The Work Experience Paradox of New Graduates in the Context of the Labor Market

For young individuals who have just graduated, the first steps of their adventure of finding a job are primarily spent with the effort to understand this paradox, which I call the “Paradox of Experience”, and to produce a solution. It passes, but while passing, it sometimes makes them desperately question life. So, in order to get a job, you need to have experience, and in order to have experience, you need to have already done that job before. This paradoxical cycle, which does not make much sense, deeply affects a large group of graduates, if not all university graduates. And it can destroy their dreams of life after a few unsuccessful job applications. But what and how should we do in order not to encounter this situation and to overcome it if we encounter it, now let’s examine them if you want.

During and After Studenthood: What to Do?

As the first and most well-known recommendation, we can say that it will undoubtedly be beneficial for us to do internships as much as possible. Because it is accepted that internship is a practical education method that supports theoretical education in every field. In addition to contributing to theoretical education, internship provides students and new graduates with the opportunity to take responsibility, develop communication and professional skills, learn about the profession, learn about the concept of corporate culture, and socialize students and new graduates in their career planning and professional preferences. On the other hand, some of the new graduates dream of getting into a managerial position at the end of their second or third year and working more freely. They are born into the business world with their eyes closed and think that everything is so easy. My advice to my younger friends who are currently studying at university and to new graduates is to work part-time while studying. Let your schooling be longer, but when you graduate from school, at least have some experience in a job.

Familiarize your ears with the terminology related to the jobs you are interested in. Because I can guarantee you that this is not a big deal for me who finished school on time and with a good average. The last thing I can suggest is that new graduates should have a passion for what they are thinking of doing or what they are doing, and if they have a passion, I think they should increase it even more. Likewise, as a new graduate who continues his education by studying a master’s degree and a second undergraduate program, this is the biggest deficiency I observe in my new graduate friends and friends around me. Because I believe that life is not such a worthless blessing that we can spend a large part of our time without any joy or happiness just because we have to work. Therefore, being deeply committed to what we are going to do or what we are doing will undoubtedly make our job much, much easier. To summarize, more than anything else, we need passionate and hardworking young individuals who refuse to be captive to any paradox, vicious circle or dead end. And believe me, we are them.