A Wealth of Experience (VLOG)

I remember a time in my life where I asked the question how I am supposed to gain this specific job experience if all the jobs require you to have it upfront? I was just starting out in my career and attempting to improve the job I had with another that paid a little better, had some better hours and you know was just more aligned with where I wanted to go. The problem was all the jobs I applied for said experience required. I didn’t have all that experience at the time, at least formerly in some cases but it seemed the best way to gain experience was to do it right? So what was really up with that requirement?

My name is Amy and I am the owner of Dragonspit Apothecary. I’m a mom, wife, employee and small business owner just trying to live as naturally as I can every day. This is my blog sharing some of the wisdom and experience I have gained on this journey to help you do the same.

Work is so full of irony you know?

You’re either underqualified because you lack certain experience or overqualified with too much experience. By the way I have since figured out overqualified with experience simply means a company doesn’t think they can afford you and you may be bored in the job you’ve applied on. I don’t know about you but there are quite a few days I could do with some boredom in my job. Jobs are is like the fairy tale of finding the porridge that is just right. The problem is who is it right for? The hard truth is as jobs go there usually isn’t a right porridge for more than a couple years before you’re out looking for a new bowl. So what does all this experience actually get us then?

As we gain experience in our careers, we often realize the trade-off with our employers is not always equal. We invest in keeping up certifications, continually training on some new program and advancing our skills only to be told the promotion went to someone else or there isn’t going to be a raise this year for whatever reason. The experience we gained by adding all that knowledge from trainings usually goes to the next lucky employer we find right? I know I have more than once changed jobs when that’s happened to me. If we stay where we are there is a period of time we feel pretty used and frustrated from all that too.

I found at a certain point in this cycle that I was not using the experience I actually had anymore. The degree I was told I needed from college well I can’t say I actually ever used that in my jobs other than getting in the door. It is a required experience element on my job and any I apply to. The experience I have doing certain things open opportunities for me but again with every company doing things differently what I know and can do is often replaced with new processes and information to be successful in the next job.