By Kassidy Tsikitas | Photographer
Having a job in college might not seem like that big of a deal, but when you take on this responsibility, you are playing an important part within the college community. Only putting in the bare minimum can certainly be a tempting option, but it’s a curse that smites us from the heavens.
My job as a photographer can be as simple as showing up and clicking a button, so why on earth would I not just do that?
Now, I’m not here to insult you if you are at the point in the school year where you just don’t care. I’ve had my weeks of putting off work and doing just enough to get a B, and yes, busy work gets annoying. Sometimes you have to turn off autopilot and realize you only have so many semesters left. Keep persevering.
In the midst of looking for internships, I made a visit to the Career Center, and I was told that I undersold myself in my resume. The only thing I could think was, “Wow, do my jobs mean more than I thought?” Any job you get during your college years can help prepare you for the real world.
My second job is as a barista at a popular coffee shop, Common Grounds. It might seem as simple as “I make coffee,” but on a resume, it can be read as hospitality, communication, leadership and organization.
Building connections within this professional community can not only help your overall work ethic but also your mental health. An article by Andrea Herron talks about how in-depth relationships in a workplace create a sense of community and contribute to your development as a person.
“A sense of community in the workplace can help ward off loneliness. A 2020 study by Cigna found that people who don’t have good connections at work are ten times lonelier than people who report having good relationships with their coworkers.”
Further reasons you should work hard in your college jobs are to build better time management, develop your resume, make more friends and become a well-rounded person. A study by College Data shows that being active in your student life can help lead to a better professional life.
Next time you think about doing the bare minimum, consider how it will affect your future. The most successful people who started with nothing didn’t let everyone hand things to them on a silver platter. Work hard now, and you will see results later.
