You have just worked for the past three or four years, slaving away to get your well-earned Degree. You have forfeited your friends, you have forfeited your bank account, your social life has gone down the drain and your life has become one long slog to get the best results. Let's face it you want to beat your peers and you want to ensure that you will not let yourself or your family down and rightly so!

You now have a qualification to add to your name, you are probably young and you are ready to take the world by storm. However is the world ready to accept you? Will you automatically get the job of your dreams? No of course not! And, what's more for most of you, there will be obstacles and good hard battles while getting on the career path.

However, you aren't prepared to let all your hard work go to waste. The scary doors slam in your face, the rejection letters and emails, and the "No, sorry. Thank you for applying. We will put your resume in our files and contact you as and when a suitable position comes up", just won't do!

Yet, how do you get out of the ever problematic "Catch 22" situation when you have the qualifications but you don't have any experience? Here's advice that will ensure you will get where you want to go, don't be disheartened for look around you there are thousands of people who have it, you can too!

The Early Bird Catches The Worm
OK, you are not too sure which career path you want to take, or may be you are, whatever the situation for you, experience is the key. So, how do you go about getting it?

Initially, think carefully about where you want to get the experience, many companies will be open to taking on interns and students. In fact, many employees see them as key people with the initiative and lust to get ahead. So look at your options when deciding on a company. Research the company and try to get into one that is stable, has a good training programme, can offer YOU good experience. See if you can get a good company name on your resume, as this will undoubtedly attract future employers who may offer you a job.

Once you have decided the company that you would like to get experience from, how do you apply? Simple. Bite the bullet and go for it!

Call them. Each company is different; some may be the multinational companies that are based around the world. Others may be smaller regional companies with an excellent reputation. This may mean that there may be a different system for each company. Get the telephone number of the company, call the main line and tell them that you are interested in looking at internships with them. As far as possible, try to speak to the personnel manager in charge of internships/recruitment personally. Leaving a message is rarely effective to show your initiative. Be assertive but not dogged. Show your professionalism and genuine interest in the opportunity. Sell yourself to them.

Jenny Chua wanted to work for a well-known International software company. She simply wanted to get her foot in the door. It was more important to her to work for a good company than to actually know which path she would take within that company. She thought if she got her foot in there, she could see the different avenues open to her. She called the company repeatedly. The problem was that her calls were never returned and she thought that she must have been rejected. Frustrated, she visited the company and requested to see the personnel manager. She did and within an hour she realised that the receptionist had not relayed any of her messages. Eventually, through her initiative she got the internship and got the work experience she wanted, later to be offered a job in personnel!

Move Your Mountain
Often at University you may have time on your hands, we all know that students have a lot of free time for study, but part of this study could be on the job. During your summer holidays, weekends or free time you could be getting the invaluable experience you need within your chosen industry. Again, this can be simple. Try not to hide behind an email, for that's the easy way. Talk directly to the person in charge.

Although emails are a great way to communicate, they can often be overlooked, as the key people will be getting hundreds per day. So call them and send them an email, make sure your resume is ready immediately, if they ask for it send it as soon as you put the phone down. Always keep one step ahead. While your peers are out with their friends you could be getting into your career.

Learning Curve
After you receive the experience if you really like the job, ask if they would consider you after you have graduated. If you feel that this is not the company for you, make sure that they give you a reference and feedback for development before you leave. Your earlier experience may help you discover the type of industry that is right for you and instead of wasting invaluable time eliminating the areas you may have gone into through trial and error.

Use every contact you have when you are looking for experience. Ask your parents for help, ask your friends, ask your lecturers. ASK, ASK, and ASK. Don't be shy; there is no place for the frail in the business world. Get on the phone, buy a suit, look the part, be fresh and eager, and most of all be proactive. It really is up to you, if you have the gall you can do it. Go-getters and those who move mountains nowadays are the ones who impress and get what they want. This could be you, get the experience, get out of the terrible catch 22 situation and make that first move.