My 22-year-old daughter has a psychology degree. She is eager to work and has applied for numerous roles but misses out due to “lack of experience”.
Question:
How does she go about getting experience when she can’t get a job?
Answer:
While employers will ask for relevant experience, wise employers value what has been learned.
Your daughter’s job applications and the focus of any interviews therefore need to be the knowledge, understanding, and skills she is bringing to the job. These can be gained through a similar job, relevant tasks in different circumstances, or personal experience.
Volunteer work in an aged care home can demonstrate relationship skills and a focus on outcomes; taking a group of children on tour will show organisational, management and supervision skills; successful student seminars require the same preparation and presentation processes as professional work.
Encourage her to focus on what she knows and can do, and how effectively she learns new tasks, in order to increase her appeal to employers.
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