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How many of you worked during college/university?

 

From what I know, most people work for either travel or because (in the USA) they actually HAVE to work full time while they study in order to live.

 

Was it hard to get waitressing or retail work during your studies? Everyone I know seems to get jobs easily. I have been looking for years yet can't, despite having no problems making friends or getting boyfriends.

 

I plan to work steadily during my degree in order to travel and get a nose job (probably not both things).

 

I don't need to work but want to, as we get Austudy here that you can live off IF you live with your parents.

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I worked steadily since I was 16 except for maybe 9 months or so when I took a break during college. Other than that, I worked pretty consistently part time during 6 years of college. My dad thinks it's better just to focus on school and I agree to some extent, but you are correct that you often need to work while going to school to pay bills, especially if you're living on your own. I think it's important to have some independence as an adult. It's fairly easy to get retail work in most places.

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I have looked for retail work for years and I simply cannot find it. I am a normal looking girl, there isn't anything wrong with the way I am presented. I make friends easily and get boyfriends easily. There is nothing obvious that is wrong with me.

 

Most people think it is easy to get menial work in retail and hospitality.

 

So you didn't work to save for extras during college, I take it you worked purely to pay bills?

 

Doesn't the US government award loans so that college ages students can study full time without the burden of having to work full time also?

 

I work occasionally when I can get it in order for EXTRAS. I don't need to work to pay bills.

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I have looked for retail work for years and I simply cannot find it. I am a normal looking girl, there isn't anything wrong with the way I am presented. I make friends easily and get boyfriends easily. There is nothing obvious that is wrong with me.

 

Most people think it is easy to get menial work in retail and hospitality.

 

So you didn't work to save for extras during college, I take it you worked purely to pay bills?

 

Doesn't the US government award loans so that college ages students can study full time without the burden of having to work full time also?

 

I work occasionally when I can get it in order for EXTRAS. I don't need to work to pay bills.

 

Yes, I moved out when I turned 18 and my husband and I shared and apartment, so we both worked to pay bills. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to work, but then again it was nice to have extra cash for going out to eat or to the movies and such. Most student loans are not sufficient to pay your rent, food, utilities, car, gas etc. You can look at it as a sort of supplement. Besides, who wants to take out more debt if they don't need to?

 

Hmmm yeah. I know some people who have an easier time finding work than others. It could be due to personality or lack of interviewing skills or simply lack of luck. I know I've generally had an easy time finding work elsewhere versus my husband who has had a more difficult time.

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I interview well and get the jobs.

 

For instance - I got a job a few months ago. After 3 shifts, the manager said I did so well that she would let me go to Hong Kong to visit my parents and that she would KEEP my job for me! After a mere 3 shifts!

 

I got back and the job was gone; the manage didn't have the decency to even call me.

 

I told her I would happily cancel my overseas trip which was pre planned before the job; she said no, I did a good enough job for her to keep the job for me.

 

I still cut my trip by more than half! Which I told her.

 

 

WHILE I LEFT - the staff ratted me out to the manager. They said I complained about the heat ( I did no such thing), I took a too long toilet break ( I was ill and they called me into work LAST MINUTE and I worked while ill so I called a friend to come and pick me up during my toilet break).

They also said I wouldn't wash up; which is bullcrap, as I said I would happily wash up but I did not want to wash up in a squalid sink; they NEVER emptied their sink it was putrid, it is easy enough to empty their sink every 2 hours during a busy night.

 

So yeah. Me wanting to change the disgusting 5 hour old sink water before washing up and me apparently taking a too long toilet break lost me the job, in a nutshell.

 

I interviewed so well that at the end the manager told me she was so impressed with me that she wanted top start me immediately.

 

Then I got called into a fine fining establishment. At the end of my two shifts they said " here is your tip folder" ( I had a plastic pencil case full of tips from my shift, and it was placed among the other staff tip cases).

 

I have not heard from them since.

 

Although they are going to pay me once I come in with the tax file form so at least I get bloody PAID for that trial. They really spoke as though they wanted me back again?

