<p>Hi all,
My major is Business Admin/Computer Info System. I am currently work in a library of a Community College, so the customer service experience and helping others maybe valuable for my post-graduate job. However, I will be transferring to another school in the next Fall to a Cal State. I do not know if I should find another similar job related to my major, like help desk, or something, or should just not working and focus in studying? Without much experience during college, can I still get job like any other student? Is working experience during college is a must or a standard that every employer will be looking into? And what is job that provide valuable experience for my major during college?
Thank you all,
Wayne.</p>
<p>It will be a huge advantage for you and make your stand out over others with no job experience. I’d try to get a proper business internship in summer after jr year.</p>
<p>I’d totally say its a plus. There are lots of very smart people who no nothing but study during college, and when the time comes to apply to a job, they have no work experience and have a hard time with their interviews and with their resumes. I have family who do hiring for certain professions, and they say they’ll take stellar work experience and good grades (As and some Bs, so basically not perfect) over the zero work and perfect GPA candidate any day.</p>
<p>Also, if you get a job relating to your major, that’s threefold in benefits. First, you’ll get experience in your field. Second, you’ll make friends who are likeminded. And third, you’ll make money doing what you love. It’s all a win-win-win!</p>
<p>Wayne,</p>
<p>A valuable job experience for your major (business) is not something somebody else can tell you.
When you use the word “valuable”, who are you referring to, are you saying that you want valuable job experience for yourself … or for employers? Those are two very different things. </p>
<p>If you want to have truly valuable job experience that will help you define what you want out of life, then you need to look for internships or jobs that fit a certain criteria. Please read or watch Daniel Pink’s YouTube video on the truth about what motivates people, and I strongly agree with him that human beings crave 3 things in work: autonomy (freedom), desire for mastery and purpose (meaning). Try to find an intersection between 1) what you are good at 2) what you find exciting, interesting and curious and 3) what you find meaningful and purposeful to society at large.</p>
<p>If your concern is to beef up your resume so that you can get a high-paying job and it doesn’t really matter what you do, then you probably know the answer yourself. </p>
<p>It’s not an either/or
You need to study and get good grades AND you need to do internships related to the career you wish to pursue, if you want to maximize your chance at the kind of job you want.
Employers are looking for employees with smarts, academic knowledge, real world knowledge, and time management and interpersonal skills in one package.</p>
<p>I really appreciate all the answers. Each contributes to a decision that I have been thinking about. I’m on the same side with you guys. I think if I were an employer, I would definitely hire one with job related experience rather than one freshly graduated without any work or real world experience. So, an intern or volunteer in major related field is a must. However, another question here: </p>
<p>I currently have a part time job to keep my head above the water. The job is only 3 days weekend. Is it too much for having a full time school with an intern (or volunteer) plus a part time job? Has anyone ever doing that and actually did well and survived through school? Cause quitting that part time job means borrowing loans, and my goal is to graduate debt-free.</p>
<p>Again, thank you all so much for care and giving opinions.
Wayne.</p>
<p>This is actually really scary reading all of this. I’m a senior and I’m about to graduate. I did one internship, which was in investment management, but I don’t care for the field…at all. I think the average GPA for my major is 2.5 ish at my school? I know it’s definitely below a 3.0. I’m hanging on with ~3.2. Lots of people I know in my major do work, but they still carry really bad GPA’s. Lots of people I know that don’t work carry really bad GPA’s in the major too. More than likely, it’s pretty hard for them, but they love math. I don’t have any work experience and neither do a lot of people I know. The ones I do know that work are getting their GPA’s crushed below a 3.0 and they are taking rather long to graduate (6-9 years). :/</p>