Young Graduates Don’t Lack Experience — They Lack Opportunity: It’s Time to Fix the Hiring System
This weekend, after a few rounds of tennis with my son and some close friends, I found myself on the phone having a surprisingly difficult conversation. We were talking about how so many young graduates today can’t even get into interview rooms because they’re told they “don’t have experience.” I couldn’t stop thinking about it, even hours after the call. So, in good faith, I hope I can have an honest conversation with you on this.
Let’s be honest. It’s not the experience that these young graduates lack. It’s the opportunity they were never given.
These are candidates who show up every day despite the rejections, teach themselves new skills at night, register for free courses, start their own side businesses, and send hundreds of applications without a single reply.
And, yet, they’re told they’re “not ready.”
Ready for what exactly? To work hard? They already are. To learn? They’re hungry for it. To grow? That’s all they want.
We don’t need to fix recent graduates. We need to fix the broken system that keeps overlooking them.
If you’re in hiring, mentorship, coaching or any leadership position, be the person who sees potential before perfection.
Because someone once gave you a shot. Let’s be that someone.
