Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to connect through my WeCare service (yes, this is still an option- use the link at the bottom to sign up for a session) with a recent graduate who is in the process of transitioning away from the industry of her degree and into something that is more viable and excites her drives her excitement about the future. She is willing to put in the time and effort to make such a transition successful, despite having limited professional experience. Our conversation struck an accord with me because it was not unique. Often during the year, I have multiple sessions with graduates who are looking in new directions for one reason or another. 2020 was no exception, with individuals struggling to even complete their degrees against a backdrop of limited resources and rolling lockdowns.
Given the 2020 environment and the high number of recruiters who faced unemployment and the reemployment from the candidate-side for the first time in many years, it amazes me how little things seem to have changed. But, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and meaningful change takes time. Throughout 2020 we saw the labor market swing wildly, from historically low unemployment to historically high. Now we are settled back into something in the middle, depending on your area of the country. Despite providing a broad spectrum in hiring situations, 2020 seems to have left a minimal impression on the actual mechanics and processes of how hiring is done. Hiring announcements are still being announced on media, but most candidates are still struggling to get a foot in the door.
All of this brings us back to my session with Ms. Grad. While we reviewed the strategy for her transition and went through her resume, she also asked a series of questions. For some, these might be self-explanatory or common knowledge, but I found it a refreshing situation to take the time to look at each with a fresh perspective. All of these have answers to them- prevailing wisdom, expectations, and anecdotes- which shape some of the most basic assumptions of how millions of candidates pursue their next role. However, none of them are great answers. And I think therein lies the root of the frustrations of those same millions of people. I thought it would be helpful to share some of her questions and my opinion on each. I hope that will open the door for others to comment and share their insights as well. (Questions slightly edited for clarity.)
Some companies that state they require experience but will hire the right person without it. If this is the case, why do they state the 2-3 years of experience as a REQUIREMENT instead of a PREFERENCE?
Super fundamental question, without a clear answer. There can be many factors. Typically even though it is listed as a requirement, if you read the job description and everything else seems to line up, then this should not limit you from applying. From speaking with recruiters and hiring managers in the past, sometimes the people that are internally filing roles are on somewhat different pages. The hiring manager may feel strongly that experience is necessary and ideal, but the recruiting team knows that they will not be able to pay someone who has 3 years of experience OR that the labor market has fewer candidates with 2-3 years than they were expecting. Therefore, it is my opinion to view all postings as written with the ideal interview candidate.
Why do almost all companies (including those where a degree is required), say they need experience? In college, you are told that internships are the way to obtain that experience. However, when you graduate, you often find out otherwise in the interviews. Which is it? If it is true that they are usually disregarded, why do colleges tell you otherwise? And why do companies not recognize that valuable experience?
Let’s take the last part first. All internships are not created equally. That is why you still must go through an application and selection process. So in any given field, some experiences are going to be more valuable than others. Another factor is something I like to think of as the resale value. It is true, a lot of universities and folks in higher education often overestimate or oversell the value of their produce. But with enrollments continuing to rise along with average tuition, it is usually a sellers’ market in higher education. And often, those on campus are well-meaning and are not entirely connected to the shifting changes in hiring practices and hiring processes. If your professor in tells you it is a valuable experience, it might be because it was a valuable experience for them when they were at your career stage. As for the person sitting across the table in the interview, well, if it is an unrelated field, they will probably only be impressed if it is a well-known organization or you can really engage them on the kind of experiences you had.
Internships are one way to gain that experience. Other ways include volunteering, venturing/organizing your own experience, and working adjacent roles. Volunteering is pretty self-explanatory- find an organization or group that is doing something intimately related to the roles and industry you seek. Venturing is a little more open. Create your own experience while you are in school- not necessarily for credit or profit. Try to set yourself in that future interviewer’s shoes. What kind of experiences will they be looking for, and how can you best gain that experience. Lastly, working adjacent roles. This is the old experience of taking whatever opening at a company and in an industry connected to where you are going. It will still require you to put some effort forward, but maybe you will start to build a connection for the future after you graduate.
My final thought on this is, again, that experience is in the eye of the beholder. In the question, it said, an interviewer said otherwise. To me, that means that you need to work harder on your candidate narrative and examples. Sure, there will be times when you can’t convince the person across the table about how you picked up the right transferable skills from your previous experience. But, if you got an interview, then odds are that you have at least have a shot. Make sure that you come prepared with specific examples of the skills you think are most important for this new role and industry.
Why do so many companies not post pay information or use phrases like "pay commensurate with experience"? What does that even mean? The pay could be anything from minimum wage or $50k. Is there a strategy behind it?
Remember that first question about 2-3 years of experience. Companies do this to allow for flexibility in the hiring process. They have their ideal candidate and price range in mind. But maybe they end up hiring someone with less experience. They don’t want to end up paying a premium for that inexperience. And there are circumstances where they are filling multiple openings by using the same job posting. This also can provide candidates with the opportunity to negotiate (albeit somewhat blindly).
I agree and think that more transparency should be provided. The labor market seems to agree too; otherwise, things like Glassdoor and LinkedIn’s expected salary tool wouldn’t exist. If employers listed their pay ranges, I tend to think that it would go a long way to reducing the vast number of applications they receive for each role. After all, candidates do not want to waste their own time either. But there are broad salary ranges in every geographic area, and the more you research and connect, the better informed you will be and can focus in on the opportunities you can afford to take. If this is your #1 make-or-break condition, spend the time finding a way to get that info.
As I said, I hope that this is a starting point for the grads out there who are just getting their first taste of the job market and for those of us that need to pause every once and a while to consider why things are the way they are.
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