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Experience

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Let me start off by giving you a bit of background to my own experiences with this subject.

I left secondary school in June 2005 and I immediately headed for college thinking that it would be a better prospect for my short AND long term future.

I did 2 years worth of sports coaching courses at South Trafford College and as I left the college campus for the last time in June 2007 I was thinking rather smugly to myself "Great job here I come".

I excitedly ran straight to the job listings in the newspaper and got busy with calling and e-mailing prospective employers. I must've applied for a dozen jobs the day after I left college. I just sat back and waited for the phone to ring asking me to an interview.

Then the harsh reality set in by something my father said (he was the most eloquent of drunks, I might add). He said 'How many kids go to college compared to those that work straight from school? What the f*k makes you so special, just because you've been through college! I've got bad news for you, kid. You're not going to stand out because you followed the majority.'

And, as much as it sickens me to say it, he was absolutely right. It hardly seemed to matter that I'd been working my backside off in college because a lot of vacancies said 'Previous Experience Required' and that pretty much ruled me out of 90 per cent of the jobs on the market.

The whole affair had left me feeling depressed and I was starting to wish I hadn't ever bothered with college. Around came September and I needed to decide whether I continued my job search or whether to give up and admit defeat by taking another course at college.

Determined to make something of myself, I decided I'd carry on looking for a job. After another unsuccessful six weeks had rolled by, I heard about a pre-recruitment course run by my local hospital. To cut that story short, I was offered a job in December and I started last week.

If I could go back to leaving school all over again, I'd forget college and get some work experience instead. Experience is all that really counts (unless you're exceptionally pretty) to an employer. Hopefully I can move on from here and gain the experience to move onwards and upwards.

Learn more about this author, Stephen Culley.
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