Think about this.You want to have your house repainted. Would you rather use a professional painter who has painted houses for over a year, proving time and again that he can get the job done, or would you use someone with a certificate in painting that has never actually painted a house but does know the theory? The example may seem a little flippant, but you get the point.
The Importance of Experience
No doubt about it, work experience is important. It gives you the real scoop-a look at the good, the bad, and the painfully ugly aspects of the job you are pursuing. Nothing else can accomplish this. If, for instance, you decide to become a PC technician because you enjoy fixing computers for friends and family, a little work experience will reveal that troubleshooting computers for family and friends bears very little resemblance to a career in PC repair.Your Uncle Ed for instance, is likely to be more understanding about your difficulty fixing his printer than the fifty accountants waiting to print off invoices.
Several factors make work experience an essential part of a career plan:
Real work experience in your chosen career enables you to confirm, or deny, whether the choice you made was a good one. Trying the job gives you the opportunity to see first hand if it is what you imagined it to be. You can see first hand the fun and exciting aspects of the job as well as the routine and mundane. Being on the job is the only way to get a thorough understanding of what the job is like.
- Work experience is a resume builder. Resumes of employee candidates are far more attractive to potential employers when they include relevant work experience. In fact, some employers do not consider resumes of those applicants without experience.
- Being on the job enables you to network with other professionals in your chosen field. These co-workers and contacts become a valuable resource and can often have the inside track for employment opportunities.
- Work experience can increase your confidence in yourself and your ability to do the job. Your first day employed as a systems administrator can be less stressful if, for instance, you already have some experience with the equipment and software used.
How Do I Get Experience?
You can get the valuable experience you need to get your IT career started in a variety of ways. Unfortunately, many of them involve self-sacrifice and some volunteer time. Rest assured, however, that your effort and self-sacrifice will pay off. Many employers actually view your volunteer efforts in a very positive light, recognizing the fact that you had the foresight to secure a position to get experience, and that you were prepared to undergo some self-sacrifice to do so. Nothing says dedication more than giving up your own time to further your experience and knowledge.
If you are interested in getting some volunteer exeprience, there are a variety of options available. Co-ops, internships, job shadowing, volunteer work, and part-time employment represent just a few of the ways to get started.
Cooperative Education and Internships
Many schools offer co-op and internship programs. These programs are formed by a partnership with the educational institution and a business. Typically, these supervised work experience programs enable students to earn a combination of academic credit and some well deserved money. Sometimes the internships are done purely for the experience. The main advantage of these programs is that they allow students to get work experience before graduation, thus better preparing students to enter the work force. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for the companies involved in such programs to offer jobs to students after graduation. The employer benefits because they get an employee who has experience working in their company, and they don't have to go through the interview process. These programs are exceptional for exposing students to a career field, giving those involved the chance to develop marketable skills.
When preparing for a career in IT, it may be a good idea to call universities, colleges, technical schools, and training centers and ask if they offer co-op or internship programs. With a little research, you may find a program that provides you not only with training but also relevant work experience, which in some cases can lead to a job.
Volunteer Work and Job Shadowing
Probably the last thing you want to hear after spending time and money obtaining a degree or technical certification is that you might have to work for free. It may not be necessary, but if you were unable to find a co-op, internship, or even a part-time job that gave you relevant technical experience, volunteer work may be a viable option.
In the right place, volunteer work provides a way of gaining marketable skills, gaining confidence in your ability to do the job, and perhaps making professional contacts that can help you find a job when your volunteer period finishes. It allows you to work in a variety of settings without making a long-term commitemnt to any one job or company.
Volunteer work, while familiarizing you with the actual work environment, cannot give you a completely true picture of the job. It is unlikely that a volunteer will be given enough responsibility to feel the pressures and rewards of a full-time position. Even so, just the opportunity to be in the environment is worth any sacrifices you have to make. Being around the technology and the people who work with it can only serve to enhance your IT knowledge and experience.
