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How To Write About Work Experience In Your Personal Statement

• Published October 25, 2021

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We get it – you’re dying to include your work experience in your personal statement, but how do you write about work experience in your personal statement ? Work experience is an essential component of your personal statement . It shows that you are passionate and knowledgeable about your chosen course. Some courses require prior work experience before you can apply.

So if you’re looking for a way to showcase your work experience, this blog post is just what you need. Learn how to write about work experience effectively in your statement to help you stand out from the crowd and get into the university of your dreams.

Check The Course Requirements For Work Experience

Some courses require you to have work experience before applying (e.g. medical courses.) You may need to complete a certain number of working hours before you’re eligible. It’s best to check out the course requirements before writing your work experience personal statement. If you’re thinking of applying to medicine then check out our medical personal statement advice , likewise with our how to write a law personal statement .

With that said, other courses don’t require work experience. But it does elevate your personal statement if you have relevant work experiences to share.

Examples Of Work Experience

Perhaps the greatest obstacle to writing your work experience personal statement is determining whether an activity counts as “work experience” or not. Here are examples of work experience you may need to include:

• Extracurricular Activities

These are activities that are not included within your formal curriculum. Being a member of the sports team, debate club, Red Cross, or theatre group are good examples.

• Formal Work Placements

Formal work placements are exposures to real-world experience. These are often required as part of your curriculum.

• Volunteer Work

There are tons of volunteer work you could’ve participated in. Maybe you helped out at animal shelters, environmental conservation activities, or feeding programs.

• Part-Time Jobs

Part-time jobs are significant for your work experience personal statement. Working as a customer service agent, freelance writer, or salesperson at a local store demonstrates a sense of responsibility on your part. Mention what’s relevant to the course you’re applying for! Competitions. Look out for competitions in areas that interest you, for example, design, writing, maths, or business.

• Personal Projects

Your personal projects reflect what you love doing. That’s why there’s a high probability they’re related to the course you’re applying for.

If you love coding, you may have built websites. Love writing? Maybe you’ve set up your own blog! Write them down in your work experience personal statement.

• Leadership Positions

If you occupied leadership positions in your organisations relevant to your chosen course, mention them! Universities are on the lookout for motivated individuals willing to take responsibility.

The list of work experiences to include in your personal statement hopefully helps, but make sure to check out our what not to put in a personal statement .

Writing down your leadership positions can take your work experience personal statement up a higher notch.

State Your Work Experience

You now have a solid idea of relevant work experience you need to include in your personal statement. But how will you present it? Here are questions to eliminate writer’s block:

Make good use of these starters to kick off your writing. Brainstorm all relevant details of your work experience. We’ll sort them out later. And, if you’re wondering how to start a personal statement then wonder no more!

Discuss What You Learned, And Why It’s Essential

After stating the facts about your work experience, it’s time to get to the heart of the matter. You are writing your work experience personal statement not to brag about your achievements, but showing why you’re serious about your course .

That’s why discussing what you learned is essential. Beyond your role, share what insights you’ve gained that helped shape your character.

If you’re not sure how to start, let these questions unknot your ideas:

• How did this position impact you?
• What are the primary skills you’ve gained that are relevant to your course?
• How does this experience influence your decisions in pursuing your study goals?
• How does this experience relate to your general ability to succeed in your course?
• What are the major lessons you’ve learned that are helping you grow as an individual person ?
• What is your biggest takeaway from this position?
• Are there significant interactions that impacted your desire to take the course?

After answering these questions, craft a powerful paragraph that demonstrates how deep your understanding is.

The more interesting facts you share about yourself, the better. Bring your work experience personal statement to life with vivid details that convey essential ideas about who you are.

Ideas For Essential Skills

You may be unaware of skills you possess that are relevant and essential for your course. To make sure you won’t forget to mention them, here are skill ideas common across fields:

• The ability to communicate to higher-ups, colleagues, and clients
• Perseverance amidst challenges
• A sense of duty and obligation
• Eagerness to serve the community, especially the marginalised
• Critical thinking skills to overcome setbacks
• Initiative to work independently
• Knows how to work in a team setting
• Shows energy and enthusiasm to
• Motivation to work hard and do well

These are some of the common skills valuable across several fields of study. Among these, which describes you most? Go ahead and write about it!

