The elusive first job

Pakistan's young graduates face a hard problem: employers want experienced workers, but young people need a first job to gain experience. Many job ads call a job 'entry-level' but still ask for work experience. For a fresh graduate, finding a first job can become a cycle of applications, interviews and rejection. The question is simple: if no one will hire someone without experience, how can that person get experience? The effects go beyond unemployment. Some graduates take jobs that do not match their studies or accept very low pay just to add experience to their CVs. Others spend months in unpaid or low-paid internships. For young people from poor families, working without fair pay may not be possible because they need to help pay for household costs. This raises an important question about equal opportunity. Does the demand for past experience favour graduates who can afford to spend months gaining experience without a steady income? This issue needs a careful study based on facts. A review of entry-level jobs could look at how often employers ask for past experience, what skills they want and whether they accept internships as enough. Graduates, employers, universities and job experts should all be asked for their views. People often call Pakistan's youth the country's greatest resource. But education can only help a young person so much if the first door to work stays closed. Perhaps it is time to ask: who will give Pakistan's young graduates their first chance to gain the experience everyone demands? Ali Hyder Hala