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Posts Tagged: entry-level jobs

Job search: Training programs for young professionals

Monday, November 14, 2011 | Category: General Information | No comments

There are many companies out there that offer training programs for the potential young employees. These training programs aim to introduce a company to a trainee and demonstrate what a trainee could expect from certain positions. What are these training programs and how do they differ across sectors? Should you consider such path, or do you need to go with the direct-entry jobs? What questions should you ask before accepting temporary training contract? Read on to explore what it’s all about…

 

What are your options in choosing your training program?

 

There is no fixed definition of what training program is. Both the length and the content of such programs vary significantly from company to company, and from sector to sector. In most cases, training programs target mainly university graduates. The aim that companies pursue here is to turn trainees into versatile junior employees. For this to come true, training programs usually last from 12 to 24 months, with two to three months at various departments and sometimes also foreign offices. By working in multiple locations/departments, trainees learn about the company’s structure and get to think and act across departments. In addition to the general training programs, there are specific technical programs, in which a trainee goes through various levels of their major department, where they plan on being permanently hired. Oftentimes, however, employers do not know exactly in which role in the organization the trainee will end up. After the training program is over, a trainee might be considered for several positions and departments.

 

What salary can you expect?

 

Trainee salaries differ significantly, depending on the industry and the region. Salaries range from less than 10,000 € to more than 50,000 € gross per year. Two essential factors here are the industry and the size of the company.

 

What do various programs offer?

 

Besides giving you hands-on experience with the company, training programs often offer special soft-skills seminars to build the qualities essential for leadership roles. Another typical element of trainee programs are networking events. These serve to ensure that managers from various departments know the trainees personally, which will help to collaborate across the organization in the future. Although many graduates initially sign the contract only for the duration of the program, the companies are highly interested in hiring the trainees permanently, due to the high investment in training (training itself, travel costs, soft-skills seminars, networking events, etc.), provided that the trainee meets all expectations.

 

How difficult is to get in?

 

Companies set high standards for applicants, and this is particularly true for corporations active on international arena. Oftentimes, a minimum that training programs require are a good university degree, some experience abroad, relevant soft skills and relevant practical experiences. For the medium-sized companies, graduates with less than “A” in all disciplines also get real chances to be accepted into a training program. Until recent years, training programs were mainly available for the graduates of economics and finance. Meanwhile, however, companies are also increasingly offering trainings for engineers, computer science graduates, lawyers and students of social disciplines.

 

What should you ask yourself before going for training programs?

 

Before you decide on go to a training program, you should gather a lot of information about it to avoid potential unpleasant revelations.

 

We suggest that you make sure the following points are clear to you:

 

- How long is this training program?
- How will your work be structured? Will you get to work in different departments?
- If yes, how long will you stay in each department?
- Will you travel abroad?
- Will you have a mentor or another person responsible to take care of you during the program?
- Will there be any professional and personal development trainings and seminars?
- What specific tasks will you be responsible for?
- Will you have your own projects?
- Will you receive a temporary contract for the duration of the training program, or a permanent contract?
- If it is a temporary contract, what are the prospects for a subsequent employment?
- How likely are you to get a job after this training program?

 

These are the questions you could investigate online, and/or ask the former or current trainees in the company, as well as the person in charge of the training program.
If you find that the position suits your aspirations for the future career and offers a smooth transition into employment, don’t hesitate and go for it. As the practice shows, many graduates have found their permanent jobs through training programs.

Entry-level jobs: Where do I begin?

Monday, October 24, 2011 | Category: General Information | No comments

They say that the entry-level jobs are not the same as they used to be a decade ago. If that’s true, then what is the entry-level job today? Something about it hasn’t changed – the entry level position is the starting position for a person with little or no experience, usually at minimum wage or a scale lower than most experienced workers. А few years ago a college degree in place meant an entry-level job was secured for you. Times are very different now. Read on to find out what you can expect from this new reality we call the modern job market.

 

 

 

 

Your degree doesn’t guarantee a job anymore

 

As disappointing as it may sound, but the times are long gone when having just graduated people were offered jobs and all they had to do was transfer their belongings from the class desks straight to the office desks. Jobs have never ever been guaranteed but chances were high you’d end up with a decent entry-level position. Today, your bachelor’s degree in itself, although being taken seriously by the employers, doesn’t mean you’ll get a job. You should offer the company so much more than your university education.

 

Experience is not Optional

 

Today, employers aren’t as patient about the profitability of new hires as they once used to be. Nowadays, you have to have at least some experience and be able to quickly catch up with what you’re being taught. Where can you get work experience without having a job? There are numerous internships and unpaid co-op programs that run at different times of the year, which you may take advantage of. Volunteer experience also counts towards your “experience” time.

 

Staying competitive is crucial

 

In today’s very competitive environment you have to stay on top of latest trends and move really fast as there is an apparent surplus of overqualified candidates. Contemporary entry-level job market is looking for extremely focused individuals who planned far ahead, used the services of career counsellors and other experts, as well as took on internships while at school. Such graduates tend to stand out from the rest of a “sea of applicants”.

 

Technology skills matter

 

If you don’t have at least average computer skills, it will make it very difficult for you to get an entry-level job. Today, employers are seeking graduates who have technical skills along with the liberal arts education. Be careful not to overlook such attributes as being able to use Microsoft Office, basic Internet tools and basic graphic design programs.

 

Soft skills matter as well

 

Effectively communicating with other people and knowing how to solve complex problems are the examples of soft skills essential to landing and succeeding in most of today’s entry-level jobs. On top of that, regardless of your future job, your written and oral communication skills need to be not just acceptable but good, or even excellent. Try to develop in many ways – what the employers will look at is not only the skill set needed for a particular position but also – and maybe most importantly – your overall personality and potential.

 

Salary is important but there should be some other good things

 

If you were offered an entry-level job in a good and competitive working environment, don’t hesitate to accept less compensation at the start just to set your feet in the door and work your way up the career ladder. Take it as a temporary job and build your resume, and gain valuable experience and skills. Do not consider only salary for your entry-level position but seek roles with good job-growth potential, management responsibilities and opportunities to work on high-profile projects. Use your skills and you will be able to get promoted after some time. If you can get in to an entry level job and demonstrate the kind of dedication and effort which is all too rare these days, it will give you a huge advantage over the competition when the time comes to progress.

 

Being realistic is the key

 

Living in today’s complex environment, it is important to realize that the dream job is not very likely to come until you spend a few years, if not many years, into your career. You should take it as a fact and always strive for better. It is in many ways much healthier to climb your way to the job of your dreams than to stay unemployed because of the expectations, which are too high. You have a long and interesting career ahead of you – prepare to take this long journey and don’t forger that the entry point is only the beginning of it.