 

I have no trouble making friends. I am pleasant looking (although no I am not beautiful to most people I assume). I have straight teeth and no offensive features. My nose is a bit crooked but still delicate and not big in the slightest.

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My family were big on working hard. I worked since I was 14 and right through college - did loads of different stuff, I helped my brother fish, I worked on a go-kart track, on a fruit stall, worked as a farm hand, sold xmas trees, worked as a lifegaurd, played semi-pro football.

 

At school (14-16) it was just to get some money that I could spend on whatever. College (16-18) I used to pay mum some rent, run a car, holidays & essential items took most of it.

Then at 18 I joined the fire service full time rather that go on to uni and get a degree. A lot of my friends went on though.

 

I can think of maybe 2 friends at most now who are studying don't work - I don't know how they financially do it, you get a loan and a grant from the government but if your living away from home it only really does rent, maybe food.

 

You say your living at hoe in which case you get similar to ther British payment you could totally live off that - but if you want a job can't you get one through a friend? 'it's who you know, not what you know' after all.

Or if you in a position where you don't HAVE to work then you've got more options - set up you own business (sell something or instruct something) or get some volunteer work under your belt that makes you more employable in whatever field you want to working post degree?

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Shepp - thanks for your input. You are from a large family where as I am an only child.

 

I have been to Russia, all over Europe and to the USA as well as a few Asian countries AND I have lived overseas - ALL paid for by my parents.

 

I also have a closet full of expensive clothes and live in a nice flat owned by my parents.

 

I am spoiled and lucky yet I WANT to work because I always feel much better about myself whenever I am lucky enough to get waitressing work.

 

The nights I do waitressing work I always feel so much better. I am happy in general and I do have a future plan to obtain a professional job, however; in the meanwhile I MUCH prefer to work when I can!

 

I feel VERY privileged that I DO NOT have to work full time during my studies. I would never be able to do it, I would have to study part time and work full time if it came to that....

 

I am still the ONLY person I KNOW of who cannot get a menial style job; everyone else seems to be able to get waitressing and retail jobs at he drop of a hat.

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By the way - I am VERY willing to take ANY job and work hard to be adequate at it and would rather be good at my job irrespective of how menial it seems..

 

There is no job I would not take.

 

I simply have something wrong with me, that I cannot determine (neither can my psychologist as yet), that stops me from getting even the most low skilled jobs.

 

My dad tells me it is HARD to get even waitressing and retail work. Then how come all other University students can easily get work?

 

My psychologist is going to text me to see if I am slow or if anything is wrong with me that would hider the my employment prospects.

 

It has been years and I cannot get work in spite of the fact I am literally willing to work ANY where.

 

If there is something legitimately wrong with me perhaps I can get help? As in, people to give me extra assistance to get work?

 

I do hope it is merely down to bad luck and not some disorder I have that stops me from getting even basic work.

 

My social skills are fine, as I make friends easily and have high quality friends and I also get boyfriends easily even though I am just average looking.

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WHILE I LEFT - the staff ratted me out to the manager....So yeah. Me wanting to change the disgusting 5 hour old sink water before washing up and me apparently taking a too long toilet break lost me the job, in a nutshell.

Well they really don't sound like the kind of people you want to work with anyway!

Its like the unspoken law that you don't dob in your work colleagues! That's drummed into you since primary school!

 

I remember reading a survey actually - they asked people of different nationalities if they made a mistake at work would they A) try and fix it and say nothing B) tell there boss C) Ignore it / pretend they didn't. Something like 70% of all the nationalities said B.

Then they asked them if there colleague made a mistake at work would they A) help them fix it and say nothing B) tell there boss C) Ignore it. Something crazy high like 85% of Brits said they'd do A - you don't rat on your colleagues!

I was surprised though because in other places I cant remember where, in Europe I think, the majority said B again.

 

But I've drifted off topic - I just meant I wouldn't lose sleep over them or that job!

 

Shepp - thanks for your input. You are from a large family where as I am an only child.