Demonstrate Understanding Of The Course You’re Applying For

Your work experience should deepen your understanding of the course you’re applying for. Dig deeper and reflect on these points:

• How is your course making a positive change in the world? If you’re eyeing health-related courses, explain how health workers significantly impact people’s lives. Do you want to apply for education-related courses? Relay a story of how significant educators in your life changed you for the better.
• Mention the gaps and problems you see in the field. Do you see a severe lack of health facilities? Perhaps you’ve witnessed the challenges teachers and professors experience in the education system.
• What do you plan to do about it? Demonstrate that you’re applying for your chosen course because you want to help solve the problems that you see. Convince the admissions board that you’re the person for the course by writing about your desire to be an agent of change!

Reach Out To People Who’ve Been Where You Want To Be

To enhance your work experience personal statement, reach out to people who’ve been where you want to be. University students and practising staff are the perfect individuals you can approach.

Set appointments with them and ask them about their experience. What is it like to be in their position? What are the challenges that they see? What are they doing to improve their field of study?

Best of all, solicit advice on how to write your work experience personal statement. What skills do the admissions boards search for?

Then go back to your personal statement and write about your new connections. Mention how their insights and advice shed greater light on how your work experience will help you succeed in your course.

Do this, and you’re guaranteed to show a richer work experience personal statement.

Read Up On The Current Situation Of Your Chosen Field

Soak up knowledge on the current challenges and breakthroughs of your chosen field. Read journal articles, news websites, and featured stories. You can also visit blogs written by practitioners or university students.

Make sure to cite authoritative sources and figures when discussing the status quo. Then weave the information back to your work experience.

Do you have similar experiences with the figures you’ve mentioned? Have they discussed situations you experienced yourself? How are you making a difference in the field? Will your perspective matter?

What a perfect way to build credibility for your work experience personal statement!

Check Out Work Experience Personal Statement Examples

You now have a rich draft of your work experience personal statement. But you’re unsure of how to word and structure it.

Why not check out work experience personal statement examples on the web? Examine how they presented their experiences and insights. Make sure to read as many examples as you can.

Choose your top 3 favourites and save them in your documents. If you’re short of ideas, go back to them. Don’t forget to highlight paragraphs, sentences, and words that inspire you.

Be Authentic And Vulnerable 

Don’t be afraid of being vulnerable in your work experience personal statement. The admissions board needs to know if you are genuinely passionate about this course or not, so don’t hold back!

But remember to stay authentic. Don’t overdramatise mundane events. State events as they happened, and share your realisations as they are. Authenticity is a precious factor!

Action The Above To ‘Work’ On Your Personal Statement

With the suggestions mentioned above, you’ll be able to craft a more compelling and impactful work experience personal statement. Understand that this is YOUR story. Don’t copy others’ work experience personal statements.

Make your own angle and spin, and rest assured that the admissions board will want to read about YOU in your chosen course!

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How to Describe Your Work Experience Sample

Quick Navigation:

What is the work experience section for?

What accomplishments should be listed, what skills should be listed, what other details should be included, examples of work experience.

The work experience section is an important aspect of an effective resume because it showcases your skills in action and highlights your professional accomplishments. This section should be descriptive and compelling as it details your previous experience relative to the specific job you’re applying for. Learn how to describe your work experience with sample entries showcasing all the best features required for an effective work experience section.

The work experience section is where you list your most relevant previous roles to show employers your employment history and career development. This section gives hiring managers an idea of where you’ve been and how you got to this point in your career. It also enables you to describe how you performed in your previous roles and what skills and experiences set you apart from other candidates.

For each entry in your work experience section, you should include your official job title, your dates of employment, the employer’s location and a list of the key responsibilities and achievements you had. You can use bullet points when listing your responsibilities and achievements to help prospective employers quickly review and understand each entry. Having an easy-to-read and descriptive work experience section can help employers determine your suitability for the role and see what unique qualifications you have to offer.

