Stepping Out 

  a student's guide to education beyond the classroom
IS THIS
GUIDE FOR
ME?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TESTIMONIALS

 RESOURCES AND LINKS

SITE MAP

CONTACT US
WORK EXPERIENCE 
     
"There has been a very lockstep nature to our educational system; so much so that students have difficulty understanding the relevance between what they study and what they want to do with their life when school is over.  What's missing is experience.

There is a real gap between what students learn in the classroom and what they do when they get out. Students need time before they finish their education to explore ideas and interests; to discover their passion before they graduate. When you take a gap year you meet people who share your passion. That's when you realize there are jobs where you can do what you love to do and why education is an important part of getting there."
                        Gail Reardon, Founder of Taking Off

Stepping out is a great way to start gaining work experience.  Work gives you a chance to see how the so-called "real world" operates, and it is a chance to try out different careers.  Work is a way to make money and can also be a valuable learning tool.


Some reasons work experience is good for you:
  • The skills you gain go beyond the specific field you are working in.  In the article "Work Works" by Donald Casell and Catherine Brougham, the multitude of benefits that come from working are highlighted:  “Any work experience has the potential to reap benefits for the student.  Even when the work is not related to the student’s field of study, an employed student is building networks, improving self-organization, establishing a greater sense of responsibility, expanding work skills, learning more about personal strengths and values, and is all the while gaining in self-confidence.”
  • Work experience can help you find jobs post-college.  Northeastern University runs a co-op education program that sends 90% of their students (upwards of 3000 a term) on six-month paid work experiences.  Of these students, 77% are offered a full-time job with the company they co-op with.  (Leonard Morrison, Northeastern University).    
  • It is a way to make money.  Sounds simple, but when you work, you are able to make money.  Consider working as a means to pay for other experiences you would like to have during your time off.  
  • Employers like when students have previous work experience.  Case in point: IBM states that part of its goal is to hire more than 70% of its students from co-op schools (schools that incorporate work experience into their curriculum).