Is Resume Building Useless?
Do college students get involved in their campus solely to build their resumes? And if so, does the extra fluff really even matter to their prospective employers?
Do college students get involved in their campus solely to build their resumes? And if so, does the extra fluff really even matter to their prospective employers? These questions tend to spark a lot of interest among students, especially juniors and seniors. Seemingly, the closer a student gets to that dreadful graduation date, the more activities they run to sign up for. It may not be entirely accurate to accuse all students of this behavior, but it definitely hold true for a vast majority.
When asked if joining a sorority was only to add some extra pizzazz to her resume, Kelsey Dykstra, a junior at Bloomsburg University replied, “I always think about how it will affect me in the future.” She mentioned that she wanted to be a part of something, but was careful to include that it was important to her to build her resume. Dykstra joked, “College in general is basically the thing I joined to put on my resume.” She’s insinuating that realistically, what aren’t students doing just to impress future employers?
Another Bloomsburg University student, Caitlin Lach, disagrees. Lach enjoys being a part of the student senate of the Community Government Association (CGA) at Bloomsburg. “Regardless of whether or not I can put it on my resume,” Lach says, “I love being a part of CGA and don’t mind the responsibility that goes along with it.”
Whether or not student’s think plumping up their resumes will help them get ahead in their future, it’s still the employers who have the upper hand. So do they really care? According to Thomas Campbell, Manager of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, it’s fifty-fifty. “Of course we like to see students taking initiative,” Thomas states, “but more importantly is how they present themselves and how much knowledge or experience they have for the job.” Thomas feels that it’s not really quantity, but quality. Joining an array of random clubs and organizations might not get you very far. However, experience in your field of study is essential.
(Title photo by Scott Bedard through creative commons)
