Kailey Krantz | Staff Writer

As I scroll through Handshake, I realize that I’m not qualified for half of these jobs— and that is terrifying. 

Many jobs have a ridiculous amount of requirements because they want to weed out the “wrong people” from getting the job—but just because someone worked 5 years in retail doesn’t mean they are the most qualified.

There are even jobs that require you to be available 24/7 with no conflicts—as if I don’t have a social life and school to worry about.

Most entry-level jobs, jobs that don’t need prior experience, require you to have about 2-5 years of work experience — but that’s not a luxury everyone has.

I’ve been working at PantherNOW for about a year and even I wouldn’t be able to apply for some jobs after graduation because of this. I can’t even imagine what the students with no work experience go through.

This isn’t a good sign for anyone who is about to graduate soon since it leaves them stranded with very few options to take their careers to the next level. 

It excludes students who are very passionate about the jobs they’re looking for, only to be barred by the experience they don’t have.

It’s not just about the work experience that matters in a job. There’s also soft skills like teamwork, empathy and compassion that we learn from school and our friends that make us great employees—so why isn’t that in most job requirements? 

While the work experience can be helpful, it’s an entry-level job. Why would we need all the bells and whistles to apply?

I would feel devastated not being able to search for the jobs I want to work at, all because I don’t have 5 years of experience. 

From working in retail, fast food restaurants to customer service, students apply to these positions out of convenience of location and quick pay but these hurdles are so annoying to get through.

How are students supposed to gain experience if they can’t even get into an entry-level job?

A possible route would be to start from the bottom, have some of the higher-ups show you the ropes and you grow from there until you get the executive position you want at the company. 

Although this plan may sound like wishful thinking, it’s the best way of accomplishing a workforce that thrives on teamwork and creates strong connections with each other. 

Even though this can sound like a great hurdle, it doesn’t spell the end of your career. 

If you see a job that has a particular requirement you don’t meet, still apply for it anyway. The requirements on the job listing are more like a wishlist and it’s impossible for a person to have every single requirement the company puts on their listing. 

Another way of bulking up your work experience is looking for campus jobs, internships and apprenticeships on LinkedIn, Handshake and FIU Careers. 

Getting work experience will make all the difference for a student post-grad but not being able to get one before graduating is terrifying. If jobs don’t let up on some of these requirements, many of us could be left behind after graduation. 

DISCLAIMER:

The opinions presented on this page do not represent the views of the PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.