From Student Employment to Professional Career

Often times, students seek out on campus jobs for merely the purpose of making money, but what they can fail to see the valuable skills they learn. From office jobs to dining services, students learn and grow their skills that they will need for their future careers. It is important to help them realize that their jobs are much more than ‘just office work’. A constant goal in student affairs is to set students up for success once they graduate and move on in their careers. By teaching undergraduates how to translate their skills onto their resumes, they will be able to present themselves in a way that is appealing to future employers.

What is important for students to realize is that employers are looking for graduates who were involved during their collegiate career. This includes student who held leadership positions in student organizations, volunteered, and/or held a student job. The reason this kind of student is so sought after by employers is because these co-curricular experiences are what develops an individual’s soft skills.

Softs skills are traits and abilities that are not measurable and often hard to teach. Unlike hard skills, these are not taught in traditional classrooms. Because of this, many recent graduates are not equipped with the soft skills needed in the work force. In a study conducted by LinkedIn in 2017, it was found that of 291 hiring managers in the U.S., 59% of them believe that soft skills are difficult to find. This kind of results can be found in almost every study that examines this topic. It is a constant theme seen throughout industries.

Professional staff and supervisors need to encourage their student employees to look far beyond the basic tasks they complete. A way to do this is by enlightening them that there are not just sitting at the desk or moving tables around but rather they are problem solving, thinking critically, adapting, self-motivating, teamwork, improving their organization and time management, enhancing their written and verbal communication skills. Each of these soft skills listed are key qualities employers are looking for. By opening student employee's eyes to all the transferable soft skills they obtain through their positions, supervisors are helping them gain an edge in the job market.