Previous job experience is a curse for job seekers and an illusion for hiring managers.
I think it would be safe to guess that almost everyone at some point in their lives was looking for a job. And what is the first thing you read in the job description? Education and years of experience the hiring company wants you to have.
It was this way more than 20 years ago when I was looking for my first job, and it’s almost the same way now. I know it for a fact because my daughter is looking for a job.
I hear almost every day that more and more industries experience extreme workforce shortages, but I don’t see any changes in the job descriptions.
Three, five, fifteen years of experience is required, more – a great asset (and this is for the entry-level jobs .
I know a company, that is looking for a manager for 11 months now, and according to the company’s CEO the main “problem” all potential candidates have is not enough relevant experience.
I think it’s time to rethink the strategy and remember that PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IS NOT A GUARANTEE FOR GOOD WORK.
"...The present findings suggest that a pre‐hire experience of job applicants generally is a very poor predictor of future performance and turnover." (The link to the study is in the comments below)
Having some job experience can be helpful but I think it should be very down on the list of requirements, way down after skills like adaptability, open-mindedness, being a team player, and curiosity.
I hope the company, I’ve mentioned earlier, will finally find a person they are looking for, but with such an approach, I am not sure it’s going to happen soon.