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Does college count as experience? Many people ask this question because they don’t have work experience when applying for a job. You've added a list of skills to your resume, but you don’t know what to put in the experience section, especially for entry-level jobs- what do you do?
Does college count as experience? I believe everything you have gone through and learned in your life is experience. So, this includes your school, and college activities, such as coursework, volunteer positions, on-campus jobs, and extracurricular activities. So, what counts as experience on your resume?
What counts as experience on a resume?
Experience is one of the most critical components of a resume. Most employers will skip other things on your resume and start reading the experience section. It shows the extent to why you should be keen while editing that part. Does college count as experience? What other things count as experience on a resume if you have no professional work experience?
Internships
Internships are a great way of gaining experience for new graduates. Regardless of whether it is a paid or unpaid internship omitting it can hinder you from landing your dream job. For entry jobs, recruiters major in the internship section, to know the extent of work you could handle. It becomes easier with positive remarks and excellent work from your internship experience. Thus, it increases your hiring chances.
Volunteering
Most people add their volunteering experience to the extracurricular or hobbies section. Volunteering should appear in the experience section. However, it depends on the type of work and company you had volunteered for.
Volunteering develops your skills as you gain experience. Mention your volunteering on the resume if it is relevant to the job requirements. Not only does this show your passion and dedication, but it also increases your hiring chances.
Part-time jobs
New graduates can earn salary and experience from part-time jobs. However, ensure that your experience in part-time jobs aligns with your job application. For instance, data entry tasks should be aligned with business-related jobs and so on.
Part-time jobs show how you spent your professional time after your studies. It also shows your dedication and punctuality. Besides, if you have worked in an irrelevant field(any other besides your career), your prospective employer will have a positive approach toward you.
It is because the employer will consider you a versatile candidate with multiple skills. So, part-time jobs count as great experience on your resume when you apply for entry-level positions. Make sure you review or use some entry-level resume templates to streamline the process.
Do you put college experience on your resume?
While most employers think that college work is unnecessary, I would advise to always include it. No employer will be mad if you included it, they will either skip or read it. Ensure that you polish it well just in case they read it, they are impressed.
If you have learned and accomplished skills in your college, mention that on your resume. Include the period you have been studying the skills.
For example, if you are a recent graduate, you should list that information at the top of your resume. On the other hand, when you have different work experience, make sure you keep the college section below your employer history in your resume.
How to Get Experience for Your Resume
It is easy to get experience to add to your resume. Part-time, full-time, unpaid, or paid internships can help gain experience. Likewise, you can apply for apprenticeships to gain valuable work experience. Mentorships, volunteering and field studies, temporary jobs, and freelancing are other ways to gain knowledge, improve your skills, and gain experience.
Conclusion
Some employers consider college as experience, while others ignore it. So, it depends on the company where you apply for a job. It is vital to perform research regarding a company that has invited you for an interview. That way, you will know whether your prospective employer counts college as experience.
Some Of My Favorite Tools
Thank you again for reading my article. Writing this blog takes a lot of time, attention, and effort so I take care in using a very standard set of tools to deliver my blog to you. Maybe you will find these helpful if you have any similar interests along your career path.
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Outsourcing: I use Fiverr for many different tasks. My life is pretty busy and I try to use my time wisely. I utilize outsourcing services like Fiverr whenever possible to have people do various tasks that I'm just not good at – like graphic design. If interested, here is the person I specifically use to do graphical design for many of my images.
Online Privacy: I work hard and strive to keep confidential business details private. Therefore, I always want to keep my work viewable only by the correct people. One of the ways I protect myself online is by using a VPN and more specifically I personally use NordVPN. I use NordVPN specifically because it's fast, I can use it on any of my devices, and I can chose from any specific location. If you are looking to retain your privacy online, I highly recommend NordVPN to both my friends and family.
