College. Sigh. It’s unlike any other time in your life. It has its own set of rules, its own unique circumstances. And it’s not always easy to navigate. Everyone needs a little guidance now and then (or always) so we’ve pulled together a variety of perspectives (the does-it-all girl, the party girl and Ms. Study Lounge) to weigh in on your life conundrums and give you the best advice we can.

Every week they’ll be tackling your questions about college. From classes to keggers to keggers before classes, they’ll do their best to respond and be your Pez dispenser of collegiate wisdom. Got questions? Unsure of a decision? Need to branch out? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics?

Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”!

Question:
So, I don’t know if you’ll know the answer to this but I’m trying to figure out my plans for the rest of the semester and I’m not sure which will look better on my resume: getting really involved in a student organization or getting a job. I have no idea what I really want to do in my future yet, so it’s not like either of them would apply much to what I end up doing, so I don’t know if it’s more important to get involved in one or the other. Any thoughts?

GPA Girl:
It seems as if either one could be a good option, but I’d lean toward “job,” and here’s why. When you finally do get around to figuring out what you want to do and applying for full-time jobs after college, your prospective employers will look to your previous work experience and references to judge how you’re going to act in their companies. They might look at extracurriculars as well–in fact, I’m sure they probably will–but I personally don’t think they hold quite the same weight. Even if you become a leader in an extracurricular activity, there’s not really anybody there monitoring your progress, paying attention to when you show up, and evaluating the work you do according to rigorous standards. In short, nobody’s paying you to do it and there’s no one there who can prove how good you did it. A job will provide you with verifiable references and experience that you will be able to use in the future, no matter what career path you choose.

Also, I’m sure our resident Busy Bee will suggest this, but why not get involved with both activities? You may not be able to devote quite as much time as you like to the student org, but it could be really enriching and rewarding for you to do both things and enjoy both experiences. (Plus, it will prove your ability to multi-task and handle multiple responsibilities, which looks pretty great on a resume.) Read More »