How do you get experience when they only employ people with experience?

paulac

I am going out of my mind! I just graduated from college two weeks ago. I have a degree in Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations, I have a higher certificate in Business and HRM, I have ECDL and I've been accepted to do a postgraduate diploma in legal studies in September so I'm looking for a job in a HR or legal environment, AND I CAN'T GET ONE!!!!!!!
Everywhere wants people with experience, I feel like I've wasted all my time in college and I am just feeling so down. I've even rang the free legal advice centre to volunteer for admin work a few evenings a week, and they only wanted people with experience. I know I'm not the only person who has experienced this problem so I ask you, how on earth do you get around it?

Sure, I could lie on my CV and get a friend to pretend to be a referee- this has been suggested to me but I just can't do that. I know I'm hard working, eager and I'd give the job 110%. I've studied hard, and worked hard to get the qualifications I got, my mam died and I still went on and now I'm just stuck in a dead end and I'm just so frustrated. Sorry about this, I know its a rant but its 3am, and I'm still combing through job adverts. I actually hate the fact its a friday and I have to wait till monday to keep trying.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'd greatly appreciate it,

Thanks
Paula

Magown3

I'm in the same boat Paula. My advice would be to send your cv out to every job that is remotely linked to what you want to do. You might have to work for pittance tho for a while which really pi55es me off.

Stick with it, you'll get there eventually. And as soon as you do get the experience... you're set for life... WAHOO:D

dbnavan

I have asked this same question several times, main answer I got a few times is offer your services for free for a couple of weeks to get the expierence. Not exactly what I wanted to hear either.

pantar_dubh

HRM degree with no experience? Here are some suggestions on how you can get experience, while at the same time perhaps get offered a part-time or full time job:
1. Moonlight: Offer to help take up the slack when an HR department is behind.
2. Internship: Work for slave wages until you get experience.
3. Temp help agencies: Go register at a temp agency and specify that you only want HR related assignments.
4. But most important of all, NETWORK. I cannot think of the names of the professional organisations that are HRM or HRD related, but look them up on the web. Or better yet, go back to your course instructors/professors and ask if they are members and if they would take you as a guest. Most of these organisations also have student chapters. JOIN! Then network, network, network!

Wait a minute, one came to mind. IFTDO (International Federation of Training & Development Organisations). They held their international conference at Trinity a few years ago. All the HRM and HRD orgs in Ireland were there, plus a good number from the rest of the world. For this to happen, Trinity had to be deeply involved, so someone over there on faculty would be a contact.

apprentice

my advice would be to get yourself a good cover letter to go with your cv. the way you explained your problem there was impressive. just get it into a cover letter and the right employer will love it. be honest. good luck

mikemac

http://www.gradireland.com/Jobs/EmpVacancyView.asp?intVacancyID=5719&intCurrentPage=0&intPageSize=50&blnEmployerProfiles=0&blnVacancies=1&intEmployerApprovedTF=1&intGTIApprovedTF=1&intAGCSIVacancyTF=0&intActiveStatusID=1&strTodaysDateString=00000000&strKeyword=&intAreaOfWorkID=0&intDegreeSubjectID=0&intRegionID=0&intVacancyTypeID=0

HR position

chump

Why don't you get a job in admin or some clerical work in a place that does HR or why don't you work in an employment agency... I'd imagine all people in HR would have to go thru that channel at some stage ... painful job no doubt but easy to land...

kittex

I'm not sure if it's the same area, but I do know that recruitment agencies in the UK are crying out for people to work as recruitment consultants. A lot of the ads stipulate 'no experience required'.
In Scotland alone for e.g: 247 HR jobs at the moment. You'd need to scout through to see which ones are entry level.

Obviously depends if it was feasible for you to jump over to the UK, even for a few months.

Smoggy

If you are really stuck try take a position thats related to your work area , but below what you would expect as entry level. How ever low you need to go , is a step on the ladder and a stepm in the right direction.