Determining what accomplishments you should include in your job descriptions can be a challenge, but it’s best to mention accomplishments that are relevant for the job you’re applying for before other accomplishments. There’s a general rule in resume crafting in which you always want to put the most important information first, and anything that specifically and directly details how well you will fit the job you’re applying for is going to be the most important. 

Imagine you’re applying for a job as a project manager and you already have some experience in the position. To show off your accomplishments, you’ll want to begin with the biggest project you’ve successfully managed along with its results. Generally speaking, your most important accomplishment in any position should take priority within the job description.

In the most popular and useful resume formats, skills are listed in a separate section. Typically, the skills section includes a comprehensive list of all the skills you have that would be relevant to the job. Often, these skills are described using single words or phrases such as ‘leadership’ or ‘critical thinking.’ Be sure to consider all of the relevant hard and soft skills.

Since skills can be listed in their own separate section, it takes a bit of finesse to include them in your work experience section. Just remember that finesse doesn’t mean you have to be overly clever. You can mention skills directly, but you just have to tie them to a relevant accomplishment. 

To get the most out of your work experience section and make your resume stand out from other applicants, there are several factors you’ll want to include in addition to accomplishments and the application of skills. 

Here are some details you’ll want to include in your resume when possible:

• Any awards or special recognition you received as a direct result of your accomplishments or performance in a particular job
• Actual data represented by numbers and figures as demonstrated in the above samples to quantify your accomplishments
• Begin descriptions with strong and varied verbs to make each bullet point in your job experience description unique and powerful
• Use the present tense when describing ongoing responsibilities in your current job and the past tense for everything else

Be sure to include details from the most relevant professional roles you’ve had to show a hiring manager how your experience makes you uniquely suitable for the role. 

To get a better understanding of how to describe work experience, it’s helpful to have effective samples to reference. 

Here are some well-crafted examples of work experience that feature all the necessary accomplishments and skills included:

Project Manager example

Czerka Hospital, May 2014 – March 2019

• Facilitated the implementation of the Quality Training Project for all employees which cut training costs by 28% after six months
• Oversaw Supply Reorganization Project which reduced breakage costs of stockroom supplies by 71%
• Led team of 15+ people in Front End Revamp Project to design and implement a new system that decreased the frequency of reception errors by 48%
• Partnered with local area hospitals to gather data on wait times and patient satisfaction to determine areas for improvement in the Quick and Quality project and improved satisfaction by 41%

Senior Programmer example

Computech, June 2017- October  2019

• Created a tool for test automation that reduced program testing time by 48% increasing productivity across the department
• Interviewed, hired and trained over 12 junior programmers with virtually no turnover as the company increased the size of the department throughout 2018
• Collaborated with data analysis department team members to design project requirements in accordance with company goals and allotted budget
• Met with technical staff, analysts, senior executives and stakeholders in meetings to discuss the state of the company with meticulously crafted presentations featuring relevant quantitative data

Customer Service Representative example

DB Industries, January 2016 – October  2018

• Received and answered 100+ calls daily and helped customers with signing up for services and products, data retrieval, answering questions about products and canceling services
• Earned a favorable customer satisfaction rating from 93% of customers surveyed, which is 11% higher than the overall company average
• Used advanced sales tactics to persuade customers seeking to cancel their services to reconsider, which reduced the overall number of cancellations by 8% over 6 months
• Trained new employees on how to navigate the database to efficiently retrieve relevant customer information and input new data accurately and consistently

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• Job Application Documents

How to Write a Job Application Essay

Last Updated: April 9, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Shannon O'Brien, MA, EdM and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Shannon O'Brien is the Founder and Principal Advisor of Whole U. (a career and life strategy consultancy based in Boston, MA). Through advising, workshops and e-learning Whole U. empowers people to pursue their life's work and live a balanced, purposeful life. Shannon has been ranked as the #1 Career Coach and #1 Life Coach in Boston, MA by Yelp reviewers. She has been featured on Boston.com, Boldfacers, and the UR Business Network. She received a Master's of Technology, Innovation, & Education from Harvard University. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 197,537 times.

