Prior Work Experience for College?

<p>So, I'm heading back for one more year of HS tomorrow. Thus, hopefully I won't be as active on this particular forum as I have been over the summer annoying you guys. Please respond only if you are currently in undergrad. or have been.</p>

<p>I will try to make this short. I have never held a paying job. I have done long-term volunteer work at a hospital over the past four summers but, as my guitar teacher puts it: "most kids your age have a collection of paper hats from all the fast food joints they've worked, dude." I have no such collection. My parents are mostly opposed to me getting a job during the school year and I don't really need one for the money. </p>

<p>I am unsure at this point of whether or not I will be able to secure a job for next summer or on campus due to my lack of experience. However, I am planning on going either pre-med or pre-grad (or both) for undergraduate.</p>

<p>Where does this leave me in terms of acquiring undergrad research opportunities? Will it make a big difference to never have had paid work-experience? My dad points out that med. schools don't care that you swept the floors at [insert food/retail chain] and that it's all numbers, letters and research. However, I am worried that without work, I won't get research, and without research, I won't get letters etc...</p>

<p>I am considering ROTC just so I can say I've had SOME work experience. It would suck to make it to (even through...?) med. school without work experience and have no options.</p>

<p>Nobody wants to hire a doctor who hasn't earned his paper hats. </p>

<p>Your thoughts? Sorry about the length.</p>

<p>Your dad is right. Showing that you could work a cash register doesn’t mean you can do squat for research or “real work”. You can argue it taught you responsibility or something, but I think having a high GPA reflects that anyways. </p>

<p>Don’t worry too much about getting research experience (as long as you work for free). Professors will usually have some little bit of work an undergrad can help out with, even if it’s just simple data entry. The physics prof I’m working under now basically said if you want to do it and have an interest in the subject then have at it, no resume required.</p>

<p>Ok good. So I take it that you don’t really have to compete for research positions as long as you want to work for free? And that once you have experience, you can start going after paid research, internships etc.?</p>

<p>I know there’s probably some majors where it’s competitive or because there’s just not much research opportunities available, but I don’t think it’ll be that hard. Talk to your major ad visor, watch for emails, ask around for opportunities.</p>

<p>TBH the biggest boost I got when going for my college internship was the fact that I did robotics club in high school. Apparently employers like seeing that you take an outside interest in your major. But indeed you are correct, once you get some relevant experience going, it gives you momentum to get into other things. You can see this in the real world when unemployed people are screwed after they’ve been unemployed for X months.</p>

<p>^Yea, see, that’s why I’m worried about the fact that I haven’t had a job. Haha</p>

<p>Yeah but you’re technically not unemployed. People realize that you’re young and they cut you some slack, thus averting the catch-22’s. It just looks weird when you’re 35 years old and out of a job for 2 years.</p>

<p>Put down all your volunteer/community service experience and make it sound good. Don’t fret too much and don’t stop looking for job opportunities. I didn’t have a legit “paying job” until sophomore year of college. A college campus is an easy place to get those paper-hat jobs you’re talking about (especially a big college). Apply everywhere you can and make yourself sound experienced. You’ll get one and float on.</p>

<p>If you really want experience, maybe get a job after 2nd semester starts (when your apps are sent in and you have less on your plate). Sometimes it’s hard to get a summer job when they know you’ll be leaving in the Fall, so if you start looking for employment earlier you might fare well.</p>

<p>Well, if I get into med. school and absolutely can’t find work, I might do ROTC anyway. You still have to do training but you have the added benefit of being an officer AND a medic. Plus, I believe they pay a big chunk of your way through med. school and you are guaranteed five to ten years of employment, though I don’t know for sure.</p>

<p>It might work out that I get a job next summer and thus no worries, but the facts that teen jobs are scarce and that I’ve never had one before don’t work in my favor. :(</p>

<p>Thanks for your help!</p>

<p>One idea I had is you could consider freelance tutoring. Either do it for real or lie about doing it and put it on your resume anyways (it’s unverifiable whether you actually did it or not…hence freelance). Shows a willingness to help others and interact with others.</p>

<p>Alternatively if you’re desperate for something as a junior, you can ask some of your freshman profs in your major to be a pro bono homework grader.</p>

<p>It won’t make a difference for anyone who is involved in something more impressive than a WOW guild</p>

<p>On the one hand being high up in a guild would show dedication and responsibility. On the other hand it shows you have no freakin’ life. I’m guessing the latter wins out.</p>

<p>^I’m laughing but I don’t quite understand what you mean. What won’t make a difference?</p>