For some, college is an experience – a chance to reinvent themselves with new friends, new living situations and no parents. For others, college is merely a stepping-stone on the path towards success. For me, college was a little of both. In the beginning, I desperately desired to be a different person in college – and in several ways I did “reinvent myself.” But once I settled on a major and made a good set of friends, I wanted to finish school as quick as possible. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel and I was excited to “move on” from college. One thing I noticed during my journey was how busy and productive I was near the end.

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It’s easy to get side tracked in college – I mean, come on. Parties every weekend, girls, the campus pool, the gym, every organization and club you could imagine…did I mention girls? Anyway, keeping focused is hard, but having a job can help. Not to mention, it looks really good on your resume.

1. Responsibility

My father would ask me two things when I called him for advice my freshmen year – “How are your grades?” and “How’s work”. I worked off campus at a technology company. It was annoying driving 30 minutes to work every other day when I really wanted to be at the pool or hanging out with friends. Nevertheless, I had a responsibility and I never skipped work. This responsibility was apparent not only towards work but also in school. Getting my schoolwork done before my shift was hard but I knew I had to do it. This sense of responsibility helps develop self discipline – which is pretty hard considering most students enter college thinking they’re now free to do whatever they want.

2. Extra Cash

If you need to put a monetary value on having job how could you ignore the fact that working makes you money? As a student, you already have loans, books, rent and other expenses to worry about, so why not make a little extra cash to help out. Having a job enables you to have a little extra spending money. Your best bet is to get a job working part time. Here is a list of popular jobs for college students. You wont be making the big bucks but you will make enough to enjoy your weekends without being the one person in the group who’s “strapped for cash”.

3. Networking

When starting at a company make sure to make a good first impression. Who knows, you could be meeting a future business partner. It’s common for students who work during college continue full-time once they graduate. That being said, make sure to get a job that is somewhat related to what you want to do after college. For example, if you’re planning on attending pharmacy school and becoming a pharmacist, try getting a part time job as a pharmacy technician. You can make some good money and there’s a good chance you will get hired as a pharmacist once you finish school. Your part time job might not hire you, but there’s a good chance you’ll make some valuable contacts. Climb the corporate ladder and see what happens.

4. Resume Booster

When applying at Google for a job either during college or right out of college, Google mentions “If you worked while attending a university, either during the summer or concurrent with your course work, be sure mention this even if it isn’t specifically related to a potential job at Google.” Companies recognize how difficult it is to both work and study. They want to reward those who put in the extra time outside of the classroom. Companies also recognize that students learn much more about the corporate environment at a job than in a lecture hall. That’s why some majors require internships.

5. Valuable Job Experience

This is definitely the most important aspect. I learned more about the corporate world from my part time jobs than I actually learned in school. My education was an excellent foundation, but the experience gained in the workplace made me realize what I can do with that education. No matter who you talk to, whether it be a counselor, job recruiter, parent or professor, all of them will recommend having some work experience before you graduate. Make an effort to visit the career center on campus, or check out what your University offers online.

Entrepreneurial Ventures

There is another option for those who feel they inspired and creative. I call it entrepreneurial ventures. Examples of positive work performance outside of schoolwork, such as running your own company, or starting your own website is just as important as work experience. I feel like I need to include this because starting my own company taught me a lot, and I don’t think I would be the same person without it. CampusByte alone has taught me so many things that I could not have learned in school – such as online advertising campaigns, internet and viral marketing, search engine optimization and much more. In future articles I will be analyzing other resume components such as leadership roles, extracurricular actives, and volunteering. Make sure and subscribe for free CampusByte updates to get those articles.

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About CampusByte

Jay Willingham has wrote 68 articles on this blog.

Jay is a new media writer, entrepreneur, and business development professional with an educational interest in technology and new-media. Find out more about Jay here.

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