I have been to Russia, all over Europe and to the USA as well as a few Asian countries AND I have lived overseas - ALL paid for by my parents.

I also have a closet full of expensive clothes and live in a nice flat owned by my parents.

Sure, we come from different backgrounds, different worlds. But I totally get what you mean about wanting to work - wanting to earn money.

I bough my first car at 17, it was this little old jeep wrangler, I got a deal on it, it sure weren't flashy - but it was mine, i'd worked for it, and that felt good.

But if I was you, I wouldn't stress too much over these little jobs because im guessing once you get your degree you'll be applying for very different kind of jobs - maybe switch your focus to ensuring you'll get those jobs - adding skills to your CV that will put you a cut above the competition.

 

I am still the ONLY person I KNOW of who cannot get a menial style job; everyone else seems to be able to get waitressing and retail jobs at he drop of a hat.

I think one of the big problems with getting work now, is you'll always be up against someone who knows someone and that's hard to get past.

I know how lucky I was to get into the fire service on my first try at 18, and im good at my job, I work hard, learn fast, I deserved my job - but I don't pretend that my granddad having been station manager at the same station back in the day, and having recruited 2 of the older guys now working in training there, didn't at least help me win an interview.

Can't any of your friends help you get into their store/restaurant?

 

Also, the position your in know could equally be the perfect opportunity to make your own job? You've got nothing to lose and you can dedicate the time you would be waitressing or whatever.

You could go down the route of an online business (I've got a friend who went into social media advertising while we were at college - shes just been head hunted by a big media company, shes doing really well), if you have an idea for a gap in the market? maybe make yourself a millionaire and then you get ot choose who to hire or fire! :D

But even other wise, waitressing isn't much or at all better money than something like dog walking, pet sitting, making jewellery or scarves to sell, personal shopping, holiday planning, tutoring, even private waitressing for events, whatever y'know?

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I hear you shepp. You have the fighting spirit I like. You seem like you enjoyed working hard and even if you had been privileged like I was, it sounds like you still would have tried hard to find work.

 

My parents aren't rich. I am just an only child. Mum has earned 100 ish K for years now and she supports my father and I as he is ill BUT I do live off my government welfare allowance.

 

 

 

I know there are people who need work to simply survive but, I too DESPERATELY want to work! Just because I have food and shelter does not mean I have no drive to work.

 

 

I lose sleep over not having a job. I very badly just want a basic waitress job but no one will employ me. I've tried for 3 years now to get work.

 

 

My therapist, a new lady, she will do some tests with me to check whether or not I have some mental disorder or whether I am "slow" . Frankly, there is something wrong with me. EVERYONE can get a waitress job if they really want one. ..

 

 

 

I sincerely hope I don't have to wait years until my degree finishes to get work :(:o I want ANY job SO badly. I am the ONLY person I know of who wants a basic waitress or retail job DESPERATELY yet cannot find anyone who wants to employ me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess it is just very lucky that I am desperate for a job in order to travel and get a nose job. Most people studying at University or college need a job to survive.

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Keep applying in retail, marketing, restaurants, Sometimes it takes 10's of applications to get that one call that sets you on the right path. I think you have the zest to keep at it! Best to you!

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I was fortunate enough too to not have to work while doing my degree. I applied for over 3 years EVERYWHERE (dishwasher, waitress, retail, management, assistant, teacher, you name it) and got zero response for 90% of these applications, the other 10% was met with "you're overqualified for this job" "you lack the qualifications" "you need at least 5 years of experience as a waitress" "at least one year in retail". :rolleyes:

 

