One
of the biggest frustrations that young people have who are just
trying to start out is "How do I get experience?" It seems
that every time you try to get a job they want someone who already
has experience. But, how in the world are you ever going to get
experience if you can't get hired?
The
best answer I can give you is this. Start by concentrating on what
you can do instead of what you can't do. Use that as a base to work
from and start building that base larger. Then, when you write your
resume include the abilities you have developed even if you never
used them in a job.
Develop
as many "portable" skills as you can. These are the
abilities that you will need regardless of what type of job you may
have. This could include learning to speak in public or maybe just
learning to express yourself more clearly. It might be learning to
listen so you understand what someone really means. It might be
learning to control your temper and use anger in a positive way. Or,
it could be learning to manage your money or your time more effectively.
Determine
what kinds of jobs you are interested in, and find out what skills
are needed for those jobs. Then find out about as many other jobs as
you can that use those same skills. Then try to get a part-time job,
even if it is a volunteer job, so that you can learn some of those
skills. (For more on skills, see the article "Looking for Career
Clues" in this section.)
In
addition to finding out what your interests are, develop new
interests as well. Go to the library and look through the magazines.
Find some that have articles about subjects you don't know anything
about, and read at least part of several of those articles. You may
find yourself wanting to know more about something you never even
thought about.
Or,
take a course in something that has obvious benefits but that you
don't know much about. For example, you might take a class in cooking
so you could at least have more to eat than peanut butter sandwiches
if you were on your own for a day or two. Even if you find out that
you don't like it you may meet someone who's involved in something
else you find appealing. And, you'll still be learning something useful.
Another
thing you can do if you go to college is to get an internship job.
This is usually a non-paying job that you take for the experience.
Many colleges and universities are now making internships a
requirement for graduation, so if you are going to college this
decision may be made for you.
And,
remember that some of the abilities you developed as you were
growing up could be valuable to a potential employer. Just because
you never had a job doing something you're good at doesn't take away
from the fact that you do it well.
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