How to get experience - without experience?

amother

Mauve

Thu, Nov 15 2018, 10:52 pm

So I took a few years off... and now I'm looking for a job.

The problem is, that every job I am applying for wants experience. My experience is too old, and it doesn't work. But if I apply for a low level job to GET experience, they look at me resume and say - why should we hire you as you will leave in a year or two as soon as you get experience...

What

Any ideas?

amother

Purple

Thu, Nov 15 2018, 10:56 pm

The timeless catch-22. No advice, just sympathy.

Last edited by amother on Thu, Jul 11 2019, 7:38 pm; edited 1 time in total

Frumwithallergies

Thu, Nov 15 2018, 11:01 pm

It sounds like a tough catch 22.
Can you give us a hint about your field of work?
Not all fields require very recent work experience. Have you gotten many rejections from the jobs you really want?

amother

Mauve

Thu, Nov 15 2018, 11:04 pm

Frumwithallergies wrote:

It sounds like a tough catch 22.
Can you give us a hint about your field of work?
Not all fields require very recent work experience. Have you gotten many rejections from the jobs you really want?

Bookkeeping type of job, trying to go forward towards accounting.

amother

Taupe

Thu, Nov 15 2018, 11:07 pm

I had over 10 year gap in my resume. I researched this alot. I took off the dates of the jobs. It wasn't obvious that I was a SAHM for years. Bh I found an amazing job.

amother

Mauve

Thu, Nov 15 2018, 11:11 pm

amother wrote:

I had over 10 year gap in my resume. I researched this alot. I took off the dates of the jobs. It wasn't obvious that I was a SAHM for years. Bh I found an amazing job.

You just took off the dates? Like you wrote - worked for XYZ company and did not put in dates?

Thanks for responding! I didn't realize how demoralizing job hunting could be Crying

amother

Mauve

Thu, Nov 15 2018, 11:12 pm

zaq wrote:

Volunteer somewhere for a while.

Thanks! That sounds like a good idea!

amother

Mauve

Thu, Nov 15 2018, 11:12 pm

smileforamile wrote:

The timeless catch-22. No advice, just sympathy.

Thanks for the sympathy! I need it Sad

dankbar

Fri, Nov 16 2018, 12:17 am

With bookkeeping you can work independently from home for small businesses that don't have an in-house bookkeeper

amother

Smokey

Fri, Nov 16 2018, 12:54 am

amother wrote:

You just took off the dates? Like you wrote - worked for XYZ company and did not put in dates?

Thanks for responding! I didn't realize how demoralizing job hunting could be Crying

I am a recruiter and while this poster may have been successful her story is more similar to a one time lottery than the every day reality.

My clients will want to know if the candidate is currently employed and if not, why.

Getting back into the workforce is hard but not impossible. Don't get discouraged.
Be open to start lower. You will get there.

Eta If you post your salary requirements, available hours (and location if you can) I might be able to help you.

Good luck!

amother

Indigo

Fri, Nov 16 2018, 3:08 am

Such a hard situation! I was in the position of a career where to break in you either need job experience (but how do I get it?) Or to know the right people (I didn't). That was the first job training I had after high school, but I eventually went to school and got a degree in something totally different where b"h it is easy to get a job, and I think I am happier in my new career than I would have been in the old one.

So no advice here, just sympathy.

amother

Pewter

Fri, Nov 16 2018, 8:05 am

When I had just graduated and was looking for a job I also felt let down that everyone wanted to hire someone with experience.
At the end I found a job that wasn’t exactly in the field I was looking and they paid me more than I would have gotten had I found a job in the field I was trained in. I stayed there for almost 10 years!
So keep looking and be open and eventually something will work out.

amother

Taupe

Fri, Nov 16 2018, 8:50 am

amother wrote:

You just took off the dates? Like you wrote - worked for XYZ company and did not put in dates?

Thanks for responding! I didn't realize how demoralizing job hunting could be Crying

Yes I did remove the dates.

One place wanted to speaking to my last employer. I left him messages and sent him emails, but he didn't respond. I left because I wanted to become a SAHM. I lost that job as an option.

It took time to find my job. I started at $18 hr part time and went to full time salary, equivalent of over $35 hr in less than 2 years.

I guess I am an exception.

amother

Violet

Fri, Nov 16 2018, 5:01 pm

Depending on your nature, you may want to look into starting a small home business,
I went back into the job market after almost 20 years out, it was humiliating grabbing a job that I was over qualified for and getting minimal pay.

I left the job after feeling like I was not living up to my potential, still on the uphill battle now to be more established, but feel like I have control of my destiny.

I'm not saying type of business as it has to be your dream.

ides include: making something, either craft or food, providing some needed services in your area, some kind of class, writing, editing, pone calls, bookkeeping on your own, sales etc.
subbing in schools

Good luck

amother

Mauve

Sat, Nov 17 2018, 9:48 pm

Appreciate all these responses.

Thanks, violet, those are good suggestions, but starting a business is completely not my thing!

Thanks dankbar, thats a good idea. I'll look into it.

I guess that I'll have to start at a lower salary and hopefully be able to work my way up.

Thanks!