What is an Entry-Level Job?
There are entry-level jobs in most industries and professions. There are businesses around who take the view that everyone has to start somewhere, and they are willing to take on the untried and the untrained. An entry-level job is one where the person is employed and expected to undertake the training necessary to do the job properly. Entry-level jobs often pay less than other jobs because you do not have the required levels experience and responsibility for a higher-paying job. However, entry-level jobs can become a step up to the job that you really want when you leave college.
Most industries have entry-level jobs: the post room boy and the office junior can, if they are willing to learn from people with more experience and responsibility, eventually move up the career ladder. If you are willing to work and play the waiting game, then entry-level jobs can lead to a successful and fulfilling future career.
Finding Entry-Level Jobs
People, including college students, find and apply for entry-level jobs every day. Many of them simply send off their resumes to a number of companies in the sector that they are interested in. The problem with this approach is that companies receive so many resumes every day of the week that most of them get no further than the receptionist’s desk. While this is not necessarily a losing strategy, it should not be your only strategy in your search for the . First of all you should make sure that any resume you do send out is guaranteed to stand out from the crowd. This does not necessarily mean high-tech design, but it does mean content that is error free, neat, and readable. Before you send off your resume you should at least know the name of the person in charge of the sector that you are applying to. That way the company will know that you have done some research instead of just blindly sending in a resume.
Entry-level jobs often start as outsourced agency work. If you do well on an agency placement then you are more likely to be offered the opportunity to apply when the position becomes fully vacant. Another way to find entry-level jobs in both the public and the private sector is to subscribe to an online job finding site. There are sites that specialize in particular types of jobs, such as entry-level jobs, and they bring together all of the available vacancies on any given day. Sites such as these are a good place to start your entry-level job search.
Entry-Level Career Opportunities
If you have a degree and have just left college then you may have your heart set on a career in a particular industry. You should begin by looking for entry-level jobs in that area in order to gain the necessary experience to go with your qualifications. Even though the economy is at a low ebb, it is still possible to find opportunities and some of the best entry-level jobs may be found in finance, travel, or education.
You may want to travel, and if this is the case and you finished high school, then it is possible to get an entry-level job as a flight attendant, although some companies prefer a person with a college degree and experience with team work. If you have a teaching degree then it is possible to get work in a public school while you undergo whatever extra training your particular state requires for the job. Finance is another area where you can find some good entry-level jobs. Many accountants started at entry-level and studied for the required exams while they were learning on the job. If you are good with figures then this might be an option for your future career.
There are plenty of entry-level jobs in the catering industry, some of these tend to remain low level but there are jobs where once you have learned the ropes you can progress up the scale. Most people who manage restaurants and hotels started at entry-level; at that level the financial remuneration can be quite low, but with experience and hard work you can make a pretty good income in this industry.
Entry-level career opportunities are still out there for people who are prepared to do the necessary research and then go through the application process and on-the-job training. If you are really keen to work in a particular industry then starting at the bottom is probably one of the best ways of getting your feet onto the career ladder that you have chosen.
