I am really get so sick of having people ask me what experience I have in interviews for the most mundane low paying jobs that anyone could learn in 15 minutes.  

Why are people always asking what experience does someone have?  Every job requires some training.  Likely if you worked somewhere else they would want you to do everything their way and not how you did it before somewhere else.  I usually do some research on-line to principles and how that relates to what I did before or know.  I might not be doing the exact same job but the principles are often the same.  

It is always about what experience do you have?  Then I tell them and I find out that they hired some person with no experience or never worked before?  I am even omitting other jobs I did before from CV to prevent me from appearing overqualified.  

I remember applying for some takeout counter job that asked for no experience.  I explained in the cover letter that I understood how cleanliness was important, proper food handling etc.  Still when I went for the interview this person was asking me "So you have NO EXPERIENCE whatsoever?".  I just ended up walking out.  It is not about pay either because I am willing to take low pay/ bad hours etc.  

I am not bad looking, dirty or smelly?  

Is there some secret that I don't know about?

Experince in a way is very important, but sometimes when they ask it it gets really really anonying.

You know yourself, you know what you are able of, you know that you can learn something within 15 min...
-  but they don't!

Experience proofs, that you have basically the ability to do the activities they require.

To have more or higher skills than required 'proofs' that you will be bored or defiant, was isn't good.

To have lesser skills than required 'proofs' that they risk to invest futile time in your initial trainig. But this risk is often taken willingly, because the reward are low payroll costs.


I'm looking for a new job myself and that's what I have learned, that I have to help them to assess my skills and abilities, because they don't know me and because they usually don't have a crystal ball.

I must say I came across a job ad that made the most mundane job (weed spraying) seem like rocket science. It went like this. "You are part of a high performing team undertaking urban weed control activities which will be conducted by the latest spraying technology."

Yeah, really. You walk around with a knapsack weed wacking with herbicide while getting soaked with the darn stuff. Experience? You don't fall over with a loaded knapsack and can walk all day in 40*C plus temperatures.

I opened that "job" up and left it on the screen at the employment agency I am forced to go to till the uni gives me an answer and got everyone forced to be there in to have a good laugh.

They want experiance because they are too lazy to start from scratch with a newbie. But if someone has experiance, they learn quicker and are faster to train.

That works... (sometimes)

I enjoyed the ad and the uni employment center that was looking for "no experience neccesary, we will train, females only, apply in person" for exotic dancers.  Another student was looking for a programming job remarked something about "hardware and software required".    

"I'm looking for a new job myself and that's what I have learned, that I have to help them to assess my skills and abilities, because they don't know me and because they usually don't have a crystal ball."
I was really being to think that all these interviewers are almost illiterate.  Of course I put my skills and experience on my CV and cover letter.  

I am not really good at convincing people at anything that is why I don't apply for sales jobs.  

I have people calling me for nanny/housekeeping jobs that want to know if I speak a second language?  Why?  Also what experience I have -- I did child/elder care and cleaning for my own family.  I expect that another family would have different standards than mine.  

It is all about blaming the unemployed for their plight instead of admitting the economy is ruined.  Put me into a training course so the government has some new statistics.  I will counted as being in training rather than unemployed.

They usually have far more applicants than they can handle so they try and find reasons to discourage as many as possible. They also might have somebody lined up for the job but are obliged to advertise to make it look as if they are hiring.

So don't blame me for not having a job then.  I try.  I think often that people will hire who they like in interviews.  People always tell me that they didn't like me when they first met me (no particular reason because I didn't do or say anything wrong).   They tell me that when they get to know me that I am a nice person and they seemed surprised by that.

The employment agency I am forced to attend till the Uni lets me continue wanted to jam me in some sort of labouring or sales job or God forbid, a truck driving job (yes I do have an unrestricted heavy vehicle licence) I told them point blank I wouldn't last the day after getting lost and that they agreed with that.

So they promised to find me part time work as an Industrial Chemist (they mumbled something about testing stuff for an environmental firm). Well I will need to as I won't be getting a scholarship from the uni when I return (hopefully) and due to reduction in lab time on undergraduate courses there won't be much work as a lab demonstrator. Mind you it pays OK at $34 per hour. 4 hours per session.

I do notice the uni has listed me as masters by research (which is classed as the beginning of a doctorate also) and given me a staff email account. That is a good sign I think. But apart from that I cannot glean anything else.

In my desired industry the usual employment tricks don't work as everything is done through employment agencies. They do my resume, they market me and are supposed to find appropriate work for me. Lets see.

Sorry, I should have phrased more precise. I meant softskills. You too?

Something like this, what was my first search result looking for an example:
Skills & Qualities
 Ambition – the will, ability and confidence to succeed in any chosen environment
 Problem Solving and Lateral Thinking; Analysis and Research – learned through academic work and my STEP placement
 I.T. Skills – excellent working knowledge of most Microsoft Products; familiarity with a number of file and account management systems
 Teamwork – particularly whilst working on larger commercial clients during my internship with PricewaterhouseCoopers
 Aptitude for Learning Quickly – through all my work experiences I have developed the ability to learn and use new systems of working with minimal training where time is of the essence
 Communication Skills – used widely both in my degree studies and my work placements where working with clients has been a key factor
 Interpersonal Skills – developed initially when working with patients in a hospital environment and then developed further in all my work placements
 Customer Focus – through work as a bar person, a call centre operative as well as work in a professional environment with a leading financial services provider
 Time Management – the need to juggle paid work with my academic studies has focussed my mind  on working efficiently in order to meet my deadlines
 Flexibility – the ability to adapt rapidly to a new work environment and also a new cultural environment

Woh! I think that would be well in advance over what most of us are capable of. If they didn't hire you after seeing that, there's something seriously wrong with them.

Work experience is vital to our students. It is clear that employers place a high value on graduates having work experience (Being 'work ready' tops employers' wish list), and evidence suggests that students are more likely to be successful in obtaining employment if they have previously had good quality work experience (Learning Through Work Placements and Beyond).

Appropriate Work-Place Attitude: The main reason that I want the people I hire to have experience is that they already know the difference between a workplace and a night club.  Nearly every kid I've hired fresh out of college still has the "party attitude" and does not quite understand that they were hired to work and not socialize.  Those that dig right in and get to work have been those that have held down jobs since high school.

Secondarily, they already know that what they learned from their school books and their woo-woo instructors does not necessarily apply to the real world.  As they say, "In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice, but in reality there is."  Those with little or no practical experience, but with a lot of book-learning, can only learn this from experience.

This post was last modified: 05-03-2010 04:24 PM by Fnord.