I have too simple of a request (Regarding jobs)

[Kale]

This is basically what I want to do...

1) Travel to some building
2) Take a test assessing various skills
3) Get the result of that test, and have it be official/certified/whatever
4) Take that result to an employer
5) Have that employer say "hey, you're apparently good at A and B, and even though you have no experience, A and B are very important in this job field, and we'd be happy to train you"

Is this possible?
Or does it make too much sense? We can't have things make too much sense...

[portusaus]

Information Technology would be your best bet. You can even do some tests online, although there is often a fee.

[Kale]

Yeah I know...I took some IT courses back in high school and they promised that if we got a C or better, we could take a certification test at the end of the semester...basically guaranteeing a job at Geek Squad or equivalent for $16 per hour. Unfortunately, they neglected to tell us where and when this test would be administered, and provided us no way to find out ourselves. The thing is for those tests, its not common sense at all. You have to have their documentation and memorize their "facts", otherwise you'll never pass.

[Caismeachd]

Sign up for temp work with big companies and make a mark to impress them out of the masses and you'll have tons of room to impress them and advance if you do stand out. Thats what I did here in Scotland. You can do that in combination with something like IT training and you will already have a head start. Just don't go into things expecting you are the best or better than everyone else. You have to show it.

What you say isn't realistic though. Unless you are highly specialised with some experience no employer will just say you're hired.

Experience and a proven track record really trumphs any certification. You have to take risks to get that.

I still get contract offers in US for 26 dollars an hour, which is more than I make here, but I took risks and proved myself to get those offers. No certification or anything would matter or get me jobs like that if I didn't have experience and references.

[Kale]

In America, you need experience to get hired, but you need to be hired to get experience. See the conundrum I'm in? If you know people, have connections, that can get you in the door. But if you don't, the socially acceptable way to deal with this conundrum is to get a degree in something. I can't do school though, so I need to do the next best thing, get certified in something. I haven't tried any temp agencies, I don't even know where they are, or if I even have any nearby.

[Caismeachd]

You have to take risks and sell yourself hard. Degree isn't everything but in US they want you to play the debt game. It's harder to prove yourself there. I can't really give much advice but in US who you know makes the biggest difference rather than skill or abilities. Survival as a young person in US means you have to really push hard and be good at networking mostly.

[Kale]

Taking risks is the generic line that people say in America when they can't give a good explanation...I don't know if that's different in Scotland, if it is I apologize. But selling myself is exactly what I'm trying to do! I have skill sets, and what I want to do is go through some channel to have those skills officially recognized.

[Äijä]

Join the armed forces.

Look up what interests you and can benefit you when you leave, they might also pay you to study something.

[Kale]

Umm...you do see where I'm from right?

[Caismeachd]

In US who you know is most important. You just have to talk to people and a friend of a friend will hook you up. All college really is in US is a way to find connections. Certification isn't as important as they make it seem unless you are highly specialised. In US who you know and who likes you is more important than talent.