How do I go about getting job experience?

[LW07]

Topic. I'm a freshman in college, going for an Information Systems major, and currently have no A+ certifications or any of that, and didn't have any jobs in HS, with the exception of telemarketer which I quit in 3 days. I don't want to work in retail or fast food.

Now, the reason I want to avoid working at fast food or retail is because I don't want to constantly have to put up with people yelling at me because they can't stack coupons or whatever other reasons.

So, could I just wait till third year, get an internship, and use that as job experience or would I need prior job experience prior to that?

And am I way behind on getting ready for my career resume wise?

 

[minendo]

Apply for a job working in the campus computer labs.

 

[TecHNooB]

Work at the campus gym and do homework there.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Here's the thing, when you have no experience, you are only going to find crappy jobs. Have you heard the old saying, 'you've got to pay your dues?' The only way out is to have picked wealthy parents who like to spend money on you. Since, presumably you, me and, most of the people I know didn't have this foresight, you're stuck with working crappy jobs to start. A degree helps but, DOES NOT guarantee you won't have to start in a crappy job in your field.

 

[LW07]

Here's the thing, when you have no experience, you are only going to find crappy jobs. Have you heard the old saying, 'you've got to pay your dues?' The only way out is to have picked wealthy parents who like to spend money on you. Since, presumably you, me and, most of the people I know didn't have this foresight, you're stuck with working crappy jobs to start. A degree helps but, DOES NOT guarantee you won't have to start in a crappy job in your field.

I don't really care as much as long as I'm not having to sit and smile while someone with a chip on their shoulders tears into me about how bad the company is and how they're gonna get me fired and how horrible a person I am.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I don't really care as much as long as I'm not having to sit and smile while someone with a chip on their shoulders tears into me about how bad the company is and how they're gonna get me fired and how horrible a person I am.

There's worse situations than retail or phone center but, you'll discover that yourself. How about manufacturing, assembly, warehousing or, courier?

 

[Brainonska511]

Jesus..... some of your questions are just as inane as RoloMather's. Have you lived under a rock your entire life?

 

[bobross419]

Look for a job at a call center doing basic tech support... I wouldn't even consider this helpdesk level.

I started at Cingular doing Data Support and used that experience to move to a more technical role, but also at a call center. I've since moved on to help desk and looking to make the move to systems admin within the next year or two. No college degree or anything, just work experience.

See if you can find something with your local cable company, they have call centers all over the place or like has been said before the campus computer lab. Apply for Help Desk jobs too if you can find them... you may not get hired but you don't really have anything to lose.

 

[LW07]

Can one get an internship without having worked before?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Can one get an internship without having worked before?

Yes, you can. However, these days many internships are unpaid.

 

[LW07]

Would a company look at a resume with just an internship and say "this guys not for us"?

Or are internships reliable ways of getting jobs?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Would a company look at a resume with just an internship and say "this guys not for us"?

Or are internships reliable ways of getting jobs?

Internships can be a great way to get your foot in the door. However, if you are competing with someone who has experience, they will likely get hired before you.

 

[LW07]

I'm just worried that even with a 4-year degree I won't be able to land a job.

I want to be able to relegate the school year for study and then relegate the summer between school years for leisure/break time to rest for the next year's work.

 

[nonameo]

I'm just worried that even with a 4-year degree I won't be able to land a job.

I want to be able to relegate the school year for study and then relegate the summer between school years for leisure/break time to rest for the next year's work.

You'll only satisfy atot if you take 18 hours every semester and work 40 hours a week. This includes summer. (well summer semesters are different so not 18 hours...)

edit: you also need to party hard, know everything there is to know about beer and cars, and of course spend copious amounts of time on ATOT all the while.

 

[Bl0cks]

If I were you, I would get in contact with the schools Co-op / Internship office. I am in the process right now of interviewing companies found through this office, and I am just now waiting on a offer. Internships are easy. Sit in front of a computer all day, data entry, simple stuff. How I found my first internship was through my high schools co-op program, and went from there. It didn't relate to my major at all. It was a business internship and I am a mechanical engineering major. The only thing I had before that was 3 months at McDonald's, and after that, I will never go back to fast food, or consider retail.

Edit: forgot to mention I am a Sophomore

 

[VinylxScratches]

Internships, A+ is a joke. A bit of luck helps too.

 

[duragezic]

Don't think you need to wait until junior year to do a co-op/internship. Ideally you could do say a 4 month around sophmore year then a 8-9 month around junior year. It's likely decent experience and good pay.

In the mean time I echo getting some IT or computer related job around campus.

You need an entire summer to do nothing but rest?

I actually found summer time to be good time to get a job on campus. I would take summer classes, work 20-30 hours per week on campus, which was often so quiet I could do homework or nef during work.

edit: I'd be worried about getting a job after a 4 year degree if I had no experience. Get a campus job in something IT for the summer or part time during the school year. And get at least one internship before you graduate. Then you'll have a bit better luck with that experience and proven responsibility and time management than the regular joe with a 4yr degree but nothing else.

 

[TridenT]

Yes, you can. However, these days many internships are unpaid.

And I would like to think those internships are not until you're in your third year and have good grades to back that shit up! I could be wrong.

 

[esun]

Freshman year you probably won't get an internship, though it's possible. After that, though, if you did well in school and have solid interviewing skills, you certainly have a shot at an internship. Internships are probably the best ways to get jobs. My first internship I probably could have gotten a job from if I'd wanted to, but it wasn't really in my field so I never pursued it after it ended. My second internship I got a full time offer from.

 

[Koing]

Apply applyapply like a mofo. The job market is insane. J would be scared to get a job fresh out of uni nowadays!

I had about 2 weeks worth of temp jobs that were data entry/ pc related and 3 weeks at a kids summer camp with no real experience. The way things worked out I did my internship after I graduated and not between year 2 and 3. Once I got that job it was easy to get other jobs. This was in 2005 and z relatively smooth to get a job but now I would be bricking it!

Good luck and get on an internship!

Koing

 

[ScottyB]

Why don't you take a chill pill and relax? You have four years to figure things out. You're not going to end up blowing creepy old men in the back alley if you don't have job experience your first year of college.

 

[HalfCrazy]

I don't really care as much as long as I'm not having to sit and smile while someone with a chip on their shoulders tears into me about how bad the company is and how they're gonna get me fired and how horrible a person I am.

If you did work for retail or fast food place. As long you follow the rules which the managers gives you. You got nothing to worry about getting fired or anything. Matter of fact the manager will back you up if something happens.

Even if something does happen for a unknown reason. That is why most retail and fast food places has security camera's.

 

[brblx]

get a damn job. there are places where you can probably work 10-20 hours a week, so it's not going to hurt your schooling and at least you won't have an effing blank working history. that resume will probably get filed in the trash at most places.

work retail if you have to. jobs at best buy or what have you can be damn annoying, but it's better than fast food and at least you can say you've gained an asset from it (people skills). unless you can luck into something remotely in your field, your only other option would be interning or doing one of those work study programs where you alternate school and full time work. but i have no experience in those things and do not know how hard they themselves are to get.

 

[brblx]

totally didn't hit reply twice, the server shit itself and took a minute to process my post.

 

[FleshLight]

1. Get job doing computer lab monitoring
2. Get promoted to support
3. Get promoted to software support
4. Get internship at Broadcom