This week I realized there are only a few more classes left until two of my one-credit classes are done. After that I start a two-credit class, Beginning Photoshop. I’m also more than halfway through my self-paced Excel course.

My self-paced Excel course was very challenging at first. I’m used to a more traditional style of learning that takes place in the classroom. With the self-paced course I’m using a book and online project simulations. It was a new way of learning for me. I could move through material as quickly or as slowly as I wanted to. I liked that. However, there’s a lot of information to take in for each lesson plan. But this week things are finally clicking for me, and I enjoyed completing this last lesson plan, and I even got it done ahead of schedule. So, what I learned this week is to just hang in there when something is difficult. Lots of things are difficult but very few things in life are impossible.

Besides learning the software program thoroughly, I’m gaining some useful transferable skills. I’m developing problem-solving skills, self-motivation, and organizational skills. These are the kind of skills any employer would like to have in their employees. We talked about transferable skills in my last Career Development class session, so I’ve been thinking about them lately and how I can convey them to future employers.

When I’m done learning Excel in mid October I will begin the self-paced Access course. This will also be a challenge. In a way I think it’ll be easier, because I am more comfortable with this learning format. It’s good to learn new things and new ways of learning new things.