frequently asked questions about

Q  "Lack of experience?"
I am a mutual fund trader and am not yet liscensed for the Series 7, I have only been in the business for a year and a half. I am 24 and love working with people... travelling... am single and can am not tied down by a family or marriage. I am looking for a job in the finance industry that is more people related such as Public Relations or Human Resources, or even sales but am having a hard time getting my foot in the door due to my lack of experience. Where do I go to find headhunters in Georgia? I don't know the first steps to take and I hesitate to use the yellow pages, but I am tired of letting that stop me. Can someone point me in the right direction?

A  Ah, experience. What a bugaboo. You can't get hired without it, and you can't get it till you're hired. The answer is to sell not your experience, but your abilities. That means learning all you can about the job you want and figuring out for yourself how you'd apply your abilities to doing it. Not skills; abilities. Every job involves a learning curve. Smart managers hire people because they can ride a fast learning curve. Prove you're one of them. Be ready to demonstrate to an employer that you've done your homework, you know what the work entails, and how you're going to apply yourself to it. This will take a lot of research and talking to people who do the work you want to do. They're also the people who will introduce you to the right managers.

In other words, forget about job postings, want ads and resumes. Those all require 'experience'. You'll get attention by going to the people who have the work you want and learning from them -- and showing them how smart you are. Not by asking for a job. Asking for (or applying for) a job is the kiss of death. Think about that. People hire people they've gotten to know.

Please read some of the articles on Ask the Headhunter. I think a new perspective will help you a lot.

Best wishes,
The Headhunter