How can I gain experience in a job if the jobs require experience ?
By mor
@stringer321 (5682)
Kiryat Ata, Israel
September 2, 2012 5:51pm CST
I am a qualified tester of ISTQB and also graduated an SQA (software quality assurance) studies.
I'm looking for a job in SQA and most of the jobs require experience in things that we didn't learn during the SQA studies or even if we did , it was just basic level , only a couple of hours experience.
Most of the jobs require 1 years or more of experience or even a B.Sc degree for software QA job.
This is so not fair , my chance to find my first job in SQA feels so low.
How can I gain experience in the job requirements if I can't get accepted without meeting the requirements in first place ?
I'm telling you , if I manage to find a job in hi tech , I will tell in details what I do and what problems I need to solve , what programs I use and I will even pay people to help me so they gain some money and experience in hi tech jobs.
What do you think about this trap 22 of being unable to gain experience in hi tech jobs that most of them require experience (mandatory) in many things ?
Do you know any way how to develop experience in hi tech jobs even without getting hired to one ?
2 people like this
10 responses
@Christine637 (358)
• United States
3 Sep 12
I think we've all battled this when we start our careers. Unfortunately employers have the upper hand right now. Although it's not the best answer you're probably hoping for, but you might try volunteering somewhere. I worked for a Public Broadcasting (PBS)affiliate and we accepted volunteers at all skill levels. If you go that route you will have something to add to your resume and you will also meet people who will write letters of recommendation for you. You don't necessarily need to go to a public TV station - hospitals, libraries, political organization, or a charitable organization.
You feel you need money right now, I'm sure, you may need to work part time, volunteer part time before you're on your way to a full time career.
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
3 Sep 12
I really consider asking companies to hire me for a low salary because I need the experience. Volunteering there can be also a good idea. If they accept me , I will be more than happy to work for them for a part time job and on other days to work in another job to get some money.
@Christine637 (358)
• United States
3 Sep 12
That's the spirit - don't give up on your career when you have obstacles to overcome. Approaching the companies and discussing options is a great idea. Maybe if they don't want to hire you as a full-time employee yet maybe they can pay you to do a specific job to prove your worth. Remind them it's to their benefit too, what we call a "win-win" situation. Approaching them with options also shows you have initiative and problem solving skills.
1 person likes this
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
3 Sep 12
I like the win-win attitude you have just represented here. It can show the company that I have some creativity and will.
I help them with tasks and they get to hire me for low salary if any , and I gain experience.
I'm not sure if people do that but it will give me an advantage over the people who don't.(I will suggest this idea to some people in my class if I see them and they still don't get a job.)
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
8 Sep 12
Many times what might be best, is to find jobs that might be in this type of work but not so advanced and then work there proving what you know to where you can get some good references for other jobs like the ones you want in the future. Even check on.one if there is anything like this that you could do from home, or volunteer for, and then try it out. Wishing you all the best.
1 person likes this
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
8 Sep 12
Well , many jobs that are related to Software Quality Assurance are actually on the development of a software and that is much harder. Many such jobs require 1st degree in computer sciences B.Sc or program engineering degree. Well , I learned some of those but I never completed them. It was too hard. I started to see what SQA jobs require and I start to read and learn it alone. So far , I read 50 pages about XML...and there are 950 more pages in English :P
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
7 Sep 12
I would suggest that when you apply for a job and you tell them you don't have the experience, and they refuse you for the job, ask them how to get the chance to get your first job, since they are in the industry they will know. You might even land a job in the company at a slightly lower level but can gain the experience you need to land the job you want.
1 person likes this
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
8 Sep 12
The problem is also to get invited to a job interview.
I send my details and what I learned and some things I worked at but they never return to me. How do you call that document with the details and the work experience that one sends to the company so they read it and think about hiring him ?
Well , I started to read about new material about XML that can help me with my education. I also started reading about open source projects (when the software's code is available on the internet and people can work with it and develop it together...) I hope I will find an opportunity to practice some bug detecting , documenting an SQA process and hopefully , I will be able to show it as a work experience.
