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I worked a lot in college because I was told that you need work experience to get hired before graduation. I worked all 4 years I attended college. I co oped my last semester (which was a pain). I interned 2 summers. I had a ton of experience. I would have preferred to have not worked, but I listened to articles telling me how I have to get years of experience in before I graduated.
I was talking to my friend who is taking 5 years to get a plain cs degree (I got the same cs degree and a econ degree in 4 years) who has never worked. He was pretty confident he'll find a good job by the time he graduates next May. He's never worked!!! Is this just wishful thinking on his part?
Or did I just waste years of my life listening to "experts" tell me how a modern student needs experience?
Don't listen to your friend. He is likely going to move back home with his parents after graduation and make it their problem to find him a job.
I work in software and have many years of experience. You did exactly the right thing. For the good jobs, they always look at what you did in college and if you worked in your field either thought internships or part-time that makes you stand-out from the crowd. Someone who has only gone to school is at a disadvantage.
Since you have worked, I can tell you. You'd be surprised at the number of people who come out of school with a degree and zero work experience who don't even have the slightest concept of what it is like to work in an office. They don't understand the importance of deadlines, dealing with a supervisor, being held accountable for their actions, and working with others.
School is very important and getting a CS degree is a good thing. But having worked while going to college as you described was the smart thing to do. Don't worry about your friend. He's going to have a tougher time than you, or is going to settle for something you likely wouldn't even consider doing because you have better options available to you.
He plays videogames and does not have a job. Why are you comparing yourself to him?
Yeah, seriously.
When we reviewed resumes of college students who were recent graduates for hire or internships, those who did nothing during the summers were excluded from the consideration pile. Someone who just screws off during the summer, doesn't go to school, doesn't work, does nothing is going to need a lot of babysitting on the job. It also shows they have no initiative.
When the labor pool of talent is dry, they need people so it can be a different story. But now employers only want to hire the very bust they can.
The OP shouldn't worry about his friend. In fact, he shouldn't listen to him or hang out with him, because that kind of attitude is just going to drag you down.
no internships help develop skills and networking. if he got them some other way, then he has them as well
internships aren't important in themselves, it's what you get out of them that is
Internships are important, because we ended up hiring many of them when they graduated if they made a good impression on us while working there. For those who wanted to work in another part of the country, we were available to be used as references.
~~~ The OP shouldn't worry about his friend. In fact, he shouldn't listen to him or hang out with him, because that kind of attitude is just going to drag you down.
You know, when i just graduated, and some-one would give me the career advice to stop hanging out with my friends, I would loose respect for that person and if this advise was repeated, for the industry.
Internships are important, because we ended up hiring many of them when they graduated if they made a good impression on us while working there. For those who wanted to work in another part of the country, we were available to be used as references.
so.. how is that different than if they networked with you guys in a different way?
Internships aren't important, it's what they do with it that is. Just like the degree, do they show up and sit there? Or do they put effort into learning what is needed?
I worked a lot in college because I was told that you need work experience to get hired before graduation. I worked all 4 years I attended college. I co oped my last semester (which was a pain). I interned 2 summers. I had a ton of experience. I would have preferred to have not worked, but I listened to articles telling me how I have to get years of experience in before I graduated.
I was talking to my friend who is taking 5 years to get a plain cs degree (I got the same cs degree and a econ degree in 4 years) who has never worked. He was pretty confident he'll find a good job by the time he graduates next May. He's never worked!!! Is this just wishful thinking on his part?
Or did I just waste years of my life listening to "experts" tell me how a modern student needs experience?
Life isn't fair. Simple as that.
CS is quite marketable where I am at, and has been for a long time.
My son majored in sociology. He's working as a software developer now (and making very good money). It's not the degree that gets you the job; it's you.
Everyone I know with this degree had good offers (70k+) a year right out of college. Although I know one person who refused to leave his small home town and ended up working at a Walmart, being managed by people with art history degrees.
I worked a lot in college because I was told that you need work experience to get hired before graduation. I worked all 4 years I attended college. I co oped my last semester (which was a pain). I interned 2 summers. I had a ton of experience. I would have preferred to have not worked, but I listened to articles telling me how I have to get years of experience in before I graduated.
I was talking to my friend who is taking 5 years to get a plain cs degree (I got the same cs degree and a econ degree in 4 years) who has never worked. He was pretty confident he'll find a good job by the time he graduates next May. He's never worked!!! Is this just wishful thinking on his part?
Or did I just waste years of my life listening to "experts" tell me how a modern student needs experience?
Did you ask him why he's so confident? Perhaps he's got a plan. And that's the key. It's not what degree you have or how many internships you had. But what you did with them and how you used them as part of your career planning. And of course, there's also the curve ball... maybe his dad's college roommate is an EVP at EA, and he's pretty much got a job lined up already.
Yes, based on the two examples, you are more prepared (and that's really all that matters). However, just because you've had internships/work experience doesn't automatically mean you are going to have jobs handed to you. A big factor is also what you did in those internships. On the flip side, if you were in those internships, how do you know all your friend did was play video games?
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