Training and Experience are the Gateway to Opportunity

Opportunity is a word that’s sometimes overdone, although in a career context it fits neatly.  Completing a degree, diploma, certificate, or trade ticket is a base level qualification and designed to open the first door of opportunity, but where it ultimately leads is up to you. 

Sometimes, the shiny new certificate is enough to open doors, and sometimes it’s not.  Let’s change tack at this point and consider people who create opportunity through experience rather than formal qualifications.   
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It’s true that some people develop their base level skills through practical ‘on the job’ experience that’s been taught to them over time.  In fact, we don’t have to go back too many decades to when that was the norm.  People entered a company or industry doing one job and through an opportunity could transition into a new role.  The practical experience gained with that employer may have been enough to open ‘internal doors’ with that company, but it probably won’t across the open employment market place today. 

At this point it’s worth mentioning ‘skills transference’ for a moment and use the stay at home parent returning to work scenario as an example.  During the one, two or more years raising the kids you may have volunteered at the local school working in the library, taught reading in the classroom, assisted with lesson preparation or other administration work.  Maybe you coordinated and managed a few fund-raising events for a school or sporting club.  Plus, we all know that parenting young kids is an exercise in organisation and patience!!  So, instead of stressing about the three-year gap in your Resume, why aren’t you looking at how to incorporate those skills built over the period into the document.  Things like time management, admin skills, book keeping, cash handling, team leadership, collaboration, project management etc etc.  I know I have digressed from the topic, but it was worth mentioning. 

Swinging the conversation back to training we mostly accept it will provide an effective base skill level as an entry point into a career or provide a catalyst for promotion.  Practical ‘on the job’ experience then develops those skills into a level of expertise that will make an employee a valuable and productive team member. 

On their own training and experience only open the ‘opportunity door’ so far, but together it can be a different story. 

Most companies assessing job candidates look for people with some form of formal training together with practical experience.  The world of Resume Writing and the broader recruitment market continues to evolve at a rapid pace and you need to consider all the strategies to achieve success. 

Look at it this way……. as you fill your glass of success ready to toast the opportunities in front of you, training will help fill half the glass and experience will fill the other half.  Then you can raise it in celebration.  Are you really prepared to throw away 50% of your chances?  It’s food for thought!

You might be feeling a bit overwhelmed by what’s needed to improve your job prospects, secure a promotion or re-enter the workforce.  If that’s you, then we need to talk! 

At Present Professionally, we Power Your Career with the Right Words!
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Anthony Ferro
 
Present Professionally provides career services to clients across Australia.  View our career services at http://www.presentprofessionally.com.au/resume-services.html
You can follow Anthony at https://au.linkedin.com/in/anthonyferro1  and LIKE us on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/PresentProfessionallyAustralia/
 
Written and Published by  www.presentprofessionally.com.au
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