Job expectations

SOME kind of experience, shows that you didn’t just wake up a year ago with no better options in life and hear you could make a bunch of money doing database administration and took some classes but don’t know anything about the job or the subject that someone with a “for dummies” book couldn’t sit there and do. SQL is very easy to learn for example. But if all you do is take a class in it and do some canned queries and get a cert, you aren’t likely proficient or able to really use it.

But how do I know from a certificate if you just showed up and did well on tests, chested the hard assignments using spreadsheet and the internet, and passed; or if you were sending 2-4 hours a day off class just running queries and building databases and merging files to drill it in? If I just say to you: “I want to know how to save money on my inventory and supply chain. Show me.” What queries do you run? What data to you use to figure that out? Your SQL book doesn’t tell you that. It tells you mechanics and principals, it doesn’t tell you how to think.

So THAT is how you gain experience without a job. You do side work. You find ways to incorporate your skills into your existing job or a job with lower requirements. You join clubs, volunteer, contract, etc. you don’t have to have 5 years in THAT job unless it says you do. You don’t even have to have “real” experience. A buddy of mine is a graphic designer who works all over the globe.

He used to draw in school. Sold drawings for $1 each. Later he sold digital art. He used to charge friends for the odd job. Drafting for designs we made, designs for vinyl for our race cars, team logos, shirts and jackets and the like. Got noticed around the pits and would do things for other teams. He’d do photo editing and albums for family for a small fee, get referrals of their friends or coworkers who saw what he did. Went to a university program. Did freelance and got some work from the school for events and the like. He’d hit the slopes and sell custom snowboard art. He’d do custom joysticks and sell them online. In high school/college he’d do art for boot leg tapes etc. if someone was doing a website he’d charge them to design it and do art for it.

All that stuff meant by the time he was ready to look for a job he had a huge portfolio and TONS of experience he could quote. He knew how the business worked, key terms, processes, had a style, knew how to deal with customers, had made mistakes and knew where things could go wrong, knew what they taught in school that worked and what didn’t in the real world. He worked at a couple so so companies for a year or so each, still doing side jobs and interviewing- and then landed himself with a major firm and started getting international exposure. He spends 6 months a year working over seas and then comes home and takes 6 months off and maybe does side work. You’ve gotta be smarter than the piece of paper in front of you.

Tl:dr- experience, unless it specifies IN THIS ROLE (and usually even then,) is just some kind of experience that’s relevant. You’ve been making memes since you were 12, Congrats. Experience in design work. Frame it the right way to make it sound big, throw in anything else that you’ve done. Have a good portfolio, know the terms and work of the industry. Find someone online or irl who can act as a mentor. Ask questions and learn. If you can talk the talk they’ll give you a chance to show you can walk the walk. “Experience” is a way to mitigate the risks of hiring an unknown who is a waste of money. Show them that they aren’t taking a huge risk on you. Show you know what you’re doing- every job has unexpected challenges. If you can’t figure out how to get past and application requirement then confidence is low that you can figure out how to get past on the job challenges that you haven’t faced before.