Experience required..

[owlface 10]

It probably did. Unfortunately there are also probably many other people applying for the same jobs that you are applying for.

 

Alas this is exactly the case. Hundreds of qualified but inexperienced people applying for a handfull of vacancies that will most likely be filled by people with prior experience that might not be of any real use.

It just makes me wonder what will eventually happen when the experienced ones retire? Who's going to fill the positions? An experienced .... oh hang on, they're all gone....

[Ms Macbeth 73]

OK, on the opposite side of that coin, a lot of potential interviewees that come from long term employment in this area have probably become so institutionalised and set in a certain working pattern that they would most likely find it more difficult to adapt to another companys' working practices and procedures than an inexperienced one.

Also if someone has the all important core knowledge to actually do the job, what 'large' amount of training would be needed? As far as I am concerned anyone entering into a position such as this whether they are newly qualified or hugely experienced would take the same amount of inducting into it.

 

I'd like to think that decent recruitment practices would identify not just experience but flexibility and aptitude for learning different ways of doing things. I know when I was involved in recruiting staff, qualifications were mainly an added bonus on top of proven ability.

 

I'd have a look at a possible voluntary role, it could just get you the experience and references you need. Sheffield Credit union are one of the organisations advertising in the Voluntary Action bulletin, you may find others that you could try. http://www.sheffieldvolunteercentre.org.uk/UserFiles/File/Bulletins/Bulletin_June_2011.pdf

[Rupert_Baehr 10]

OK. I worked for a large national company for a number of years and was promoted a number of times and ended up in the Audit department.

I have years of experience in both financial and object auditing and can metaphorically do it blindfolded, BUT because I have no formal qualification in this field, only the in-house training I was given I have been turned down for every auditors position I have applied for and have had my spec letters rejected by the companies I have contacted enquiring about vacancies.

This kind of blows your theory out of the water doesn't it?

 

With the clarity of hindsight - and given that employment has been tight for some years - would you not have been better advised to obtain a formal qualification in the area in which you already had experience?

 

If you were an employer with one vacancy in a job where the barriers to entry are not particularly high, then you could perhaps expect to get a very large number of applicants for the post. Would you consider adding a requirement (such as 'experience') to the advertisement to reduce the number of applicants and to make the selection process easier?

[Rupert_Baehr 10]

Alas this is exactly the case. Hundreds of qualified but inexperienced people applying for a handfull of vacancies that will most likely be filled by people with prior experience that might not be of any real use.

It just makes me wonder what will eventually happen when the experienced ones retire? Who's going to fill the positions? An experienced .... oh hang on, they're all gone....

 

If - in say 20 years time - there is an acute shortage of qualified and experienced applicants for a job, then the employers will probably have to drop the requirements for the job.

 

That doesn't seem to be the case at the moment.

 

Somebody probably got those jobs for which you applied. Your posts don't seem to suggest that the jobs are remaining vacant.

[Leah-Lacie 10]

With the amount of jobs that have been lost recently, there are not only people with qualifications, or people with a bit of experience, there are people with excellent qualifications and several years of experience under their belt, who will be applying for the same jobs that you are.

[andikay 10]

Well, I've got my qualifications and can now call myself a certified book-keeper (and in payroll as well).

So, after trawling through countless job avertisements on a number of websites and in varying publications over the last six months I've come to the conclusion that I wasted my time and money.

Every vacancy almost without exception requires previous experience in this industry.

What is it with employers that makes them think that this will guarantee them a better class of interviewee? Why would X amount of months or years working for another company ensure that this person would be infinitely more suitable than someone that's freshly qualified? Surely the latter would be preferable in so much as they are a 'blank canvass' and could be moulded to the role much easier than someone used to working for a different company that had different practices and procedures?

I've actually been contacting the ones that are turning me down and politely asking them the very same questions but have yet to receive a reply from any of them.

Any thoughts on this matter??

 

My son is a accountant, he studied at home whilst working in various payroll and accountancy jobs, his experience appears to be more important than his qualifications when he applies for a job. He tells me that that his qualification doesn't help him do his job, what he learnt whist studying is nothing like the accountancy work he does, which is probably why employers prefer the experience.

[shortcrust 10]

When you finally get some experience you'll look back on this thread and you'll blush with embarrassment. Newly qualified but inexperienced employees can take ages to get up to speed. They tend to be inflexible in their approach and are often unable to deal with situations that fall outside their limited knowledge base. They also (hint hint..) tend to be overconfident because they think they know it all. This often leads to mistakes.

 

Experience is everything. One day you'll understand this.

[owlface 10]

When you finally get some experience you'll look back on this thread and you'll blush with embarrassment. Newly qualified but inexperienced employees can take ages to get up to speed. They tend to be inflexible in their approach and are often unable to deal with situations that fall outside their limited knowledge base. They also (hint hint..) tend to be overconfident because they think they know it all. This often leads to mistakes.

 

Experience is everything. One day you'll understand this.

 

I don't suppose the fact that I've been teaching the very same subject on a voluntary basis would have any bearing on your opinion of overconfident people?

[owlface 10]

My son is a accountant, he studied at home whilst working in various payroll and accountancy jobs, his experience appears to be more important than his qualifications when he applies for a job. He tells me that that his qualification doesn't help him do his job, what he learnt whist studying is nothing like the accountancy work he does, which is probably why employers prefer the experience.

 

Tell me about it. I've been doing accountancy 'practice' helping out a couple of self employed friends and can vouch for the fact that the core of the accountancy curriculum doesn't take a heck of a lot of actual working practices into account.

However, a book keeping position is relatively straightforward but still the employers are demanding several years of experience.

[owlface 10]

With the clarity of hindsight - and given that employment has been tight for some years - would you not have been better advised to obtain a formal qualification in the area in which you already had experience?

 

Unfortunately my funding didn't run anywhere near high enough for the formal qualification required in the majority of these jobs.... I was lucky enough to get the training I did have seriously discounted.

[owlface 10]

If you were an employer with one vacancy in a job where the barriers to entry are not particularly high, then you could perhaps expect to get a very large number of applicants for the post. Would you consider adding a requirement (such as 'experience') to the advertisement to reduce the number of applicants and to make the selection process easier?

 

I'd consider any employer that did this as being lazy and narrow minded. Not to mention the fact that they could miss out on an outstanding candidate rather than just a decent one.

[owlface 10]

I'd like to think that decent recruitment practices would identify not just experience but flexibility and aptitude for learning different ways of doing things. I know when I was involved in recruiting staff, qualifications were mainly an added bonus on top of proven ability.

 

I'd have a look at a possible voluntary role, it could just get you the experience and references you need. Sheffield Credit union are one of the organisations advertising in the Voluntary Action bulletin, you may find others that you could try. http://www.sheffieldvolunteercentre.org.uk/UserFiles/File/Bulletins/Bulletin_June_2011.pdf

 

Thanks for the info. I'll definitely explore this avenue. If anything does come of it the drinks are on me!