Job Vacancy: Fresher or Experienced, Who Gets Selected?

Knock Knock!! There is a job vacancy!! Anyone on this planet who seeks a job is either a Fresher or an Experienced.  By now you could be either one of them but do remember every experienced was a fresher in the beginning and every fresher someday becomes an experienced.

That makes me remember how many times I was rejected just because I was a fresher with no work experience. At that point I failed to understand how a fresher turns experienced unless someone selects a fresher and gets him some experience.  Most companies are afraid that a fresher is bound to commit lot of mistakes and his inexperience would not bring much productivity. They don’t want to be part of the trail and error the fresher might do in their company because of his/her inexperience.

I would say their apprehension is somewhat understood by me but I still don’t find it right. Although I am no longer a fresher anymore I would still favor a fresher to an experienced guy if I happen to select amongst the two.

I have reasons for my claim. I still remember my first job in a firm as an Accountant. Honestly, till date I have not worked as hard as I have worked hard in that organization.  Although I have almost 5 years experience by now the only place I worked my heart out was in my first organization. Fresh Blood, Excited about working somewhere, enthusiasm, lots of passion to perform, I wanted results at any cost although I didn’t knew what results were expected of me.  The companies that rejected me and those who reject any fresher will miss all the above qualities which experienced guy tends to loose and not gain with experience.

The Honesty towards my work, the commitment, dedication, the willingness to do even small things which was not part of my job just seemed to me like my duty towards the organization.  With experience any small thing which is not part of my job either looks like a burden or either has to be associated with additional money so that I can do it. Unfortunately this is still preferred and you see an experienced taking an upper edge over a fresher.

Experienced should definitely deserve their share of work and be suitably rewarded. Today the best way I know of rewarding an experienced guy is paying him more and offering them suitable working conditions. Yes an experienced person deserves much more than this but a fresher doesn’t deserve to be rejected because of lack of experience.

Experience comes with time and companies should be allowing time for a fresher to gain experience. Companies fail to realize that they run into instant profit the moment a fresher is selected over an experienced as an fresher demands less than an experienced.

I have made honest confessions in the past when I was a beginner for all my mistakes which happened unknowingly. I don’t remember making any confessions for my mistakes once I gained experience. I had learnt the art of hiding mistakes and knew how to cover them up if questioned. Companies count all mistakes done by a fresher and think they are just too many because they are simply not able to count the mistakes done by experienced as they never go reported. If mistakes are reported they can be rectified but unreported mistakes eventually takes the shape of losses.

Everything comes at a cost, so is experience. Punctuality seemed like a routine for me when I was a beginner, but now with experience it seems like a burden. With experience I knew I can get away being late. I am no longer helpless and I know how to defend myself if questioned. Also in the worst case scenario I also know there are other companies who would want to take me as I have experience as an asset with me.

Working after shift was again like a learning experience for me when I was a beginner. I at least don’t remember myself grumbling over putting some extra hours when required. With experience no one can dares to ask me put any extra hour unless I wanted to do and if requested nicely. My acceptance would depend upon my mood and not upon company benefit. I know with experience what reasons I have to shell if I actually don’t wish to do it.

In the past, the best job security I knew was to outperform but with experience I now feel the best job security I can maintain is by reporting a fresher or an experienced employee’s fault. I learnt this is a way an experienced guy uses to maintain good relationship with his boss and get away with his job responsibility.

As a fresher the only time I wanted to interact with my boss was for his commands or his appreciation for my work. With experience I don’t like taking commands any longer but also at times I have different reasons to interact with him/her. One of them is complaining about the working conditions or my colleague. It is Strange though experience still takes an upper hand over fresher.

Traveling was fun no matter what the distance was. With experience I guess my time has got more value and I don’t like traveling even if the train is empty during my traveling hours. A company cab offered even cannot satisfy me and I don’t mind grumbling at the slightest delay the cab would make or shouting if the music is not on.

In the past meetings made me feel important and I always wanted to be a part of it. I liked responsibility thrown on me. With experience I realized more meetings means more work and that I have every possibility of my weakness being exposed. Accepting weakness was not difficult in the past and so overcoming them gradually was part and parcel of the job. With experience I hate someone even pointing towards my weakness let alone overcoming them.

Any restrictions like not attending calls seemed fair to me. With experience any similar restriction seems like playing with my ego. My non performance in the past was accepted with more passion and would bring out the best out of me. With experience non performance would be backed with excuses and reasons which involved anything and everything from the personal problems to working conditions. The attitude changed from Everything is my Fault to Nothing is my Fault.

As it is said Job opportunities never go waste, if you are not taking it someone else will take it. The experienced are like superstars giving dates to their desperate producers and directors while fresher have to go through auditions and auditions before being selected or rejected.

Does the company which rejects fresher actually think in practical terms or just go by face value? Does their experience not instigate them to think beyond what they are following since years and not make any irrational decision?

I personally believe that the fresher carries more fire in his belly then the experienced. It is unfortunate but with each passing year the ego rises with experience and I have practically seen experienced guys doing absolutely nothing at work but only playing their ego around.  A fresher doesn’t stop praising his supervisors as he is astonished by his/her abilities and a experienced cannot stop criticizing the fresher for his incapability. Before raising your voice did he/her even think that he was a beginner too some years down the line?

There can be many more thoughts that can be added on this. Every experienced person doesn’t depict the negative side of the picture portrayed by me.  Experienced can always come handy during crises, for their expertise and their experience can probably take the company to new heights and I know of guys who possess the same fire or even more than a fresher. But with my personal experience with life I would say they are very few in numbers.

Neither can your experience candidate guarantee you results nor the fresher. It has to be Trail and Error in the first place. My point is not to indulge any negative thoughts against an experienced candidate (after all at this point I am jobless and am searching for a job myself and I have 5 years experience) but my idea is to invoke a second thought in the minds of people who have or will reject a fresher just because of lack of experience. May be his lack of experience would be an asset for you because of the implicit qualities like new excitement, dedication, new passion he/she carries with him.

Knock, Knock!! Who’s selected?

See Yaa….