The work market in today’s world is quite competitive. Given the current circumstances, impressing employers with just a decent academic background is difficult; the primary reason is that employers are hunting for applicants with first-hand experience of how work is done in offices in real-life situations. Several studies have found that real-world work experience has a more significant impact on a person’s ability to perform a job than academic degrees. Work experience for college students comes into play when the practical implementation of an idea is different from what you were taught as a theory in the classroom.
Furthermore, many soft skills necessary for college students to enter the job market may only be developed in a professional setting. Internships, volunteer work, part-time jobs, and other activities have thus become an essential element of today’s college curriculum. But, before we get into the various advantages of work experience, let’s look at the different types.
Employers prefer graduates who have worked before:
The atmosphere on a college campus and a business office are vastly different. Having a solid knowledge of how work is done in offices can be advantageous for students. There are significantly more stakes in a professional context than in a college classroom. A single blunder on the part of an employee in the workplace might cost them their job and the organization a lot of money. Which applicant do you think the employer would hire if both have the same qualifications and CVs, but only one has relevant work experience? The one with professional experience because he understands the stakes and has a sense of how things are done.
You’ll Learn Skills That Can Be Transferred:
Working in various situations helps you get professional experience and teaches you a variety of other practical skills that will come in helpful once you graduate. And as the term implies, these abilities can be transferred from one firm to the next or even from one industry to the next. Working as an intern exposes you to various circumstances in which you can hone and build such abilities. Mentioning them in your resume also gives your profile more credibility and positively impacts the hiring manager.
You’ll be able to put things to the test:
Another advantage of work experience is that it helps you test the waters before plunging into them. After completion, many courses lead to job prospects in various industries. For example, a degree in mass communication can lead to jobs in advertising, filmmaking, journalism, and publishing, among other fields. These disciplines are relatively different, and not every mass communication graduate will be interested in them all. Some people like advertising, others prefer filmmaking, while others pursue professional photography. However, to determine which of these occupations is ideal for them, they must have some prior experience in the subject. Changing fields once you are employed is a difficult task. Therefore, it is best to determine your area of interest before working.
Doing an internship or getting any work experience, such as volunteering or freelancing, can add value to your resume during your college years. Of course, it provides you with an advantage or preference over other candidates, but it also makes the transition from college to work-life easier. I hope this blog has dispelled any remaining misconceptions you may have had about the necessity of job experience.
