Choosing the Right Part-time Job in College

By:Jimmy Walker

Fast-food restaurants, retail outlets, and movie theatres are all common places of employment for many college students. Though these places may be fun hangout spots for the who's who of the college community, is it the best part-time employment choice students can make to increase their competitiveness when applying for full-time employment after graduation?

Every industry, be it fast-food or retail, can provide valuable experience and job qualifications to college students. Basic qualities such as being dependable, being responsible, and being a reliable worker can be acquired or enhanced in almost any industry. But potential employers are not recruiting for individuals with only the basic employment skills. Employers also value knowledge, skills, and abilities that are specific to their industry. Hence, while in college, students should put more emphasis on obtaining a part-time position that is as closely related to their desired future careers as possible.

There are ways to match part-time jobs with its full-time counterpart. On one hand, students may set out to find a part-time job that will gain them specific job qualifications, no matter what the industry is. On the other hand, students may set out to gain non-specific job qualifications in a select industry.

Job qualifications are skills and abilities that, if possessed by an applicant, qualify that applicant to fill a particular position. Part-time jobs in college are great opportunities for students to increase their employability after graduating by gaining some job specific qualities. For example, what if a student's career goals include teaching underprivileged students? That student's experience at a movie theater will not make much of an impression on the hiring principal. But by taking a different path by accepting a part-time job mentoring or tutoring academically challenged students would be an asset that many principals will value when considering filling a teaching position for such students.

Both positions, the mentoring and the movie theater, do not require any previous experience. It is just a matter of selecting a job that will come in handy in the future, when students want to get serious and start their careers.

Also, looking for employment opportunities in a particular industry can be a good move on the students' part when preparing for their careers. But choosing an industry specific job may not yield immediate desired job qualifications, as job ranges are wide. For example, a student that is interested in working in the computer industry as a software designer may be very interested in taking a mail room position at Microsoft.

The qualifications gained in the mail room are completely different from the qualifications desired for a position as a software designer. But with the position in the mail room, other skills and insider knowledge can give a competitive edge over outside competitors.

When applying for a job, students must be mindful of their long-term career goals. If a student plans on making his/her career in retail, maybe a job at Macy's would not be such a bad idea. But for those students who plan to enter a career in the law industry upon graduation may be better off taking a part-time job at the local courthouse or law office.

Digg del.icio.us Blink Stumble Spurl Reddit Netscape Furl

Article keywords: college part-time job, college work study, student part time job

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Jimmy Walker is the founder of CitePlanet.com. Find thousands of quality citations from books, periodicals, and electronic sources.

Top Career Articles
1). Learn How To Draw Realistic Faces By : Adam Reeder Drawing a face isn’t as hard as it looks. To begin, you start with an egg shaped oval. Draw a line down the center of this egg. This line will giv
2). Pharmacist Resume Samples Will Help You Create An Unmistakable Resume! By : Robert Marcus Pharmacist resumes must have information of your experience relevant to the position in a quick and clear format. Employers are interested in a highly qualified person and customer friendly attitude. Apart from highlighting your qualifications, contact information, experience etc, the following points will provide a hint on how to prepare the resume for a Pharmacist position.
3). How To Write The Best Teacher Resume You Can By : Laura Adams It should come as no surprise that there is a currently a shortage of teachers in the United States. This unfortunate trend has been seen for well over a decade. To compound the issue, recent labor studies have predicted that teaching positions will likely continue to grow faster than the national average for the next several years due to recent government regulations to reduce class size and increase educational accountability.
4). Skilled Workers Needed By Auto Industry By : David Sanders An auto dealership job may put you on the road to a rewarding career-particularly if you're a veteran. Military veterans have the skills and work ethic needed for many careers. A new study by Harris Interactive estimates there are more than 100,000 career jobs currently available at auto dealerships across the country. The report also found that auto dealers hired more than 15,000 veterans since January 2004.
5). Reflections on "How to Do what you Love" by Paul Graham through Meditation. By : Swami Satchidanand I was reading "How to Do what you Love" by Paul Graham last night and because I loved it so much I decided to write a little more of me into it.
6). Keys To Getting The Law Enforcement Job You Want By : Don Cirillo These days, when uncertain economic times are putting many careers in doubt, an increasing number of people are looking to work in law enforcement. And there are very good reasons for this. As many industries have shrunk, North American communities have steadily increased their budgets for law enforcement. Police officers now enjoy better pay and often outstanding benefits.
7). Nursing facts that everyone should know By : Suzanne Verita Most people say it is a career about caring. Others say it is a job about professional administration of medications and cure to patients. Some say it is the duty to work out predicaments by using critical thinking skills. In whatever way you want to call it, nursing is, indeed, a conglomeration of all these beliefs and the faculty of many other skills.
8). The Female Firefighter By : Barney Garcia Firefighting is no longer just the domain of the male. Just like every other career, trade, or profession women have made inroads into this traditionally male territory.
9). How To Achieve A Balanced And Healthy Lifestyle In Retirement By : Cynthia Barnett Now that you’ve retired, you have entered an entirely new phase of life, a life filled with new challenges, adventure and hopefully one that brings you complete and total satisfaction. However, if you’re like most people, change isn’t always easy and is sometimes stressful. This stress is completely normal but may be compounded if you don’t learn how to balance all the demands on your time.
10). Career - Test Your Negotiation Skills By : CD Mohatta Negotiation is part of every professional’s life. To negotiate, means to arrive at an understanding with another person, so that both of you are satisfied with the results. Do you know what is your skill in negotiation? If not, why not test and find out because most of our interactions demand negotiation. You are negotiating with your love partner about which place to go for dinner.

New Career Articles
1). Quitting Your Job Can Be A Reality By : Jeff Schuman Thanks to the internet anyone living anywhere can quit their jobs and live their dreams. You just to need get started planning how you are going to do it.
2). Job Hunting On A Shoestring By : David Cassell Tips that you can easily implement to stay in the black during your job search
3). Unemployment Blues: Reframing The Pain By : Virginia Bola In addition to the anger and fear generated by job loss, there is the total emotional devastation of being figuratively thrown on a pile of human debris.
4). Employment Interviewing: Ask For The Job By : Virginia Bola During any interview, it is important to display unabashed enthusiasm for this position, with this company, at this time.
5). The Business Opportunity of a Private Investigator By : Robert Gravener In this article we talk about some of the opportunities that are out there for a Private Investigator and what aspects of this exciting career may be or not be for you.
6). How to Answer Interview Questions: A Guide to Job Seekers By : Dave Poon When seeking for a job, it is important that you are ready when you face your future employer. The most challenging part is the interview.
7). Are You In The Right Job? By : Garry Zancanaro If you become known as a person that can be relied upon to get a job done, who is efficient and productive, has initiative and is prepared to accept challenges, and has a positive attitude to your work and your co-workers, you will be considered a great asset by any well run organisation.
8). Unemployment Blues: Mind Over Mood By : Virginia Bola Unemployment plays havoc with our emotional system. We take a number of hits all at once: loss of occupational identity, economic pressure, family anxiety, and the humiliation of job search.
9). Prolonged Unemployment: Reconnecting With The Labor Market By : Virginia Bola If you have been unemployed for an extended period of time, you know that potential employers are going to look at your long period of unemployment with a jaundiced eye.
10). Your Online Home Internet Business By : james lowe The triumphs and traumas of starting your entrepreneur career on the internet