Many employers now require a writing sample, or job application essay , to accompany all applications or résumés — even if writing is not a significant part of the position. The goal of the job application essay is to ensure that applicants have the right communication skills for the position offered. Sometimes, potential employers will provide a specific topic or series of questions for your essay to respond to. However, you may also be asked to provide an essay with no guidance whatsoever. Either way, approach the essay seriously so that it highlights the skills and assets you could bring to the company. [1] X Research source

Outlining Your Essay

• If you don't know much about the company, do a little research on it before you start writing. You might look at their website or do a general internet search with the name of the company to see if any news articles or other reports come up. Go beyond the four corners of the job listing so that you understand who will likely be reading your essay.
• If there's anything in the job listing or essay requirements that you don't understand, contact the employer and ask about them. Employers are often impressed by applicants who clarify the employer's intent rather than making assumptions.

• For example, if you're applying for a position in sales, you might want to write an essay about your ability to tailor your pitch to specific clients and close the deal. If you have the ability to be more creative, you might tailor your essay to "sell" yourself directly to the employer.

• For each of your points, think of a specific example you can relate briefly that illustrates the point. For example, if you've described yourself as a "team player," you might include an example of how you came in on your day off to complete some of the more monotonous tasks that no one else wanted to do so a project could be completed ahead of schedule.
• It's a good idea to have more than one example in your outline for each point, even if you only end up using one. That way, if you start writing something and it ends up not working as well as you thought it would, you'll have a back-up handy.
• Brainstorming can be difficult. If you find yourself churning over the same thoughts, stand up and take a break for a few minutes. Step outside or go for a walk to clear your head, then come back to it.

• For example, if you want to describe how you increased sales in a specific quarter, you would want to state specifically how much you increased sales. Your former employer may have sales figures that you could ask them for. You might also have that information in your records.
• Wherever possible, use specific numbers and dates rather than making general statements. It's okay to estimate, but make sure your estimate is conservative. Saying you led your sales team to the highest sales in a quarter is impressive — but only if it's true.

Completing Your Rough Draft

• Think of this paragraph as telling the hiring manager what you're going to tell them in the essay. Outline the points you're going to elaborate on in the essay that back up your theme or thesis statement.
• Sometimes it's best to go back and write your introduction after you've written the body of your essay. That way, you can make sure the introduction provides an outline that matches the body.

• If the employer listed specifically what should be included in your essay, follow their order, since that's what they'll be looking for when they read the essay.
• Write in the first person and make yourself the star of any anecdote you include as an example. Use action verbs to focus on what you did rather than focusing on what happened and how you reacted to it. [7] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source

• For example, if you're writing about your skills as a team player, you might note that you discuss doing routine work that others found monotonous so they had time to work on other parts of a project. You could use that detail to move on to a section describing how you're detail-oriented.

• For example, you might write "My business school education, skills as a team player, and focus on detail make me the best candidate to lead your sales team."

Finalizing Your Essay

• For example, you might start by looking solely at punctuation, then read through again focusing on spelling.
• If you find that you tend to repeat a particular error, go through your essay looking for that error specifically.
• If your grammar isn't particularly strong or you're writing in a language other than your native language, have someone else read over your essay as well.

• If you find that you stumble over a sentence while reading aloud, that's a sign that your writing could be clearer. Work with your text until you have something that you can read aloud with ease.

• If the prospective employer did not specify a length, try to keep your essay under 2 double-spaced pages. Remember that hiring managers are busy and don't have a lot of time to read a long, rambling essay.
• Eliminate all unnecessary words or sentences that aren't relevant to the subject of your essay. The majority of your sentences should be short, declarative sentences with action verbs.
• Apps such as Hemingway ( http://www.hemingwayapp.com/ ) or Grammarly ( https://app.grammarly.com/ ) can help you identify portions of your essay that are more difficult to read. Both of these apps have a free version that you can use to edit your text.

• Working backward is particularly helpful for noticing spelling mistakes, especially hard-to-catch homophone errors, because you're seeing the word out of context.

• It may also help to print your essay in a different font or font size than what you used to type it. This breaks your brain's familiarity with the text, which can make typos and other errors more noticeable. Just remember to change the font back after you print it.

