As a college junior with many friends who have just recently graduated college, I have noticed a trend amongst my friends. That is, none of them are having luck getting into the workforce now that they are graduated. Many college students experience this struggle because they have no job experience.

Yes! You have to get job experience before you get experience in your career field in most cases. There are a rare few who have connections and jump straight into the field they wish to pursue for their lifetime career, but those people are far and few. Most people have to start somewhere else and work their way up. As a college student it is important to remember that the job you have in college will not be the job you have for the rest of your life. So if you have to start out as a McDonald’s or Walmart worker, then that is where you have to start. You simply must get your foot in the door somewhere.

When I was in high school, my parents pushed me to get a job when I was a junior, but I did not get one because all of the jobs I thought I would like did not want to hire someone who had never been employed before. Even though I had hundreds of volunteer hours, most jobs I applied for required previous job experience. Finally, when I was a senior in high school I went to a McDonald’s that was doing on the spot hires. I sat down with the hiring manager, and after answering three or four questions; he smiled at me and welcomed me to the team. I was unsure about the job because it had nothing to do with what I wanted to study in college, and I certainly did not want to work in fast food as a career, but once I was at McDonald’s I did not mind it as much as I thought I would. The schedule worked around my high school schedule and in the summer, when I started college, the manager helped me work around that schedule as well. I worked at McDonald’s for a little over four months before I was hired in a position I still hold, and absolutely love! I got my foot in the door at McDonald’s and because of that I was able to get hired by a private elementary school. The principal loved that I had experience in a work environment where I interacted with a diverse group of people constantly. I am studying to be a Special Education teacher, and I have a foot in the world of education. I feel confident that when it is time for me to look for a job as a teacher, I will have the tools, connections, and experience to be able to successfully get a job in my career field.

There is an increase in the amount of college students who believe that they should avoid getting a job because they need to focus on their schoolwork, and limit distractions. There are several students who attempt to get jobs, but fail to gain employment because they do not apply for jobs in industries where they know they will not want a career. An important tip to remember is that no job is beneath you. It is okay to work in a job you hate for a couple months to gain some experience in order to be able to get a job where you might enjoy working. Besides, you never know you will hate something until you try it. I thought I would hate working in fast food, and where I would not say it is a career path for me, I did not mind the work. You would be surprised the people you meet while working in fast food. So maybe you are a freshman or maybe you are finishing your last semester, either way start looking for a way to get your foot in that door!