How important is experience when looking for a job?

72% of Panamanian recruits prioritize Work experience above academic education when selecting talent.

The reason for this is that they put experience first because they believe that it provides the necessary knowledge for the jobs, provides concrete evidence of previous results in the field of work and allows to demonstrate the ability that one can have to face the challenges of work.

These preferences are derived from the report “Study or work experience: what is more important when choosing talent”which was implemented through an alliance between Konzerta and the Ministry of Labor and Labor Development of Panama.

María Alejandra Cruz, head of the Konzerta for the country, emphasizes that 34% of recruits consider the level of knowledge required for the position to be key in deciding what to emphasize, another 34% choose to focus on the requirements of the position, 17% state that it depends on the industry and field of work , 9% about the organization’s culture and values, 3% about the talent’s career stage, and 3% said another reason.

“There are various variables that may lead HR professionals in Panama to prioritize experience or training. In any case, the fact that the emphasis is on verifiable work experience does not mean that academic training is not essential for talent. Both practice and theory are important complementary, because it allows talents to receive comprehensive training and provide more value in their daily work,” explained Cruz.

In the process of employment mediation, recruiters play an important role in the decision-making process of organizations about possible employment, therefore it is important to know what their perspective is when searching for and selecting candidates. work profiles, emphasized Alfredo Mitre, national director of Employment Mitradel.

Of the 37% of Panamanian recruiters for whom work experience is a priority, 34% answered that it is important because it provides the necessary knowledge for the position, 27% because it provides concrete evidence of previous results in the field of work, 20% because they believe that it shows autonomy and the ability to cope with the work challenges, 18% because it enables the assessment of talent’s ability to work and 1% because it allows them to have a network of professional contacts.

For their part, within the 7% of Panamanian recruiters who give priority to academic education, 38% consider that studies are relevant because they provide a solid theoretical basis for developing work experience, 19% claim that they provide specialized knowledge needed for positions, another 19% because they demonstrate the ability to learn and adaptability, 12% believe that academic training instills ethical values ​​and another 12% because it develops analytical skills.

Only 4% of Panamanian recruits think they have recruited talent with work experience, but without studying, it was a great experience. 63% say that their experience was good, 23% that it was very good, and 10% that it was bad.

In the case of talent who had an academic degree but had no previous job before the company hired them, 66% of Panamanian recruiters said the experience of hiring people with these characteristics was good. 20% believe that the experience was bad, 9% that it was very good, 3% that it was a very bad experience, and 2%, on the contrary, had no problems and their experience was excellent.

Among the main challenges or limitations faced by talents with an academic background but little or no work experience, the following stand out: lack of practical knowledge in work situations in 23%, requiring more supervision and guidance in 23%, difficulty solving complex problems in 23%, the increased risk of mistakes in 16% and the need to adapt to the work environment and established standards in 14%, only 1% states that it remains.

While for those without an academic education, challenges include presenting limitations in the face of specialized competition and technical skills (33%), lack of professional recognition and opportunities for growth (29%), lack of theoretical knowledge that would support their work (21%) or commitment to learning and professional development (14%). 3% mentioned the other.

Every third Panamanian professional in Human resources ensures that between 61% and 80% of his company’s associates have previous work experience. While every fourth person says that in their company there are between 61% and 80% of people with academic education.