By the last stages of my degree the financial forecast in my family started to look rather grim and I was depressed partly due to my lack of success in finding a job, I also (after 3 years unemployed!) lacked the right amount of contacts to find one (that's how most people get good jobs, let's face it), so I decided to work on that and applied for a cultural project in LA as a volunteer (the project lasted around a month). At the end I got paid like 100 dlls but somehow things took off from there... after that project, it's like employers suddenly had something recent to refer to and found me reliable and useful because it appeared I was active and doing exciting things (far from it but anyway....) and one day I got a call for a retail job at a well known store and was hired despite having no experience in the field. Retail is the most simple thing and I honestly cannot believe they wouldn't give me an opportunity for such a long time... it comes down to experience mostly, it has nothing to do with your personality, I'm one of the employees that generate the most ($$) for the store and I'm not even overly friendly. So really don't think there's something wrong with you... when I was at my lowest point of unemployment, I started to feel like maybe I was just too unattractive (physically), or slow, or just not smart or ambitious enough to know how to land myself something, in my mind I really "lacked" something that the rest had. Couldn't have been more wrong. One grows a lot of insecurity through professional rejection, when it's hardly ever about you.

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I was fortunate enough too to not have to work while doing my degree. I applied for over 3 years EVERYWHERE (dishwasher, waitress, retail, management, assistant, teacher, you name it) and got zero response for 90% of these applications, the other 10% was met with "you're overqualified for this job" "you lack the qualifications" "you need at least 5 years of experience as a waitress" "at least one year in retail". :rolleyes:

 

By the last stages of my degree the financial forecast in my family started to look rather grim and I was depressed partly due to my lack of success in finding a job, I also (after 3 years unemployed!) lacked the right amount of contacts to find one (that's how most people get good jobs, let's face it), so I decided to work on that and applied for a cultural project in LA as a volunteer (the project lasted around a month). At the end I got paid like 100 dlls but somehow things took off from there... after that project, it's like employers suddenly had something recent to refer to and found me reliable and useful because it appeared I was active and doing exciting things (far from it but anyway....) and one day I got a call for a retail job at a well known store and was hired despite having no experience in the field. Retail is the most simple thing and I honestly cannot believe they wouldn't give me an opportunity for such a long time... it comes down to experience mostly, it has nothing to do with your personality, I'm one of the employees that generate the most ($$) for the store and I'm not even overly friendly. So really don't think there's something wrong with you... when I was at my lowest point of unemployment, I started to feel like maybe I was just too unattractive (physically), or slow, or just not smart or ambitious enough to know how to land myself something, in my mind I really "lacked" something that the rest had. Couldn't have been more wrong. One grows a lot of insecurity through professional rejection, when it's hardly ever about you.[/quote

 

 

 

I nearly cried reading this.

 

I thought I was the only student who couldn't get a waitress or retail job.

 

You are the first person I have heard of who tried to look for student type jobs yet failed to get anything.

 

I have had about 2 to 3 years experience in waitress or retail based positions.

 

I find the work easy enough but they want a waitress to have 5 years experience and to be able to make great cofee on a commercial machine right away ironically, I did a commercial coffee making course yet I have forgotten due to NOT being employed for 3 years.

 

 

 

 

I SERIOUSLY hope I get my lucky break. It really shts me..... I think of that lovely 5 star restaurant I did 2 shifts in 3 weeks ago. I wonder what the other staff had that I didn't? I was as attractive as them and I wasn't any slower than a usual new waitress.

 

 

I honestly think there MUST be something wrong with me.... I hope it is just due to hard economic times.

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I was fortunate enough to not have to work during my initial college time.

 

The campus was literally 5min from where i grew up [on foot], all i had to do was study ... i don't know if this contributed to my downfall or not, but i got lazy.

 

After i gave up on college i got a job, mostly part time, [but full time when the demand was on] and i enjoyed my time doing it.

It was in IT, i didn't have to work too hard [i already knew my job well before i took it], and it was close, so it was a total breeze.

When my dad died i had a crysis of sorts, i could not see the future, so i adapted to try and get some more money, where i took another job ... i won't go into the details [it was nothing illegal or sexual], but it was definitely the strangest type of job i ever head of.

I even tried to make it into a business, but it didn't work out that well.

 

Currently i'm not employed.

I'll probably get a job when i'm done fixing my old degree, though with my hole in employment and the fact that my other jobs could not be called for references ... i don't know what i'll find.

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Over here, students tend to not work.

 

Depends on age though, the ones right out of HS rarely do, the ones who are older they tend to work.

