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Writer's pictureKathryn Hauer, CFP®, EA

Cost Benefit Analysis of Getting a Job at College

Beer caps

“I may look like a beer salesman, but I'm a poet.” - Theodore Roethke, one of America’s most famous poets


Should you have a paid job during the regular semesters of your college years? It depends. Some students don’t have a choice because they depend on wages for subsistence. But if you’re among the lucky people whose parents or others contribute to your keep, you might wonder if it’s a good idea to get a paid job. Learn more about the benefits and drawbacks of working during college.


Ways a Job in College Can Benefit You


Gaining Technical Skills

A job in your chosen career field or closely related to it looks great on your resume and gives you a leg up in being good at your first post-college job. For example, doing taxes part-time at H&R Block is a great way for budding CPAs to cut their teeth on a basic skill of their profession. Manning the reception desk at a hotel will give you deep insight into what that job is like for Hospitality, Retail, and Travel Management majors. A Biology student headed for med school can gain crucial experience as an EMT.


Gaining People Skills

Ah, the public. They — we, if I’m honest — can sometimes be awful. Even at our best, we are hard to satisfy. Most jobs require some interaction with other people, and if it’s not clients, it’s your coworkers or your boss. Any job while you're in school lets you build those skills and grow in your ability to serve difficult people.


Networking

Connections you make at your side job can lead to opportunities in your career. Even if you’re not side-lining in your field, people know people, and as your coworkers and bosses get to know you and like you, they might help you out with a job when you graduate.


Keeping Yourself Out of Trouble

College can be a lot of fun — too much fun sometimes! If you have a job that requires your attention and attendance a certain number of hours per week, that will be less time to party or watch TV. It could also help you spend less money because you will be working during periods when you might have been spending money.


Earning Extra Money

Not to state the obvious, working means you’ll have more money to spend or save, and that’s never bad. You can blow it on stuff you want or on going out with friends, save it for a car or vacation, invest it, or use it for any of the many other reasons we love using money.


Finding Friends

College is a time when it can be easier to find friends than other times of your life. But if you transfer to another college after freshman year, you might find that groups are already set and it’s hard to find people to hang around with. If you started out as a college athlete and subsequently took a different path, it’s harder to hang out with teammates who are still consumed by practice and games. You might have transformed yourself over your college years, and the friends you started with might not be a fit anymore. Changing majors can affect friendships when schedules change and priorities shift. Getting a job opens doors to new possible connections.


The Possible Drawbacks of Getting a Job in College


Grades

You’re at college to learn and to prove to eventual potential employers that you learned enough to do the work they assign you. Similar to the way a credit score shows lenders that you pay your bills on time so they can more safely lend you money, a good grade point average lets employers know that you can do the job they are hiring you for. I can tell you that after you get your first job, few employers will ask or care about your college grade point, but for the first one, it matters and they will ask.


If your side job causes your grades to drop, it’s not worth it. You’re probably not going to be earning a high salary, so the extra few thousands you might be earning don’t merit a reduction in your grade point. You are probably going to live for 80 years; you can go 4 years without earning money. 


Running With the Devil

Some of the places you might get a job could put you in situations that might lead you down the wrong paths or put you in connection with people and situations that could be detrimental to your future well-being. For example, being a stagehand moving heavy equipment around might result in injuries with permanent consequences. A turn as a waiter might open the door to a drug scene filled with temptations and unhelpful opportunities that are harder to resist. A life well-lived seeks out and welcomes risk, but at the tender age of 20, some of the risks could overwhelm you.


The Benefits Seem to Outweigh the Costs of Getting a Job at College


Students can gain many benefits from getting a job at college, but all of them are dealbreakers if your grade point drops. If you can manage 10 or 20 hours of week at a paid job while keeping your grades up, go for it. That experience can bring you many benefits.


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