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View Full Version : I have too simple of a request (Regarding jobs)



Kale
02-04-2014, 06:47 PM
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
02-04-2014, 06:49 PM
Information Technology would be your best bet. You can even do some tests online, although there is often a fee.

Kale
02-04-2014, 07:19 PM
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
02-04-2014, 07:33 PM
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
02-04-2014, 07:39 PM
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
02-04-2014, 07:43 PM
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
02-04-2014, 07:45 PM
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
02-04-2014, 07:47 PM
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
02-04-2014, 07:49 PM
Umm...you do see where I'm from right?

Caismeachd
02-04-2014, 07:50 PM
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.

Agron
02-04-2014, 07:51 PM
I don't know the situation in the US, but here in Switzerland if you don't have a degree that proves that you're able to do a certain work then it's very hard to get a (good) job, but not impossible though if you're very good at what you do.

Äijä
02-04-2014, 07:51 PM
Umm...you do see where I'm from right?

USA, English or French?

So, they all have good forces.

Äijä
02-04-2014, 07:53 PM
I don't know the situation in the US, but here in Switzerland if you don't have a degree that proves that you're able to do a certain work then it's very hard to get a (good) job, but not impossible though if you're very good at what you do.

In Finland IT is one profession you can do without finishing school, even cleaners need to go to school.

Kale
02-04-2014, 07:54 PM
Mel - Yes I know. 1) Connections...2) Appearence...3) Skills. I don't have 1 or 2, so I need to exploit 3 as much as I can...that's the purpose of this thread.

Ukko - Location, U.S.S.A., it's an old play on words comparing the United States to Soviet Russia. Basically means, to hell with everything our government does.

Äijä
02-04-2014, 07:55 PM
Mel - Yes I know. 1) Connections...2) Appearence...3) Skills. I don't have 1 or 2, so I need to exploit 3 as much as I can...that's the purpose of this thread.

Ukko - Location, U.S.S.A., it's an old play on words comparing the United States to Soviet Russia. Basically means, to hell with everything our government does.

Many in the forces think that also most likely.

Agron
02-04-2014, 07:56 PM
In Finland IT is one profession you can do without finishing school, even cleaners need to go to school.

Well of course one could also get a job in IT in Switzerland, if one can convice the boss that he has very good skills. But otherwise it's very hard and you need a higher education degree to get a good job in IT.

Agron
02-04-2014, 07:57 PM
What kind of skills do you have?

Äijä
02-04-2014, 07:59 PM
Well of course one could also get a job in IT in Switzerland, if one can convice the boss that he has very good skills. But otherwise it's very hard and you need a higher education degree to get a good job in IT.

Yes, you need to be a skilled nerd to do it like that.

Kale
02-04-2014, 08:19 PM
What kind of skills do you have?

Official skills: 124 IQ, 1920 SAT (93 percentile math, 86 reading, 79 writing), 99 percentile memory score, 22 college credits (2/3 of a year), graduated high school a semester early (so mostly BS non-practice stuff here)

Unofficial skills: Nose like a bloodhound, self taught experience in natural medicine, minor knowledge of mechanics, minor knowledge of computer diagnostics and troubleshooting.

I could probably think of more stuff later.

dude
02-04-2014, 08:33 PM
Tell them you are good a flipping burgers.