Consequently, college teachers are quite unforgiving if you don't attend [you have to go in advance and excuse yourself and even then you might be in trouble].

 

2 of my ex's did waittressing, but they didn't have problems landing those jobs.

Actually a waittress can make quite a lot here in certain establishments [more towards downtown or in malls].

One of them was actually making 1000$ / month in wage + tips.

The minimum monthly wage at the time was 200$/ month [what a unskilled labourer would earn], so she made a lot, though it was full time and she had to 'smile' a lot. :)

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I went to college in SE Asia - most people didn't work during college because 1) classes are 9-5, and 2) most of us had to go to private colleges, and the tuition fees outweighed the minimum wage ($3/hour) so greatly that there was really no point in risking less-than-stellar grades to work. Parents typically paid for their kids' college fees, in return for being supported later in life.

 

It wasn't the best system (IMO a more balanced one would have been better), but we all turned out okay.

 

If you want to work, Leigh, then do so. You are lucky enough to have both options, so pick the one that suits you best. Less time and more spending money, or vice versa.

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Philosoraptor

I worked one job all through college and a second during my last two years.

 

For those last 4 semesters I was taking 6 classes and working two jobs... good times.

 

Woke up at 6 to take my sisters to school. Went to my first job (paid internship), went to classes, worked my evening job, and got home and it was usually after midnight and the next day.

 

It all paid off though as I was able to save money, pay for college, and put myself in a good position for once I graduated.

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I worked one job all through college and a second during my last two years.

 

For those last 4 semesters I was taking 6 classes and working two jobs... good times.

 

Woke up at 6 to take my sisters to school. Went to my first job (paid internship), went to classes, worked my evening job, and got home and it was usually after midnight and the next day.

 

It all paid off though as I was able to save money, pay for college, and put myself in a good position for once I graduated.

 

 

 

Well done, that is an amazing effort. I am glad your hard work paid off.

 

I WISH I could work full time and study full time OR study 3 rather than the 4 courses. I WOULD LOVE to have money saved at the end of my degree!

 

I wish I could be in your position MINUS the 6 classes:lmao: how disgusting. Not you! It is VERY admirable. I just say disgusting at those sort of things.

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I went to college in SE Asia - most people didn't work during college because 1) classes are 9-5, and 2) most of us had to go to private colleges, and the tuition fees outweighed the minimum wage ($3/hour) so greatly that there was really no point in risking less-than-stellar grades to work. Parents typically paid for their kids' college fees, in return for being supported later in life.

 

It wasn't the best system (IMO a more balanced one would have been better), but we all turned out okay.

 

If you want to work, Leigh, then do so. You are lucky enough to have both options, so pick the one that suits you best. Less time and more spending money, or vice versa.

 

 

 

I do want to work. Badly. I have for 3 years now. I am very keen to take on any job; food serving, cleaning up poo, anything!

 

The reason I don't work is PURELY because no one will hire me. Obviously, something is wrong with me or I would be able to find a job as a food server, waitress or cleaner.

 

I am getting me therapist to run tests on me to check if I am "slow" or whether or not I have a personality disorder or something terribly wrong with me.

 

I make friends easily and have decent friends in my life who all say I am nice and they cannot see how I would be unpleasant to a wide array of people.

 

I get through interviews VERY well, they just don't think I am up to speed once they trial me.

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acrosstheuniverse

I woulda gone crazy not working during my degree! And I don't know how people can afford it. Other than six weeks when I lost my job aged 19 I've been employed since a week after I turned 16, always with either one job + studies or two jobs simultaneously (and permanent voluntary work). I've just always felt like I need to throw myself into everything to get the most out of life.

