written by: Chane da Costa
Graduation season has arrived and for some students it’s a celebration
of receiving their qualification and never having to study again. For others it
is just another Toga to add to their list. No matter what the reason for their
celebration is, typical questions appear amongst these graduates.
Why did I study if I’m struggling to get job? What am I going to do with
this degree? What is the point of
studying if employers only look for experience?
I could continue to list similar questions but I am confident you catch
my drift.
As both are equally important, it is a constant battle between
experience verse qualifications for young adults. To create a successful career
path there must be an equal share of both.
Qualification
By becoming qualified you definitely differentiate yourself and provide
yourself with the relevant knowledge and basic prerequisite to work for the
organisation of your choice. Your qualification proves that you are specialized in your field of interest and have a greater depth of understanding than what
experience can provide. It also develops your speed and depth of learning.
Once you have landed your job, having a qualification also ensures that
you are able to receive promotions when you have reached your potential
capacity in a position, and have an opportunity to grow further.
By having a qualification this does not mean that you can be demanding
and unrealistic about your salary expectations. All graduates need to
understand that it is essential to start at the bottom in order to build a good
ground to climb the career ladder successfully. In a storm, a house without a
foundation, results into ruins. So it is
important to be prepared to start at the bottom and work yourself up the food
chain. This is important as potential employers tend to hesitate when it comes to hiring graduates
because they are unrealistic and think they know it all.
In today’s society where each year produces thousands of graduates, you
almost cannot afford not to get a tertiary education. The competition pool has
moved from just completing a matric to having a diploma or a degree. A
noticeable trend has slowly started arising where post graduate students are
starting to become more of a demand on the market.
However, by over-qualifying yourself you run the risk of not being able
to land entry level positions because you are over qualified and run the risk
of not being able to get a position your qualifications are suitable for
because you do not have the relevant experience.
Therefore, if you are looking to further your studies after completing
your honours, it is important to do your masters or doctorate part-time whilst
gaining experience in the relevant field. This is so that your experience grows
with your knowledge to ensure your CV represents a well-rounded candidate in
both fields.
Experience
As impressive as completing your degree might be, the reality is
employers look for candidates who have experience. This is because they would
rather take on a candidate who has 3 years’ experience in an office environment
than taking the risk of hiring a recent graduate.
Candidates with experience have experienced the industry first hand and
understand the pains and pitfalls and consequently, know how to avoid falling
in them. Experience helps candidates measure the needs of the industry and
assists in making calculated decisions.
The truth of the matter is the more graduates that enter the market, the
more potential employers browse over the qualifications and jump to the
experience. This is because candidates
who have a degree with experience have already put to test what they have
learnt over the duration of their course. However, those candidates who have do
not have qualifications behind their name yet have years’ of experience often
get stuck in one position with no potential for growth.
If you do not have the financial means to obtain a qualification it is
important to gain relevant and related experience in the field that you would
like to specialize in. This can be done by maximizing your opportunities at
hand by growing within your duties and responsibilities. Some companies also
provide training and opportunities to Up-skill their employees. It is the
employees responsibilities to utilize these opportunities and grow themselves
within the company
The fact is the ideal candidate for any potential employer has a perfect
balance of both qualification and experience. They seek hard working diverse
candidates with ambition and a passion for their company. My best advice for
any under graduate student in South Africa would be to put yourself out there
and find a position where you are able to work half day or flexible hours to
slowly gain your experience. There are
also companies out there who are willing to invest in their employees and pay
for their studies while they work.
To gain some form of experience while you working is definitely
beneficial to creating a successful career in the future.
