Today, I Got My First Rejection Call

Reflection on Experience vs. Potential

This morning I received word that after Friday's interview, Job Position #1 was filled by an individual with more career experience. Let me start by saying that this is not a "pity me" post, but rather documentation of the first bump on the road that is my job search.

The Good News: I was informed that in comparison to other college graduates who applied, my experience in student leadership and event planning was a step ahead of the pack.

The Big Frustration: It's not possible to have career experience as a college graduate, and nearly every job opening is searching for an applicant with at least two years of experience.

The Plan: In future application processes, I have found it will become necessary to frame my experience as an undergraduate as "Real-Life" work experience, because, after all, that's exactly what it is.

From an employer standpoint, I can understand searching for candidates with adequate experience. On the other hand, everyone has to start somewhere. As an employer, I would see huge benefits in filling entry-level positions with motivated self-starters who've just finished college.

3 Benefits to Hiring A Qualified College Grad:

1. Excitement- College graduates are excited to dive into a new job and show off their newly acquired skills.
2. In Touch with the Times - In today's society, technology and social media are increasingly important for businesses. College graduates have been living in a social media world for at least four years. They know how to connect with young people, and from an employer standpoint, they can be used to reach out to a target audience who is increasingly reliant on technology.
3. They Aren't Afraid to Work - To be blunt, college graduates work their butts off around the clock to get everything done throughout the college experience. Their days are filled with classes, homework, group work, study time, meetings, involvement opportunities, and attempting to fit in the occasional social experience (or maybe the frequent social experience). For college gradates who have been involved, a 40-hour work week sounds like a breeze.