Glassdoor Blog » College

5 Reasons You Should Work During College

myFootpath — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:00:53 +0000

Starting college can be really overwhelming. You’re probably worried about finding your classes, adjusting to the mystery meat in the cafeteria, and trying to sleep despite your roommate’s constant snoring. How are you going to fit a job into the picture?

Even though it might seem impossible, there are plenty of reasons why working during college isn’t just feasible, it’s a great idea.

How Working During College Works To Your Advantage:

Working During College Helps You Financially

College is expensive, and when you’re staring at quadruple-digit tuition bills, an hourly-wage job might not seem like it’s going to make that much of an impact. But working a few hours a week can offset the cost of groceries, movie tickets, late-night pizza, and school supplies, which can add up to thousands over the course of your college career. When you add that amount on to any college loans and factor in the interest you’ll be paying, the money you’ll save by working during college suddenly seems like a much larger amount.

Working During College Builds Your Resume

Your bachelor’s degree is going to give you a variety of skills, from critical thinking to time management to research capabilities that will be indispensable when you enter the workforce. But there’s still something else employers want to see when they review your application: work experience. With the economy still struggling, you’re going to need every advantage as you start your job search, and working during college is one way to get it. Having a job will help you gain additional skills you need, and it will also help you start accumulating projects, success stories, and titles that you can put on your resume.

Working During College Increases Your Professional Network

This point goes hand in hand with the one above. When you start your job search, you need a resume that shows your experience, but you also need a professional network. This goes beyond your college advisor and your Mom’s best friend who you babysat for one time. You need mentors and colleagues who have worked with you to provide references, help you find job openings, and pass your resume on to future employers. The only way you’ll get these connections is to get out there and start working.

Working During College Grows Your Social Circle

I worked all four years of my undergraduate program, and one of the best things I got out of it was an amazing group of friends. In addition to your professional network, these coworkers might also be university students who you can learn from, bounce ideas off of, and hang out with after work. My work friends provided a trifecta of support – at work, at school, and socially— and I still talk to many of them to this day.

Working During College Helps You Prioritize

Have you ever heard the saying, “If you want something done, ask a busy person?” Working in college, believe it or not, can actually help you be more efficient with your time (and your studying). Because you’ll have to factor work into your schedule, you’ll have to be a lot more structured with your time. This means that you’re a lot less likely to waste a few free hours watching “Jersey Shore” and a lot more likely to crack the books before you head to work. – Originally posted on myFootpath by Noel Rozny

5 Reasons You Should Work During College is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Glassdoor Reveals The Best Universities To Work For

Glassdoor Team — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:00:48 +0000

As college students get ready to head back to the classroom, thousands of university employees are already on campus, working hard as most of them do year-round.

By now, you’ve seen countless reports ranking the top universities in the nation, including the recently released “America’s Top Colleges” report by Forbes Magazine. But, what about the employees?

For the first time, Glassdoor, a jobs and career community, has turned the tables on these rankings, by offering an inside look at what it’s really like to work for more than 100 universities, from Arizona State to Yale, according to those who know best – the employees.

The results may surprise you:

Glassdoor data analysts found that The University of Kansas tops the list as the best university to work for with an overall rating of 4.2, followed by Iowa State University (4.1), Brigham Young University (4.1) and Georgia Tech (4.1). (The full report on how these universities compare to many others is below).
Interestingly, MIT is the only university to rank in the top 10 of both Forbes’ “America’s Top Colleges” report (#9) and Glassdoor’s “Best Universities To Work For” report (tied at #5).
While Ivy League and other recognized universities are still among the highest on Forbes’ “America’s Top Colleges” report, the rankings of these schools vary on Glassdoor’s “Best Universities To Work For” report: Brown University (#5 ranking, 4.0 rating), University of Pennsylvania (#9 ranking, 3.9 rating), Harvard University, Princeton University and University of Virginia (#14 tied ranking, 3.8 rating), Yale University, Stanford University and Duke University (#30 tied ranking, 3.7 rating).
Think bigger might be better? Not always true. Arizona State University, the nation’s largest university for student enrollment, receives a 3.4 rating from its employees. The University of Central Florida, the second largest university in terms of enrollment, receives a 3.3 rating. However, Ohio State University, the nation’s third largest university, receives a higher overall rating than the top two largest schools, with a 3.8 rating.

