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Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degree?? (2 Viewers)

sghguos

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Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degree??

For example,macdonalds, KFC, Coles, Baker's delight, Gloria Jeans, Big W,)

Will 3 years of work experience part time help me get a graduate job after completing my commerce degree???


So is it beneficial to include them in your CV?
 

Trebla

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Re: Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degr

Of course.
 

Drifting95

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Re: Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degr

A better option would be to try and do internships at accounting/finance firms during semester breaks, as that would provide you with much more relevant industry knowledge and possibility a job opportunity when you have finished your degree. Most top tier firms and even smaller firms offer these, such as JP Morgan, Macquarie, E&Y and PWC. However these internships do depend on the type of major you're doing, assuming that you will major in finance or accounting seeing as you're also doing economics? If so, these internships would be great experience.

Check this website out for some more information.

http://www.gradconnection.com.au/internships/
 
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Capt Rifle

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Re: Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degr

yes
 

Omnipotence

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Re: Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degr

No offense but how is working in fast food relevant to accounting/finance.
 

Trebla

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Re: Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degr

ANY work experience is better than none. Ideally you would be finding something related but these are often more difficult to find. However, at the end of the day it is the skills that you pick up from the work experience (known as 'transferable skills') that employers look for rather than the experience itself.

In fact, working in fast food is actually a very valuable thing for graduate employers because it shows that you know how to work under intense pressure and have gained some considerable customer service skills. If you want to be a trader for example, that sort of experience in working under pressure definitely comes in handy.
 

theloorloor

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Re: Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degr

ANY work experience is better than none. Ideally you would be finding something related but these are often more difficult to find. However, at the end of the day it is the skills that you pick up from the work experience (known as 'transferable skills') that employers look for rather than the experience itself.

In fact, working in fast food is actually a very valuable thing for graduate employers because it shows that you know how to work under intense pressure and have gained some considerable customer service skills. If you want to be a trader for example, that sort of experience in working under pressure definitely comes in handy.
But the question is, is it worth the 3 years of your uni life working which you can use to study harder to get better grades.
 

Blue Suede

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Re: Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degr

spend a year at your first job, then try and use that experience to get into something more relevant to your degree.
 

Trebla

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Re: Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degr

But the question is, is it worth the 3 years of your uni life working which you can use to study harder to get better grades.
If anything, it can teach you to study more efficiently in a short space of time and develop your time management skills. More time to study doesn't necessarily mean better grades. In fact, I've studied far less than I used to in first year (because I've acquired more jobs/extra-curricular commitments) and my WAM was actually lowest in first year.

Also, work experience > grades when it comes to graduate employment. Obviously, find work experience that is managable with your uni timetable though.
 
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Newbie

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Re: Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degr

ANY work experience is better than none. Ideally you would be finding something related but these are often more difficult to find. However, at the end of the day it is the skills that you pick up from the work experience (known as 'transferable skills') that employers look for rather than the experience itself.

In fact, working in fast food is actually a very valuable thing for graduate employers because it shows that you know how to work under intense pressure and have gained some considerable customer service skills. If you want to be a trader for example, that sort of experience in working under pressure definitely comes in handy.
dude you did not just compared kfc to trading. for the record, dont ever make this comparison in an interview. "oh yeah i think my time and experience at kfc would be highly relevant for a finance job" = banned

anyway the first part is right, any experience better than none.
however if i see you have done 3 years of kfc and nothing sorry im not going to hire you. obviously different if you owned the franchise but then you wouldnt be applying for a job in the first place.
 

Trebla

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Re: Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degr

dude you did not just compared kfc to trading. for the record, dont ever make this comparison in an interview. "oh yeah i think my time and experience at kfc would be highly relevant for a finance job" = banned

anyway the first part is right, any experience better than none.
however if i see you have done 3 years of kfc and nothing sorry im not going to hire you. obviously different if you owned the franchise but then you wouldnt be applying for a job in the first place.
Mate, behavioural questions: "Tell me about a time where you achieved something under pressure".
 

Trebla

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Re: Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degr

Besides, if it were trading role for example I would rate working in fast food more highly than say working as a book keeper in terms of relevance of skills.
 

theloorloor

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Re: Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degr

dude you did not just compared kfc to trading. for the record, dont ever make this comparison in an interview. "oh yeah i think my time and experience at kfc would be highly relevant for a finance job" = banned

anyway the first part is right, any experience better than none.
however if i see you have done 3 years of kfc and nothing sorry im not going to hire you. obviously different if you owned the franchise but then you wouldnt be applying for a job in the first place.
"If I see you have done 3 years of KFC and "nothing""??? what am I supposed to do if I havent even got a undergraduate degree yet?

and also, how am I suppose to get a job related to finance/accounting when I havent even got a degree yet..
 

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Re: Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degr

Mate, behavioural questions: "Tell me about a time where you achieved something under pressure".
so your answer would be yeah there was this one time when the fryer broke and all those hungry guys were outside.or this guy really really wanted a thigh piece but we ran out? wtf man. good luck in your inteviews.


funny thing is i asked this question 20 times this week in interviews so heres some of the competition your KFC guy faces in the real world. (btw this is investment banking interviews for analyst class of 2013)

some responses i got were:

"while i was in cambodia building an ophanage, i...."
"while i interning at the court of arbitration at the Hague, i..."
"while i was managing my student association's US$200,000 stock portfolio, i..."

while the weaker responses were "While i was interning at [wall street bank], i..."

kfc guy...
 

Newbie

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Re: Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degr

"If I see you have done 3 years of KFC and "nothing""??? what am I supposed to do if I havent even got a undergraduate degree yet?

and also, how am I suppose to get a job related to finance/accounting when I havent even got a degree yet..

you are suppose to do part time work and internships while studying
everyone starts off low which is fair enough

heres my mates road to finance:

Sold raffle tickets out of high school -> went door to door selling origin energy plans -> waiter -> myer -> internship at big4 accounting firm -> internship at top3 IB -> clerkship at big6 law firm -> graduate at a top3 IB -> associate at top3 PE


good luck kfc guy
 

soloooooo

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Of course it will help. No one wants to hire basements (who seem to be mostly Asian) for a professional job who have never worked a day in their lives and whose reality is warped.
 

Omnipotence

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Re: Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degr

"If I see you have done 3 years of KFC and "nothing""??? what am I supposed to do if I havent even got a undergraduate degree yet?

and also, how am I suppose to get a job related to finance/accounting when I havent even got a degree yet..
.... ever heard of summer vac or development/training programs?
 

enoilgam

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Re: Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degr

No offense but how is working in fast food relevant to accounting/finance.
As Trebla said, any work experience is better than none. Sure, it probably isnt going to be the most eye opening thing on a job application, but it shows that you have the ability to balance work and study, plus it shows that you have some experience in a workplace setting.
 

deswa1

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Re: Will part-time job experience help get a job after completing a commerce/eco degr

But the question is, is it worth the 3 years of your uni life working which you can use to study harder to get better grades.
Grades are not the the main thing when hiring. My dad has interviewed hundreds of people and he says that they get people with HD averages, perfect grades etc. and they come into the interview and they can't look at the interviewer in the eye or they don't have any real life experience. And they go straight away.

Of course it will help. No one wants to hire basements (who seem to be mostly Asian) for a professional job who have never worked a day in their lives and whose reality is warped.
I actually agree with soloooooooo- employers want to see someone who is relateable, has leadership skills, life experiences etc. Obviously you still need decent grades but a guy on say a credit-distinction average that has done stuff in his life will be hired over a HD guy who has done nothing anyday
 

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