Job Application Essay

Expert Q&A

• Give yourself plenty of time to work on your essay. Ideally, you should plan to work on it over the course of at least two days, so you have the time to set it aside after writing before you move to the editing and proofreading stage. [15] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Unless you're applying for a position in a political or religious organization, avoid including anything in your essay that identifies your political or religious preferences or beliefs. [16] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Avoid using humor, especially sarcasm or ironic humor, as it can be misconstrued in text. Additionally, humor may lead the hiring manager to believe that you aren't serious about the position. [17] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/writing-sample-job-application
• ↑ https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2012/04/30/essay-how-write-good-applications-jobs-or-grants
• ↑ Shannon O'Brien, MA, EdM. Life & Career Coach. Expert Interview. 25 May 2021.
• ↑ https://www.govloop.com/community/blog/government-job-application-essays-made-easy/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/application-essays/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
• ↑ https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/proofreading-tips
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/career-transitions/200906/the-dreaded-writing-sample

About This Article

Job application essays can seem scary, but they’re really just an opportunity for you to highlight your skills and explain why you’re suitable for the role. Read the job listing to find out what traits and skills the company is looking for, like time management, working under pressure, and leadership. If you don’t know much about the company, read through its website and do an online search to find articles about its work. In your introduction, you’ll want to to describe yourself and introduce the main points you’ll be making. Then, write a paragraph for each trait or skill. Use real life examples from previous jobs, your recent studies, or extracurricular activities to support your points. For example, you could highlight your leadership skills by talking about a time you led a group project that exceeded your targets. For more tips, including how to write a compelling conclusion for your job application essay, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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“Tell Me About Your Work Experience” (Sample Answer)

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Being asked about your work experience is a given during a job interview. Hiring managers ask interview questions about your experience because they want to understand the impact of your prior work more comprehensively than reading the bullet points on a resume .

If you’re a job seeker preparing for an interview, this article will guide you through how to talk about your skills and experience in a way that clearly communicates your value to an interviewer. You’ll also find “tell me about your work experience” sample answers, as well as the different forms this question might take in a job interview.

Key Takeaways:

Connect how the experience you have relates to the role you’re interviewing for.

Be honest about your your skills and experience.

If you don’t have much experience in the specific field, express your interest in gaining that experience and learning through this opportunity.

Tell me about your work experience sample answers

Why interviewers ask about your experience, tips for answering interview questions about experience, work experience faq.

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While everyone’s work experience is unique, use these “tell me about your work experience” example questions and answers as a way to frame your own response:

Tell me about your professional background. This is a generalized question that hiring managers often ask to get a sense of how you’ll speak about your professional background.

While other questions are targeted to a specific position listed on your resume , this question is phrased in a way that asks for the complete story of your work history succinctly and informatively.

Tell me about your work experience sample answer example answer #1

“I started working towards my goal of becoming an early childhood educator long before I began teaching. Since I was in high school, I knew it was what I wanted to do with my career. When I was studying for my undergraduate degree in child development, I took on my first internship role as a teacher ’s assistant to a kindergarten class. I worked in that role over my senior year, and at the end of the internship, I was offered a position as a substitute teacher . This gave me a lot of experience working with many different children and strengthened my skills in classroom control. I’m now seeking a full-time teaching position to further my knowledge of childhood education in the field.”

What not to say:

“I don’t have much professional experience because I’ve never had a full-time teaching job before. I’ve worked as a substitute teacher, but only for about a year.”

Why it doesn’t work: This answer makes the applicant sound insecure and inexperienced. The interviewer doesn’t specifically ask for a recounting of paid positions you’ve worked.

Use that opportunity to speak about experiences you do have if your job history is lacking, such as an internship or project.

What experience do you have related to this role? When an interviewer asks what experience you have related to the role, they’re curious about two things.

First off, your prior experience and the intent to use it for success in the future.

Secondly, how familiar you are with the requirements of the role you’re interviewing for. Answer this interview question by tying in elements of the job description with your background.

