MyLifeMyCareer.com

I took a sociology course my freshman year at IU, and the teacher really took an interest in our lives and plans for the future. She gave us advice all of the time before, during, and after her lectures. One thing she harped on was that once you're in college you should never work in a position that a high school student could fill. This makes sense, and I never worked another job that I could have had in high school after I became a collegian (I worked at an estate management company - hmm, lawn mowing - that hired only college students after my freshman year which could be considered borderline). I realize that everyone has different circumstances that may "force" them to work in retail or restaurant positions, but I still think you should pursue opportunities on campus, an internship, a receptionist or data entry position at an office, or anything else that will give you some pre-professional experience. A great way to find a "starter" office job where you will be doing low-impact work is through your friends' parents or your family's friends. If you do end up working in the retail or the dining industry (sounds fancy), really try to learn how the business operates, and gain as much business knowledge as you can. One thing I always did when I would get frustrated working as a sales associate at a retail store in high school was to develop new processes and ways that I would run the business differently. Nobody would ever take the thoughts seriously because I was 16-17 years old at the time, but it was the beginning of my entrepreneurship "hands-on training" and I felt more productive. This common business knowledge that comes only from experience will help you in interviews and the hiring process, as you will be able to hang, so to speak, with the professional on the other side of the table. No diggity. That just popped in my head from an old song, and I had to throw it down, so enjoy that.