What makes these universities standout among employees? Here’s what several employees had to say:

“Relative autonomy and ability to create projects. Excellent work environment. Am given the resources necessary to complete my work efficiently and effectively. Management is open to new ideas as to how to improve operations.” – University of Kansas Employee (location n/a)

“Lots of pride in working for a great institution. Benefits have remained solid even through tough economic/budgetary times” – Iowa State University Program Coordinator (Ames, IA)

“The employee comes first. Easy to balance work and life. The school has a rapidly growing reputation” – Brigham Young University Analyst (Provo, UT)

“Top technical institute in science, technology and engineering. Compared to best in the world. Top class well known faculty to advise.” – Georgia Tech Employee (Atlanta, GA)

Do you work at a college or university? Share a company review on Glassdoor and tell us what you like about your company and what could be improved.

Report based on universities and colleges with at least 20 employee reviews between 8/1/2009 -7/31/2011. Ratings are based on a 5-point scale; 5.0 – 4.01 = Employees are “Very Satisfied”, 4.0 – 3.51 = Employees are “Satisfied”, 3.5 – 2.51 = Employees say it’s “OK”, 1.51 – 2.5 = Employees are “Dissatisfied, 0.0 – 1.5 = Employees are “Very Dissatisfied.”

Glassdoor Reveals The Best Universities To Work For is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

What Is Your College Degree Worth?

Heather Huhman — Fri, 20 May 2011 13:00:41 +0000

In a competitive job market like that of today, college degrees seem like a requirement in order to land an entry-level job. But, with the recent media coverage of the rising costs of a college degree and perceived small amount of benefit, it can leave many college students and recent graduates wondering what their degree is actually worth.

According to a recent report by The Pew Research Center, the cost of a higher education has increased in recent years, and many Americans are unhappy about that. More than half of Americans think the nation’s college system is not a good value for the cost – however, college graduates tend to disagree. Eighty-six percent of graduates say it was worth it to them.

What Adults Think

The survey asked 2,142 adults about the cost and value of a college degree. Although nearly every parent surveyed (94 percent) says they expect their child to attend college, 57 percent say that the higher education system in the U.S. fails to provide students with a good value for the cost. The majority of adults, 75 percent, even say that college is too expensive for most Americans to afford.

However, adults who graduated from a four-year college believe they make $20,000 more per year (on average) than if they did not have a degree. Along with the financial benefit of obtaining a degree, most college graduates say their education helped them grow intellectually, mature as a person and helped them prepare for a job or career.

What College Presidents Think

Sixty percent of the 1,055 college presidents surveyed say the higher education system in the U.S. is headed in the right direction, however, 64 percent say it’s unlikely that the country will achieve Obama’s goal of the highest share of young adults with a college degree or certificate by 2020.

Half of the college presidents agree that a college degree helps students grow and mature; while 48 percent say it provides skills, knowledge and training necessary for their future career.

Ultimately, both parties tend to agree that a college degree helps an individual earn more throughout their career and gain valuable skills necessary in the workplace.

What do you think? What’s a college degree worth? Is the cost of a college education too much for the value it provides?

What Is Your College Degree Worth? is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

College Grad New Hires Down; Career Service and Recruiting Professionals Discover Glassdoor

Glassdoor Team — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:27:06 +0000

An article on MSNBC today referenced the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 2009 student survey, which projected a 21.6 percent decrease in new hires among college graduates. Of the roughly 1.6 million students who recently graduated from college, this means that a measly 19.7 percent secured jobs upon graduation in May.

“Students don’t see the private sector as being as viable this year,” said Edwin Koc, director of strategic and foundation research for the Pennsylvania-based NACE.

