Congratulations on getting admission to the college of your dreams! Now is the time to make some career decisions for yourself. While not everyone will start looking for a job right after joining college, there’s no harm in staying ahead.
Working at a job while in college will allow you to add more substance to your CV and get some necessary professional experience before you start working full-time.
Now, the real question is, how hard is it to get a job while studying? How do you know if a job is the right fit for you?
Top 10 factors that should influence your choice of job in college:
If you are keen to hit the job market while in college itself, make sure the jobs you choose to do offers these advantages:
- Flexibility: This has to be the most important criterion when searching for jobs in college. You can’t allow your academics to suffer just because you want to start earning early. You must choose a job with flexible hours; you can move around this to suit your study schedule.
- Training: Avoid taking up a job that will throw you into the choppy waters without teaching you how to swim. Look for a job that cares about your interests and passion and trains you for the future. Are you thinking of becoming a teacher? Take a tutoring job that helps you make money and enhances your teaching skills.
- Pay: The purpose of finding a job in college is to make money. If you invest time, it’s only natural that you should get paid for it. Unpaid internships may be valuable but choose paid ones. You need this money to pay for your commutes and daily meals.
- Support: Look for a job that doesn’t intimidate you. Internships should make you feel comfortable and well-supported. A new and unfamiliar environment may be scary. You need supportive people around you who can guide you if required.
- Networking: Take time to choose a job that can open up more networking opportunities for you in the future. It should be a stepping-stone for your future career and allow you to meet new people and forge new connections that will benefit you in the long run.
- Community: It isn’t exciting if you have to work alone. It’s better to look for jobs that let you be part of a community along with colleagues and superiors. This community feeling makes you look forward to getting to work every day. Interacting with them helps you develop interpersonal skills and keeps you content and motivated.
- Life skills: Go for a job that teaches life skills and a good work ethic. These skills and habits will last a lifetime and prepare you for the competition.
- Location: Search for local jobs, preferably on or near the campus. That will save you a lot of money on transportation costs. Moreover, you will get time to engage in extracurricular activities after studying and working.
- Relevance: It’s necessary to get a job that is meaningful and relevant to what you wish to pursue in the future. So, if you want to be a college lecturer, it makes sense to start tutoring kids to see if you are cut out for this profession. If lab work excites you, it may be a good idea to search for a job as a laboratory assistant in your college years.
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- Fun factor: You don’t want to be stuck in a job that makes you miserable. Don’t do something you don’t enjoy doing or look forward to. Working while studying should be a unique and fulfilling experience for you, whether blogging, freelancing, or tutoring. It should bring you happiness and satisfaction.
If you find a job that ticks most of these boxes, get employed. College life is a time of new experiences and challenges. Don’t stop yourself from experimenting with new things. Working during your student years will help you learn and grow, besides providing you with money and experience.
