Acquiring Experience

Ways to acquire experience before and during college: 
Due to the especially attractive nature of internships as source preliminary professional experience, we discuss this topic in a separate page of our Web site.  Indeed, significant work experience can be acquired before you graduate from college, and this can be beneficial to you in seeking that first career oriented position after graduation. The key is to present the experience in the best light when developing your resume and doing interviews.  

Any work you do to earn money before and during college, and any volunteer work, may be significant.  In addition to internships, consider the following avenues to gaining experience:  

1. Co-op Programs

2. Summer Jobs

3. Part-time Jobs

4. Volunteer Work

5. Leadership Roles in Student Organizations

Co-op Programs

What is a co-op program?  How does it differ from an Internship? 
Co-op is short for cooperative.  As explained by Ohio State University, "An internship is a one-time work experience that typically lasts three to six months, may be full- or part-time, paid or unpaid. A co-op is a work experience in which students alternate quarters of full-time study with quarters of full-time work."   This is called an Alternating Co-op program and OSU, in a discussion of differences between co-op programs and internships, refers to it as "the classical cooperative education experience."  Parallel Co-op is another type of co-op program.  Under this model, you would work and go to school at the same time.  Parallel co-ops could be working full-time and going to school part-time, or vice versa.  To get information on co-op programs, OSU advises its students to contact their career services office or check with their college office.  Of course, you will need to get information about co-op programs at your school.  

Keep in mind that, as a co-op, your job will be career-related, not just any part-time job.  Therefore, you will have decided on a major and probably have taken some courses in your major, and you usually need to begin to explore a co-op opportunity in your sophomore or early junior year to work the required rotations.  Again, get information about specific co-op programs through your career services office or college/department office.

 Summer Jobs

If you follow the traditional academic calendar by going to school two semesters or three quarters during fall, winter, and spring seasons, and taking a summer break from academics, then you should make your summer productive by engaging in other activities.  For many of you, having a job and earning some money during the summer is an essential part of financing your education.  And, if you can get a paying internship as your summer job sometime during your college years, then you will realize a double benefit: an internship to boost your qualifications for employment after graduation while also earning some money during the summer.  

Now, let's get back to non-internship summer jobs.  Perhaps you can find a job in your home community and live at home with your parents during the summer.  Or, you may be staying away from home and working elsewhere during the summer.  Of course, this may depend on the availability of jobs in your home community.  Some of the job placement Web sites mentioned on our page for jobs, where the focus is recent graduates, also help place students in summer jobs.  Jobsdirect is one of them.  And be sure to visit Quintessential Careers' listing of Internet resources for summer and seasonal jobs.

Part-time Jobs

Although the part-time jobs held while going to school may not be very significant in terms experience gained on-the-job, they can still be viewed in a positive light by prospective employers upon graduation.  Holding a part-time job while going to school shows a commitment to getting your education, indicates good time management skills, and may help explain a lower level of involvement in extra-curricular activities and/or may compensate for a G.P.A. being a little lower than competing candidates who did not need to work while taking classes.  So, mention your part-time job, the average hours worked per week, and the fact that you worked to help finance your education, on your resume. 

Volunteer Work

Volunteer work that falls in the realm of community service is likely to viewed as positive point by prospective employers.  Besides being viewed as something intrinsically good, it may also be seen as an activity from which you may have developed leadership qualities, particularly where your involvement continued for an extended time.  So, if time permits, get involved in a volunteer activity.  And, mention it in your resume.  

   Leadership Roles in Student Organizations

This is another chance to gain experience that may be viewed as significant by prospective employers.  Serving as an officer of a student organization or chairing a committee is worth mentioning on your resume.  

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