I Have 3+ Years of Experience but Only Get Internship Offers -What Should I Do?

Dear Yvonne,

I am in a situation where I fell in love with something I did not study but stumbled upon. I started my career as a media personnel and marketing communication officer and learned everything about it on my own in the company where I work now, although it's not a structured company. I want to leave because I know there is more for me to explore, but most companies I am applying to want me to start as an intern because I never worked for an agency. After spending over 3 years in the field. What would you advise, please?

Yvonne says,

Hi Grace, thank you for writing to me. Your predicament is an ideal one. The act of falling in love with a skill at work is what we should strive for. You have discovered something you love and I’d recommend you use that energy to pursue a career in media and marketing. However, how much social capital have you built to get employed at the level you want in another organisation?

Most times, we haven’t gathered the required experience, knowledge or transferrable skills or even positioned ourselves in a way that gives us access to the type of job we’re looking for. So start here, ask yourself, if you were the hiring manager at the agency, would you hire YOU? What would excite the hiring manager about your profile? Then, begin to position yourself as someone you’d be excited to hire. Get the relevant knowledge, or even sometimes a ‘stamp of approval’ through a course or internship required to be seen as exciting. Don’t be afraid to start from scratch and work your way up; you’ve got time.