Gaining first-time work experience is a matter of considering options. Here are a few that can help job seekers find the right career opportunity.

One of the most difficult parts of getting that first job is deciding exactly what it is we want to do. With the world before us and so many options how can we choose the career we want for the rest of our lives?

Well, rest assured that any decision made at the age of 18 will not necessarily be the final career decision that a job seeker has to make. In fact, according to the Institute for Career Research, the average worker will switch careers three times and jobs ten times in his lifetime

With that in mind, determining where to gain work experience is all about finding the right career opportunity. And there are several options.

Temporary Employment Agencies

Temporary work can open the doors to a wonderland of job opportunities. Sure, there are the typical services for administrative and light factory work; however, depending on where a job seeker lives, there are also specialty employment services.

There are technical agencies for information technology, engineering, and scientific personnel; there are marketing, advertising, and creative staffing services; and there are temporary firms that specialize in placing medical staff.

In addition, sometimes organizations recruit and hire temporary employees that work exclusively for them. Places like universities and government agencies maintain their own pool of qualified temporary personnel to handle special projects and events, fill in for leaves of absences, or take on departmental overflow work.

Whatever a job seeker’s interest or skill level, there is probably a temporary service that can help. And if it is a specific industry that the job seeker wants to break in to, taking a three-month assignment at any level might just be the way to get their foot in the door.

Volunteerism

Volunteering for an organization is one of the best ways to experience the work environment and determine if this is the right career choice before making a final commitment. And because most volunteer work is done for non-profit or altruistic organizations that support the greater good as in health care, environmental concerns, political endeavors, the religious sector or other community issues it is a great way to give back.

VolunteerMatch offers a wealth of information on the subject including volunteer opportunities by zip code, while GlobalVolunteers offers the opportunity to combine volunteer service with travel abroad.

Internships

Working on a college degree? Getting an internship while attending college is now becoming the norm rather than being the exception. And it’s a great idea.

What better way to explore the work world that soon-to-be job seekers will venture in to than through a paid or unpaid internship in their chosen field of study. Combining learned knowledge with everyday practical experience is the ultimate way to ensure that a student has selected the right career path and college major.

To find the right internship opportunity, students should check with their college advisor, college instructor or department chair.

Seasonal Employment

What’s great about seasonal employment is it provides a short-term opportunity to…well, test the waters, if you will. In fact, seasonal employment generally centers around summer opportunities.

Similar to temporary jobs in that they are for a limited period of time, the great thing about seasonal employment is they can offer a broad range of opportunities throughout the country and the world and provide job seekers with a look at unique professions.

So for those new job seekers setting out to find the right career or gain some work experience before focusing on a full-time job, there are a variety of options out there. It’s just a matter of finding the right career opportunity.