 

But I've been very fortunate to get jobs easily, not everybody is so lucky. And a lot IS down to luck. Right now I'm doing a full-time MA including 40 hours a week on placement for ten months and work 25-30 hours outside of that. Everyone seems to think that's tough and pretty extreme but for me it just feels normal, I love the ache you get at the end of a 15 hour workday :D I usually get up around 7.30, head to placement for 9, work there until 5, start my second job at 5.30 (allowing for a little driving time between the two), work there until 11 Monday-Friday, and then on Saturdays and Sundays I work 7-11am at my voluntary work on a Saturday and 11am-7pm at my paid job, and just my paid job Sunday 11am-7pm. So it sounds like a lot but realistically I get a couple of weeknights off (I only really do three or four shifts during the week at my paid job) and both weekend evenings, and a lie in on Sunday.

 

The best bit is that I adored placement and I really like my part time job (I'm a delivery driver). So I'm alone, I'm listening to music driving around, have a degree of freedom. The job is my wind-down time after a tough day at placement, I would not cope anywhere near as well if I hated placement or my job, I've had jobs I've despised in retail, banking, restaurants and you dread going into work, I thank my lucky stars I got lucky with a part time job I actually don't mind. Music is my passion so being able to drive around getting paid to listen to it is pretty much my mecca.

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Judging by some of the replies here you'd think this would be titled Who did work during uni and what other amazing things happened while at it.

 

The worst part of unemployment is that most people rarely stop to think on how subjective employee selection can be that it leads to assumptions based on luck or a matter of how much you're trying... meaning if you're struggling to get a job in an economy with millions of people going through the same, you're always met with some 'keep on trying!' 'are you really even applying for jobs?'. In a way I'm glad I experienced unemployment for a long time to know it does not come down to that and would never said that to someone that's looking for a job and facing constant rejection with no explanation.

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How many of you worked during college/university?

 

From what I know, most people work for either travel or because (in the USA) they actually HAVE to work full time while they study in order to live.

 

Was it hard to get waitressing or retail work during your studies? Everyone I know seems to get jobs easily. I have been looking for years yet can't, despite having no problems making friends or getting boyfriends.

 

I plan to work steadily during my degree in order to travel and get a nose job (probably not both things).

 

I don't need to work but want to, as we get Austudy here that you can live off IF you live with your parents.

It took me 6 years to get a 4 year degree becasue I had to work to pay for everything; school, rent, food, clothes, shelter, etc. I was not fortuante enough to have a family who could afford to pay for me and I moved out when I was 18.

 

I worked as a waiter at a restaurant 4-5 nights a week.

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I am still the ONLY person I KNOW of who cannot get a menial style job; everyone else seems to be able to get waitressing and retail jobs at he drop of a hat.

 

Just an observation, no disrespect, it could be because you are spoiled, or have been your entire life, and it "shows" when you apply or when you first get the job. These types of jobs are usually performed by less privileged folks, ones who HAVE to work and will do the dirty stuff, like clean a toilet.

 

I use to have to train new waiters/waitresses and I could tell almost immediately who was going to make it or not. The folks who needed the money, made it. The ones who did not, wanted the "experience", wanted to have fun, did not. And I can tell you, the ones who needed the job,m were the best damn servers ever. I now appreciate good service when i go out because I can "see" it.

 

I also worked in retail, at a hardware store so I have a littel retail experience. Same thing.

 

I was a busboy at age 15, cleaning the grossest stuff; I had to, I needed the money as my family did not have money.

 

I had 2 paper routes from age 15 -17 and worked as a busboy at night. I saved enough to buy my own first car.

 

Your parents, in my opinion, are doing you no service by paying your way thru life. And my best guess is this shows when you are placed next to an equally capable candidate.

 

Again, no disrespect at all, just an observation.

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How many of you worked during college/university?

 

I worked during the summers between semesters at a union job which my next door neighbor arranged for me as a part of a program his company had for college students. Earned a then quite high ten bucks an hour (2.65/hr was minimum wage back then) and collected UI during the school year. It was enough to pay my tuition and books (I paid for my own college; no parental help or loans) and put money aside for buying a house, which I did a few years later.

 

Working all day in the blazing sun on cotton seed stacks is probably not what modern college students would enjoy but it taught good work ethics, teamwork and the value of a good wage for a hard day's work and made me appreciate the value of an engineering degree program as one path in life.

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