<p>My question is whether my 12+ hrs. per week paid job at a local "outpost" of a national chain of booksellers, Barnes and Noble (it's comparable to Borders), is going to be looked at as equally good as 12+ hours of volunteer work or non-recruit level sports.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Jobs count, but so does volunteer work. More and more colleges are becoming involved in the community, so they seek students that do the same.</p>
<p>But (an important but)</p>
<p>The bigger issue is that the skills that you learn in a workplace or volunteer position show your abilities. Colleges are looking for students with dedication to whatever they do. They are looking for students that show responsibility, trust, and the ability to manage their time. Why? Because that's what college is all about and colleges don't want students to come and fail in the first year.</p>
<p>The key is how to let the colleges know what your abilities are and what kind of person you are.</p>
<p>Your job has indeed played an important part in that.</p>
<p>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^</p>
<p>Jobs count for more than volunteer work- but that's partially because I don't know anyone with 2500 hrs of volunteering a year! (Which is a rough calculation of how many hours you'd work if you worked exactly 12 hrs/wk year round)... It's important to talk about what you do with your money. If you just spend it recklessly it doesn't count for much, but if you're helping with bills or saving for something like college, it says a lot about your maturity and how much you're contributing to your family, especially if you are low income. I also don't see a lot of people 'faking' a job to get college admittance, while there are many volunteer jobs when you can just sit around and collect hours, and the admissions officers know that.</p>
<p>Wait, 12*52= about 2500?</p>
<p>
[quote]
Barnes and Noble (it's comparable to Borders),
[/quote]
LOL. who doesn't know what barnes and noble is??</p>
<p>I work there too!</p>
<p>your job will look GREAT on your application- don't worry about that. but colleges DO want people who care about the community. i disagree with kishera in that i don't think colleges value jobs more than volunteer work; they are just evaluated as separate activities. if you don't have much volunteer work, find a cause you are passionate about like invisible children, habitat for humanity, or heifer to name a few, and fundraise for it at school. that will look great on your app, but also (as cheesy as it sounds) you will feel so proud of yourself and you'll be glad you helped a worthwhile cause.</p>
<p>Its all about how you present the job (and yourself). Leadership, learning to prioritise, teamwork, working under pressure, responsibility, communication skills, dealing with difficult customers. Have specific examples to illustrate some of these.</p>
<p>Maybie you really needed the job due to your family's financial circumstances? (.....only if true of course)</p>