Many often have to weigh the pros and cons of jobs and internships and which one is better for college preparation. While working a job allows for firsthand experience, an internship allows for further development of skills within a specific field.
SCHS senior Soham Kulkarni balances a research internship at Pioneer Academics and a job as a math, computer science and physics tutor at Mission College. Having to manage a job and an internship has taught Kulkarni the importance of time management and dedication.
“It taught me that each day you have you can’t take it for granted. You have to do something. You have to have the drive. You have to do something every single day, every single moment,” Kulkarni said. “Otherwise, you’re not gonna move forward. You’re not gonna be able to succeed in all the stuff that you set out to do.”
Junior Palina Martsinchyk’s paid internship at the dance studio Purdance allows her to continue her passion while furthering other skills in the dance field.
“I’ve been dancing since I was three, so it’s something that I’m really passionate about, and I’m really into the operations at my studio,” Martsinchyk said. “I’m team captain for the competition team, so I think it was kind of a no-brainer that I applied when the opportunity was presented to me because you get money and you get something to put on college apps and you get a little bit of experience working.”
Internships can provide real-world experiences that give students insight into what a specific career entails. Kulkarni recounted what he was able to learn from taking on both a job and an internship.
“It gave me an outlook into how my future field will be. It gave me a view into the industry that I’m going into,” Kulkarni said. “I’m able to pick my major better. Internships provide that, so you know what you’re getting out of the degree.”
Similar to Kulkarni, Martsinchyk finds internships and jobs to be beneficial for college. She believes, however, the decision between pursuing either of them depends on the person’s desired field of study.
“Depends on what field you’re going into. For example, I want to do biology so it would be helpful for me to take something in the stem field, but I feel like not a lot of jobs are offered in that,” Martsinchyk said. “If you wanted to do something like business or something of the arts, either (internships or jobs) would be good because it depends on what is offered in your field.”
Science teacher Suzanne Miller Moody recognizes both the positives and negatives of working a job outside of school.
“Ultimately, what we want is to have an educated populus, but if you’re distracted by working after school, you’re not getting your best education,” Miller Moody said. “We also want productive citizens, and having a job is the biggest way to be a productive citizen, so I’m ambivalent.”
Miller Moody specified how working can affect a student’s education. Likewise, science and AVID teacher Risha Shah has witnessed times where taking on a job has caused students to change their perspective on what is important.
“I have seen downsides with some students where they start enjoying their jobs so much that they are like, ‘Well, I already have this job, so why do I have to focus in school?’” Shah said.
Besides the negative effects that jobs and internships may have on a student’s academic performance, Shah recognizes that both are beneficial for students while preparing for college.
“Regardless of what you do, it shows the college admission officers that you valued your time and you spent your time doing something outside of school that required you to learn more skills, to challenge yourself, which is a great thing no matter where you work,” Shah said.