Hi all - Kid didn’t get an internship this summer and is bummed. However, they got their first paid summer job doing unskilled labor. They are skeptical that this job will be an asset on their college app - it’s totally unrelated to their interests, but pays well. Does a job contribute positively to an application? They have 200+ hours of volunteer work from the past few summers and an independent research project. I think having a real job is important for multiple reasons, including for college apps. Any insights or stories on how admissions officers view jobs would be appreciated.
Varies by college as to how they consider work experience.
If you mean more selective colleges with holistic admission reading, a paid job will be a good extracurricular in this context.
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A job is a very good extracurricular activity. It shows responsibility, and some degree of the ability to organize yourself (for the students of course).
Remember that the students from some low income families need to work to help support the family. Universities are not going to penalize these students for being responsible and helping the family. Even if your family does not need the money, this is still a good activity.
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My son’s main essay (prompt was to describe a challenge you’ve faced) was the difficulty in getting grease stains out of a polyester uniform when you get home from your last shift cleaning up at a fast food restaurant at midnight and need your uniform clean the next afternoon to go back to work. It was unintentionally hilarious (kid is a wonderful human being but not a comic), especially since in a world filled with SERIOUS challenges that kids write about, it was a bit of an acknowledgment that “I’m healthy, I’m not homeless, I’m not in foster care but even so, french fry grease can stymie the most aggressive laundry doer”.
Any job is good even if it’s not part of an essay. But I suspect it could be…. Kudos to your son! And think about his application in the context of a few thousand kids whose work experience was selling sneakers on Ebay or developing an App to rank lucrative Polymarket wagers…. Real work? With real people? Sounds tremendous to me.
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Love this!
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Am I correct…this is a high school student who will be applying to college?
If so, a job is a great thing to have on college applications. The very vast majority of college applicants don’t have “internships” although I think some people call their regular jobs these days “internships”.
Your student is fine not having an internship as a high school student…and he is very lucky he found a summer job!
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I was thinking a little about this, and then I thought: aren’t most teen jobs considered unskilled?
Anyway, each of my children had an unskilled job. They liked what they learned on their jobs.
Our middle daughter couldn’t find a job one summer, so she volunteered to work with our vet. She learned how to fill medication for injections. She learned proper sterilization procedures for autoclaves and various medical equipment. She also learned the medical lingo and knew what universal precautions were and how to stay hygienic.
She became immediately employable at her university, in a lab position.
The admissions’ officers who are my neighbors/friends actually prefer applicants who have had part-time jobs.
This is the way it was explained to me by my friend “Stacie” at UC:
The child has to apply for the job.
Has to “prepare”/put together a résumé of skills.
Then, either have an in person interview or meet on Zoom.
After all of that, the applicant now goes through as a probationary employee.
He needs to fill out all of the financial and emergency information and any rule documents (and this doesn’t happen within view of the parents).
Then he goes through training and needs to show up for work and maintain punctuality.
Needs to be motivated.
Needs to stay on-task.
Needs to follow through with directions. Needs to work well with others.
Needs to learn the job as he goes on to become a vital part of a business.
She says the part-time job teaches discipline, multitasking, communication skills, financial and budgeting skills and courtesy business practices. She said she doesn’t care what the job is and that these are the kinds of kids they’re looking for.
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Simply put, a job is one of the best Ecs. Colleges have to evaluate students from every economic and social situation. Lot’s of kid’s can’t afford engineering camps or other situations but a job shows so much to a college. Leadership, responsibility, maturity to name a few.
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And don’t we all remember our first job- asking ourselves repeatedly “How did this moron get to be the boss of so many people?” So humbling once WE get to be the boss and to remember our own “moron” manager!
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This is so perfect.
I mentored medical student’s coming into our office. I was shocked how many never really held any jobs. I have had jobs since I was 9/y/o. Sure it was 25 cents an hour but it still bought candy.
Work ethic is so important. I think it says so much about the applicant. All of our Pre Med students (MD, DO, NP, PA, DPM) have all gotten into their professional schools after working a few year’s in our office. I also write amazing referral letters 
.
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My daughter echoed this sentiment. She went to school with pre-med hopefuls, who had all the coursework, test scores, and eligibility, but had no actual paid work experience.
It shocked her that they never needed to work because mommy and daddy did everything for them. She had to explain tax forms (W-4) and deductions to med school classmates.
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I believe it does. Especially those “unskilled ones”.
S23 had what looked like a pampered life on paper, boarding school and the travel, athletic and academic opportunities that come along with it. But unlike a lot of BS kids, he needed a summer job and didn’t have family or a family friend giving him a cushy one. So, he was a janitor. I think it showed that he wasn’t afraid to get dirty (important in his major) and that he showed up to things even when they weren’t “entertaining” or filled with accolades.
Getting a job requires skill, doing a job requires skill, and keeping a job requires skill. I think most kids get more out of an “unskilled job” than they do out of the various “pay to play” activities they think will look good on an application, but really carry little weight
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The job will be considered a positive way to spend the summer. All good.
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Adding this story to my collection of best essay topics along with one on the fuzz on a tennis ball, blueberry muffins and Legos. Great example of putting that “unskilled” job to work on an application!
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yes, it may even be more distinguishing, honestly, especially depending on your background.
Some high-end admissions consultants MAKE their clients get paid jobs.
I am actually worried (slightly) my kid has never had a paid job 
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Correct – looking at selective schools in the 10-25% acceptance rate range.
Yes – has pretty selective schools on their list - including LACs and two UCs.
Hmm, not too experienced in this field, but I do remember hearing a statistic that having a job looks good to colleges and that they are more likely to admit for the reason that having a paid job is a responsibility and a commitment showing maturity in terms of time management and task-owning. (but dont take my word for it 100%)
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It doesn’t matter how selective his college application list is. A job is an excellent thing to have on the application. And even at these top schools, the vast majority of applicants do not have “internships” in high school, they just don’t.
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And for those of you tossing and turning because your college student is working a summer job and has not snagged a “prestigious internship”– that’s still ok. Just a plan vanilla job.
I’ve interviewed kids who were apologetic about no internships but what they’ve accomplished is quite impressive. The kid who couldn’t afford to take the “just a stipend which is less than minimum wage” internship in a bio lab, but worked every possible shift as an EMT and eventually got promoted to supervisor. The kid who got a minimum wage clerical job at town hall inputting property tax data, and did an analysis which showed that the city had over three million dollars in receivables which they had never bothered to collect. So walked the analysis down to the mayor’s office who was flabbergasted (and grateful). Imagine discussing this experience during an interview for a full time finance role. A college kid balancing the city’s budget during a summer job.
Internships are hard to find some years. It’s ok.
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