What Do You Say To Those Who Are Looking At A Job Description/Career That Requires Prior Experience?

A: IT CAN FEEL LIKE A CATCH-22 when a role requires specific experience to be considered a candidate, yet you can’t get experience unless you are in that type of role! One solution to this dilemma is gaining the experience you need outside of your company. Associations offer the perfect opportunity to do just this. Consider what research and volunteer opportunities your industry’s association has that are aligned to your target area.

At the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association, we design our volunteer roles to provide experiential learning across a highly diverse range of leadership opportunities. For instance, if you are looking for global experience, consider how participating in developing a globalization strategy or leading a global team — as a volunteer — could expand your knowledge of working in a global arena. I have seen firsthand how volunteers take their newly learned skills back to their company and successfully supplemented their justification of experience for their target role.

LAURIE COOKE, BS, RPH, PGDIP, CAE
Laurie is the CEO of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA), a global nonprofit professional association.