An internship or co-op in the student’s chosen field of study is the best kind of work experience a college student can find because employers look at internships as on-the-job training. Internships expose students to actual job duties and familiarize them with corporate culture.
Good College Student Resume Experience – Internships & Co-Ops
Companies often use internships and co-ops as a way to select top-notch candidates; they will select the best candidates for these temporary / seasonal positions, and assuming satisfactory job performance, may offer the students full-time positions upon graduation. Therefore, landing an internship and doing a superb job is one of the best ways to land a job after graduation.
In this article, find an example of an entry-level resume and learn ways to obtain valuable work experience to put on a resume.
Entry-Level Resume Example – Sample Resume for College Students
As a student gains related work experience, he or she will be able to replace non-related high school work experience and activities with work experience and skills obtained during the college years. In this example entry-level resume template, see how one student spent his years in college obtaining valuable experience.
The student wanted a job at a company that focuses on natural resource conservation and environment regulations. From the beginning of her college career, she held office jobs (relevant in any corporate environment) as well as a technical position in engineering, and gained legal experience (helpful in any company that deals with compliance issues). Most importantly, she obtained over a year’s worth of co-op experience in the natural resources field, spending a significant amount of time working on ecosystem research.
Great Resume Work Experience Helps Student Get Jobs
Assuming this student performed well on the job (key to obtaining solid references), she would have had an advantage over other students in her major who didn’t obtain substantial relevant work experience. She may have also had a job offer from Mead Paper, the company where she obtained the relevant work experience.
The student in the example resume template above obtained work experience through a formal co-op position. However, there are other ways of making a resume look good.
How to Get Work Experience – Part-Time Jobs for College Students
Many students worry about how to get work experience when they didn’t land traditional internship positions. The truth is that internship experience is only one way to get work experience.
Any part-time job that relates directly to a student’s chosen field could be great resume material. For instance, a marketing major may wish to seek part-time sales work. Or an electrical engineering major may be able to find work as an electrician‘s helper (practical work experience in power systems).
What to Put on a Resume – Ideas for Non-Internship Experience
Below are several more part-time jobs college students in certain disciplines may wish to consider. Other majors can use this line of thinking to brainstorm relevant part-time work in their field.
- English majors – Volunteer part-time in the school’s writing center, editing student papers.
- Information Technology majors – Get part-time work repairing computers.
- Journalism majors – Work part-time at a local newspaper or television station.
- Teaching majors – Find a part-time job as an assistant in a teaching pre-school facility.
To see another sample college student resume perfect for college students with no relevant work experience, view the article Sample Student Resume.
Related articles:
Building a College Student Resume
Getting a Job After College Graduation
Lena Gott - Lena Gott is a Certified Public Accountant who gives practical financial advice to her readers.
Comments