All Experience is Good Experience
I really enjoyed reading the section, "Turning Students' Life and Work Experience into Resume Gold" in CS 102 "Empowering Students to Find and Secure The Right Job." It is important for our students who may not have any directly related work experience in their field of study to be able to demonstrate on their resume the transferable skills they do have from any part-time jobs they have held. Many of my students work in various customer service roles such as in food service and retail. It is crucial for me as their Career Services Advisor to help them demonstrate on their resume the transferable skills they gained in these roles that would relate to the type of position they are applying for in their field of study. Skills they developed at their part-time positions such as punctuality, consistency, interpersonal communication skills, providing excellent customer service, and solving problems on the spot are examples students can list on their resume that may help them get that first professional in-field position.
Being a Career Service Advisor in a medically oriented training environment experience is always a challenge that our students face. Our advice to them is that in addition to the mandatory externship hours that they must do to complete their program; they should volunteer in the area that they are interested. In the last year, we have placed 10 students (100%) who have volnteered their services. Indeed, "All Experience is Good Experience".
I think that a lot of individuals underplay their expierence as well. It's important to understand that all expierence can be translated into relevant expierence. I would in a medically oriented field as well, and our students and graduate are customer driven. No matter their expierence often times you can relate them to customer services/ sales or more. I am also a firm believer that you can quantify yourself. Whether they have previously worked in fast food, or only have volunteer expirence the amount and volume to which they serve can speak louder for their character than someone who does not relay this information.
I agree with you Sarah. Additionally, I've found a lot of military or prior-military students have done incredible things but brush it off as "normal".
From that point on, I make sure they know that they're capable of accomplishing great things!
