How do colleges view part-time jobs?

<p>Hi there! </p>

<p>Do you guys think that colleges look favorably upon an applicant that has worked a job for only a few months before they apply? I recently got a job after school (minimum wage, no saving the world stuff here) and was wondering if it would help my application if I were to apply ED somewhere. </p>

<p>Generally I've heard that it's a /good/ thing, but by November 1st I'll have hardly 2 months of work experience under my belt. Will that look bad, like I didn't try hard enough finding a job earlier? I looked and looked all summer but it's only now that any opportunities came up. Should I even include it on my application?</p>

<p>I'm not doing this to impress colleges, but to have a little extra spending money on the side/real world experience. But you know...if it helps...then that's just another bonus, haha.</p>

<p>Thanks so much!</p>

<p>Honestly, it will make little or no difference to your application. That doesn’t mean you should leave it off the app, and certainly working during HS is a good thing for many reasons, but having a job for a couple months before applying won’t give you a bump in admissions.</p>

<p>ITA with niceday.</p>

<p>What did you do over the summer? If you started working at that point, continuing to work during the school year will show a level of consistency.</p>

<p>In general, part time jobs are considered routine ECs. There are obviously exceptions if the income is needed to support your family or if the job involves unusual levels of responsibility. However, starting a job senior year is roughly equivalent to starting debate club or piano lessons during your senior year. They are not bad things, but they probably don’t help adcoms understand who you are to any significant extent.</p>

<p>Indeed, better than spending your senior year drinking beer and playing xbox, but not as impressive as training for the Olympics or appearing in a feature film.</p>