Training

I want a clerical job, but they all say they want 2-ish years of related experience OR equivalent education etc. I have a college degree, which is not a requirement for most of these jobs, and I am planning on taking a clerical skills training course. Will that make up for not having experience? If not, where do I get experience?

That’ll definitely go a long way and most will considered that absolutely the same as having experience. You may be able to call around and get some clerical experience through volunteer work. Many charitable organizations are looking for people to answer phones and do other clerical work so you may be able to get some experience this way while you’re searching for a job.

There are differing opinions on the matter. I had the fortune, or misfortune depending on how you look at it, of working for a sergeant major who had served under Colonel Tony Herbert when I was in the Army. Herbert’s philosophy was that training should be done under conditions worse then combat. For example, Herbert once dynamited a frozen river then had his troops swim across it. The idea being that if a soldier could function in such situations, then they’d have fewer problems functioning under better conditions while being shot at. The idea has some logic to it of course, but it makes your training time a miserable experience. On the other hand, I’m still alive.