This sentiment added fuel to the fire at this year’s NACE annual convention which wrapped up this past Friday. Event attendees (which included HR representatives, recruiters, college career service professionals and relevant businesses) came highly prepared to share and learn from one another in an effort to help recent college graduates and job seekers get better access to resources that could allow them to make more informed decisions that shape and affect their careers. Glassdoor participated in the conference and noted the enthusiasm by event organizers and other attendees. In fact, AJ, a member of the Glassdoor team, commented on Twitter last week “terrific energy from all NACE09 attendees here in Las Vegas.”

We wanted to thank NACE for putting on such a great event and for the fantastic feedback we received while at the conference (highlights below).

“These [Glassdoor] reviews are exactly how it is at our company! I’ve shared this w/ my boss so we can improve.” – A company recruiter

“Glassdoor.com is so needed in today’s economy…I wish I had started it with you guys!” - A career services professional

“Glassdoor.com is like Facebook for job seekers and students at colleges/universities…awesome site.” – Event attendee

Also we wanted to say congratulations the winners, Wenyella Reid of Rutgers and Bobbi Murphy of St. Cloud State University, who guessed the correct number of Mentos in the jar at our booth and each won an ipod. One event attendee commented that guessing how many Mentos were in the jar was like answering an unexpected job interview question! So true. In fact one Business Consultant at McKinsey & Company was recently asked in an interview “How many golf balls fit in an airplane?”

Looking forward to NACE 2010!

College Grad New Hires Down; Career Service and Recruiting Professionals Discover Glassdoor is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Job & Interview Tips for College Grads

Glassdoor Team — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:20:10 +0000

Unemployment is at a 25-year high and the class of 2009 is faced with a puzzling question of ‘now what?’

According to a survey from National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the class of 2009 is leaving campus with fewer jobs in hand than their 2008 counterparts. The group’s 2009 Student Survey found that just 19.7 percent of 2009 graduates who applied for a job actually have one.

And based on the NACE report issued last week, engineering and accounting grads are the most likely to garner and accept a job offer. Interestingly, liberal arts graduates are more likely to turn down the job offers they are receiving. And to add on top of it, even after students indicate that they plan to enter the job market, many students have not begun their job searches. In fact, just 59 percent of this year’s class has started the job search. This compares to approximately 64 percent of the Class of 2007 and two-thirds of the Class of 2008 had started looking for a job by this time.

Since this class is facing unique challenges due to the economic climate, and rather than us talk about the difficulties students face we wanted to give here are tips and resources to those college students getting ready to enter the workforce:

Take Advantage of your .edu Account: Don’t let your .edu email account slip away without using all of its benefits. With Glassdoor, students can get access to information about salaries, as well as information about company culture and interviews at specific companies for free. If you’re a student and have never had a “real” job, don’t worry – we’ve been there. Simply send an email from your school’s .edu account to students@glassdoor.com and we’ll set up an account for you with full access to all the salaries, reviews, and interviews shared by our community. We just ask that when you get that interview or job, you “pay it forward” and share your own experiences with others in the community.
Create a Study Guide for your Job Interviews: Use the information within Glassdoor to know what type of questions a company may ask and what the interview experience is like altogether. For example, if you are an engineer or accountant check out these interview reviews and questions from previous job applicants:
- Engineer Interview Reviews
- Accounting Interview Reviews
Know Your Earning Potential: Now that you have a chance to make some money and pay off those student loans, it’s time to get smart about what your salary can or should be. Before you walk in the door, do some research on Glassdoor and look you are likely to earn for a specific position at a specific company. It’s also a good idea to cross reference this with what someone in that same position is likely to earn at a competitive company in the same industry. For example, if you are an accounting graduate, take a look at what Ernst & Young pays versus PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Develop a List of Questions to Ask During the Interview: Check out company reviews to know what the culture is like within a specific company or industry and develop a list of informed questions that show you know about the company beyond what’s on their website. For example, see what some current employees at Deloitte and Cisco Systems have to advise:

Good luck to this year’s grads! And keep us posted on your interview and job experiences. Also what’s been working and what hasn’t for those of you who have been starting to interview for the first job post college?

Job & Interview Tips for College Grads is a post from: Glassdoor Blog