What To Look For In A Student Employee

By Ashley Paskill on November 7, 2018

With the rising cost of tuition and living expenses, more and more students are seeking employment while attending college in order to pay the bills. Even if it is just a part-time position in a job that is not related to their major, students are looking for any income they can get and can use what they learn in their future careers. However, many employers may look at young students and wonder if they have what it takes to succeed in the workplace. If students have these qualities, there is a high chance they will be an ideal candidate.

Student Work

Image: Bruce Mars via https://unsplash.com/photos/FWVMhUa_wbY

The student is active on campus or in the community

While it is important for students to focus on grades, it is equally important that they are active on campus or in their community. Being involved in one or more organizations shows that they are able to juggle a number of responsibilities effectively, especially if they have a leadership position in an organization.  It also shows that they are willing to take initiative and expand their horizons, which is a good sign for employers to look out for.

Volunteer work is also a great way to tell if a student will be a good employee or not. While some students may not have time to volunteer because of other commitments, if a student makes it a priority, it shows that the student has a good character and wants to make a positive difference in the world. Students who prioritize volunteer show a deep care for others, which is helpful for any organization, especially when dealing with customer service or the service sector.

The student has a variety of experience

While you may want someone with specific field experience, you should not simply dismiss a student with a resume full of different positions. Having experience in various positions means that they are willing to learn new things and have the capacity to do so quickly. During the interview, ask how their experience in different positions can translate to the position you are hiring for. If they are able to provide a solid, concrete answer, they may be worth considering.

The length of a position is also a tell-tale sign of whether or not the student is a good employee. While job hopping is a major trend, it is still important for students to commit to at least two or three years in a given position to ensure they get the most out of it. Those who change jobs every few months may have negative reasons behind leaving. If they quit because they do not get along with their coworkers or managers, it may show that they do not know how to adapt to different collaboration styles.

The student has decent grades

While a student’s potential for success should not be based solely on their GPA, if you are looking for a candidate with a specific degree, if they have a good GPA, it means they mastered the skills they need to be successful in the field. If they have a list of classes listed, ask how they did in the classes pertaining to your specific needs. Sometimes, they may succeed in the classes relevant to their major, but they may have had some difficulty in a GenEd class, which will lower their GPA.

This qualification needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Sometimes, students struggle with one thing that may not be applicable or they may have had a rough semester or two that messed up their GPA. If they are in college, they have already proven that they have the talent and strength it takes to succeed. GPA does not necessarily equate to intelligence, but it can reflect work ethic, which is important in any workplace.

The grammar and style on their cover letter and resume is great

Excellent communication skills in the workplace are important, and style and grammar are super important aspects to this. If the student’s cover letter and resume are filled with mistakes in grammar, style, or even content, it shows that they do not care and threw their application together in a hurry. A great resume and cover letter show that they took the time to sit down and actually thought out their application. It may even show that they took initiative to go to their school’s career service center or had another set of eyes look over their application.

Their social media accounts are clean and professional

College students are allowed to go out and have fun with friends. It is to be expected. However, it is not okay if a drunken night out is plastered all over social media with negative pictures and inappropriate posts in general. Having a clean and even professional social media presence is crucial for students looking for jobs. This is a sign that they either lead a life that is more mature than partying every weekend or have enough sense and know-how to keep their wild endeavors off the World Wide Web. Either way, they are a good candidate. The student gets bonus points if they have a LinkedIn account and/or a professional website.

Students are a special breed of people. They are hardworking and intelligent or else they would not even be in school. These characteristics are signs that a student can be a great employee in your company.

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