For most students and recent graduates, it’s all about finding part-time jobs that will help kickstart your career. Part-time positions will always be a great asset for your CV/resume. After all, employers will look at your previous experience and assess how your part-time jobs have shaped you into the person you are today.
Believe it or not, any part-time job will prepare and equip you with an eclectic range of skills that will make you more employable. Just like an internship, a part-time job can enhance your CV/resume drastically (as reported by The Times), especially for graduates. Let’s explore the skills you develop and the reasons why recruiters love students who managed a part-time job while studying.
You shouldn’t overlook any part-time job. Even if you think it doesn’t relate to your future career. It will, and we’ll explain how.
Employers assess a candidate’s CV/resume based on examples of competencies and employability skills. For example, if you had a part-time retail job, it displays you as an individual with a multitude of skills. These can include:
Good communication skills are vital for any role. In many graduate careers, such as finance and marketing, you can inform employers that you understand how to deal with clients and customers, how to convey information articulately, and how to adapt your speech to fit different situations
Having sales skills is necessary for many jobs. For example, in specific positions, such as public relations and recruitment, you will need to build a good rapport with clients. This could be via demonstrating in-depth knowledge of the products and services you’re selling, achieving target sales, and mastering personal qualities such as critical thinking. Thus, employers will see that you possess a wealth of employable skills
These skills, gained from whatever part-time job, apply to all industries. Even if you’re a software developer or a financial analyst, you will need to have good knowledge of the services you provide and be able to sell those services to clients and customers
Another great skillset you will acquire from a part-time job is leadership. This may not necessarily involve managing others, but it can reflect a number of leadership skills.
Good time management is a common, yet important trait for all graduate-level jobs. All recruiters will find this appealing. Ultimately, employers want their employees to represent the company as best they can. Therefore, they want to hire those who are able to work efficiently in order to meet deadlines.
Being responsible, competent and trustworthy are all keywords associated with leadership. Graduate recruiters will look for these traits to identify the perfect employer. Employers want to feel comfortable when they give important tasks to their colleagues, but they also want to ensure that employees feel validated and continue to strive for the best. Thus, leadership involves the highs and lows, and the successes and failures of a team. Be willing to accept blame as pointing fingers could make employers and colleagues lose respect for you. You should focus on creating solutions to improve yourself and learn from previous mistakes.
Having discipline is a learnable quality that anyone can achieve, particularly through hard-work and perseverance. Although it may be difficult at first, it is a desirable characteristic that everyone likes. Remember, nothing worthwhile is easy! By showing you understand that discipline is vital, employers will see you as someone who adheres to company policies and knows how to behave at work.
Possessing or attaining confidence is not as easy as 1, 2, 3. Instead, it is focused on the structure and state of the individual’s mind. If you don’t have confidence, you’re more likely to lose valuable opportunities that come your way – even Forbes supports this view! Through positive thinking, knowledge and experience, one can boost their confidence and become the person they desire to be. For instance, this can be developed over the course of your part-time job at, say, serving at a restaurant or working in a shop.
Confidence is pivotal for any organisation. Hence why employers are looking for candidates who are exuberant and bold. Confident employees are the people who engage and face new, challenging projects and those who step out of their comfort zone. This allows them to accomplish set goals so that they build a new set of skills. Consequently, this proves that they’re hardworking and are excellent assets for the company, creating a good image for the business. To support this view, The Independent advised that employers view confidence as one of the top qualities for leadership!
When you have a part-time job (i.e. taking on the role of summer sales assistant), it’s very likely you and your colleagues are part of a team, even if it is in the wider context. Exhibiting to employers that you can effectively collaborate with colleagues indicates that you can build connections.
Many organisations know that having a positive team that works well together will lead to many benefits, which they can reap afterwards.
In 2018, The Guardian reported that an effective team leads to increased productivity, a sense of accomplishment, and better team morale. Additionally, research by SHRM states that when an employee feels they are part of a team, they are more likely to foster that relationship and be happy which, in turn, increases employee retention. Thus, promoting a work environment which encourages teamwork will create many benefits for a company.
When you have a part-time job (i.e. taking on the role of summer sales assistant), it’s very likely you and your colleagues are part of a team, even if it is in the wider context. Exhibiting to employers that you can effectively collaborate with colleagues indicates that you can build connections.
Many organisations know that having a positive team that works well together will lead to many benefits, which they can reap afterwards.
In 2018, The Guardian reported that an effective team leads to increased productivity, a sense of accomplishment, and better team morale. Additionally, research by SHRM states that when an employee feels they are part of a team, they are more likely to foster that relationship and be happy which, in turn, increases employee retention. Thus, promoting a work environment which encourages teamwork will create many benefits for a company.
Virtual Internships can help you develop these skills and any other necessary characteristics via our internship program. Working remotely from anywhere you want, your placement will be based with a company that can assist in giving you the above-mentioned skills to improve your employability. Therefore, by listing these desirable traits and experience on your CV/resume, you can provide concrete evidence to future employers that you can work independently but also demonstrate that you possess the skills needed to be successful for the job role.
Your dream career is also furthered by the CareerBridge programme, which trains you in specific areas and allows you to self-reflect on your skills from the start of the course to the end. For instance, it includes content such as critical self-assessments and how to improve your skills for your CV/resume. By the end of the internship, you will see significant improvements in your development, possessing the required skillset to take on your ambitions.
Find out why Alumni Natalie Bright's virtual internship came at the right time in the first part of a three-part series. Read her story here!
Time to start considering internships? Know what you should look for and what to prepare? Check out our guide for high school students!
Gap Years have become very popular in many parts of the world. If you're planning a break from school, check out some of our gap year ideas!