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
3 Sep 12
Hi Stringer, I agree, it stinks...I gave up applying for a para-professional job, because even though I got the second highest score on the exam in the county, my foot isn't in the door..In other words, I don't have a car so I can go and volunteer at the local school, yet on my resume I added many varieties of work I was able to do, from being an assistant girl scout leader for 12 years, to being a dance instructor for children as young as 5. So I am able to teach children, but because I never dealt with children in a school, they haven't even considered an interview...
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
3 Sep 12
I don't understand what SQA really means, I am assuming that "software" means it does have to do with computers? What about a computer store, either one that sells or fixes computers?
@marguicha (230365)
• Chile
3 Sep 12
I have always thought that this is a trap to pay people a lower salary because they are "learning the trade". It doesn´t happen only in tech jobs, but everywhere. And then, later, if you have the experience after several years of work, you are overqualified and they don´t want you either
.
.@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
3 Sep 12
My mother tells me about students for education and teaching. They need to have an internship . (an internship is a year of experiencing in teaching at school or a kinder garden as part of the qualification and graduating the studies). She tells me about some students that have no choice but to offer themselves for free just to get the internship or else , they just won't find an internship.
@fantasticbabe (981)
• Philippines
3 Sep 12
also struggle with the same problem being a fresh graduate before so finding a job is rally difficult. many company should understand that even those former graduates from college have no or less experience and resort to self employment such as being freelancer with no regular jobs. so just accept any jobs even unrelated to your course just to put information based from your past work. even though may seem different from the skills you learn it would still be valuable since you could write it in your resume. some employers are looking for multi task candidates so gathering different working experience even unrelated s a must.
1 person likes this
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
3 Sep 12
That's right , I will even need experience in programming some times. I will need experience in networking , automation with software we didn't learn...
many jobs today require many skills.
If only those studies were more practical with real tasks from the industry.
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
9 Sep 12
That is the hard part for sure. There are a lot of places that require that experience but if they do have an applicant that they see potential in, they will consider them because they can teach them in the manner that they want. So don't be too down about it...go ahead and put those resumes in!
Here when computer students are in school, some colleges have agreements with certain companies to do internships so that they can have some hands on. Maybe you could ask a company or two to allow you to work with one of their specialists. Nown that does nothing for the wallet, but if you could do it, it might get you a little experience.
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
9 Sep 12
I hope companies will like it. I know teaching costs money and it takes time so even if I volunteer , it will cost money to the company in a way.
If they set me a specialist to teach me , he will need some time for me to show me how he does his job. If I had a company , I would happily accept volunteers to teach them the work , even if they have no experience , but , the costs will have to go down from somewhere...
@prashu228 (37518)
• India
3 Sep 12
its common in every field, they want experience, i don't understand the point, if even one needs an experienced person, what about the freshers, who will give them the job? that's the reason why many are putting fake experience certificate , can't blame the people too, if the companies are like that, they are forced to do so, even though its wrong and illegal.
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
3 Sep 12
No man , that's illegal to lie about experience. What happens when they find out ?
It can be a bad mark for the rest of one's life. I do hope that some projects of hi tech tasks for everyone will start and will be available so people can start from somewhere.
@NailTech (6874)
• United States
3 Sep 12
know what you mean, it is a terrible vicious circle for some. I have experienced this as well, but never had a college degree either. I wish you the best of luck and send you some positive vibes so you can find the job of your dreams in this particular field.
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
3 Sep 12
I think practical suggestions will help even more. Thanks for the positive vibes. Your cute picture also melts my heart.
Don't you know anyone who works at a hi tech job and how he managed to find a job or at least get some on hands experience ?
I think the only way to do it without getting hired to a job is to find open source projects I can help with. I still didn't find such things.
@manduri20 (108)
• Uganda
3 Sep 12
you can say that you have a years experience it can work it is not neccessarily that they always want that they only want someone good for the job and that could be you
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
3 Sep 12
I will be honest to tell them what I can do or what I did but not how many years of experience I have because it will be a lie.
I can say maybe that I study alone from books , that I did this and that...Don't forget they can ask for phone numbers from previous workplaces to investigate my experience.
