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Can't get experience without the job, can't get the job without experience

When I went looking for my first head chef job the only place that would take me was a newly opining business. I took a little less pay then the more experienced people applying for the job. Because they were new they were happy to take me with the experence a did have and the schooling I had. Over people that had been in it for years. They were new so they were bargain shopping and gave me the job. I stuck with them for a few years got a few raises and them moved on.
 
That old Catch-22. As some one else mentioned, sometimes you need to move out to move up. And I've got an idea, one that I used many years ago.

Get on the phone to other companies in your field. Call them up and PRETEND you are a student working on your Masters Thesis (give them a fake name) and as part of your research you are conducting a survey on hiring practices. Ask them what qualities are more important in the hiring process - specific experience on a specific piece of equipment or general knowledge in the field of business. Then, depending on their answers you can tailor your resume and cover letter to match their hiring practices.

E.g. I wanted to get a job in food distribution. I called various companies and asked: What is more important when hiring? That the prospective candidate has intimate knowledge of their specific products or a general knowledge of how to sell?
 
Another one: What if you can't get a job cuz you ain't got a car.

And you ain't got a car cuz you can't get a job!

r
 
I'm looking into getting into a new division within my company, the medical imaging field. Speaking with the HR person in charge she said that they are only looking for people with 3-5 years experience in the field at this point. Nobody internally will have this so they are only looking externally.

After taking a look around every medical imagining sales job I see requires at least 2 years experience. I'm wondering how you are supposed to get into the field if you can't without any experience.

I have an extensive physiological background but don't have any experience with the equipment. In my opinion anything can be learned given enough time and effort.

Anyone had this experience before and managed to get hired somehow without this extensive experience?

I would apply to the other companies, you never know when someone will bite. Also like snackycakes mentioned a non paid internship is most likely the best way to go. It will get you the experience and it will also show that you are so interested in the field that you were willing to go into with without being paid. That will also look good on your background.
 
You could go to school as stilleto said. Might be a one year program in your area for a limited scope x-ray tech, or may require a 2 year program.

You could also go volunteer at your local hospital radiology department (some schools actually require that you do this for a certain number of hours as a pre-req before you can get in their XRT program).

You could call all the competition and get your resume out there.

You could go to someone in your company NOT in HR, but a hiring manager or a VP, etc. that may have some pull and hopefully they LIKE you! :) HR people don't know shit. They aren't the ones hiring. Who is doing the hiring? Do you have good rapport with that person? Do you have good rapport with their superior?
 
I had the hardest time finding a job because I had too much experience... I ended up going into another field that I had less experience in just to get employed.
 
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