Tell me about your work experience sample answer example answer #2

“Most of my professional experience has led me up to this administrative secretary role. I’ve been working in the field for almost ten years now. I got my first position as an office assistant when I was 18 – a position that required a lot of communication with both co-workers and customers. After two years, I was offered a new position as a secretary for a well-known dental group in the area. I worked in that job for nearly seven years. I eventually worked my way up to a management role. The job description stated that you’re looking for a candidate with at least four years of experience in a secretarial position with excellent communication skills . My background satisfies these conditions, and more. I’m interested in this position specifically because it would allow me to expand my leadership potential and continue working in an environment that I have a great deal of experience in.”

Why it works: A hiring manager chooses to use this phrasing of an experience interview question because it’s more direct. It gets right to the point of skills that are relevant to the job . This response works because it answers what the interviewer is asking.

The speaker gives a solid description of their work history up to that point and paints themselves as an experienced candidate.

They also mention specific skills that were asked for in the job description, which shows the interviewer that they did their research on the role and company.

“I’m not sure what your business wants in its secretaries, but I’ve worked in similar roles before.”

Why it doesn’t work: Unless you’ve scoured the job listing and it’s given very little information about the position, there’s no excuse for not having a good idea of what the company is looking for in the role.

This answer doesn’t have any specificity about their responsibilities, and the interviewer is forced to pull these details out of them.

What prior work experience has prepared you to take on this position? This question is a similar rendition of the last one.

The interviewer is assessing the candidate’s knowledge of the position’s requirements and if their abilities line up with these stipulations.

Answering well depends on the candidate’s prior knowledge of the position and a focus on the most applicable experience.

Tell me about your work experience sample answer example answer #3

“While I’ve worked in a few different positions in the past, I think the prior experience that has most prepared me for this position was working as a nurse in a Greenview Hospital emergency room for five years. A position that required me to provide top-notch patient care under pressure . In the position description, I noticed that you’re interested in hiring a candidate with experience in high-stress medical situations and a familiarity with an ER nurse’s schedule. This former job gave me practice in both these aspects of nursing. I believe these skills would help me to succeed in this role as well.”

Why it works: The candidate references the original job description to state how their skills fit these needs.

They explain a specific role that gave them the most relevant experience for the position they’re applying to and then went on into further explanation. This is a compact and informative answer.

“I’ve had experience working as a nurse.”

Why it doesn’t work: Responding to an interview question is best done briefly, but it isn’t supposed to be this short.

This answer doesn’t work because it doesn’t provide any details about the responsibilities of the role involved or how it relates to the position you’re hoping to land. It all around just needs more detail.

What has your work experience taught you about yourself? A hiring manager wants to know more than just a laundry list of your last few jobs’ responsibilities; they want to hear how you think about those experiences, what you’ve liked and disliked, and what you want to do with your skill set now.

Asking about what you learned from your last few jobs helps both you and the interviewer understand if the open job would actually be a good fit for you.

Tell me about your work experience sample answer example answer #4

“I got started in marketing 4 years ago as an analyst , which taught me a lot about how to make data-driven decisions and make rapid pivots when the underlying data you were relying on started to shift. I also learned that I wasn’t built for a job that spent so much time making and using spreadsheets. From there, I moved to a content strategist position, which was sort of a lateral move but involved a lot more creativity. I was actually applying the sort of data I was analyzing in my earlier job, and I found that I enjoyed and thrived in an environment where I could make decisions based on more than just spreadsheets. In my current job as a marketing analytics manager , I’ve learned much more about lead generation, working with sales and design personnel more closely, and honed my skills as an analyst. Through this career path , I’ve learned where my skills and interests lie, which is what led me to apply for this role.”

Why it works: The candidate directly refers to elements from their past jobs that directly relate to the job they’re applying for. They show that the candidate has carefully considered what lessons they learned at each of those jobs, and why those lessons led them to apply for this new job.

“My work experience has taught me that I excel at working alone. With group work, I tend to be tied down by other people’s timelines, but when I’m able to just focus on my own tasks, the quality is much higher.”

Interviewers ask about your previous work experience, to clarify your background, gauge your ability to communicate, and hear firsthand how you hope to put that experience to use in the future:

Clarity. As with any other inquisition put forward during an interview, experience questions are used to form a clearer picture of who you are professionally. This helps an interviewer decide if you’re the right fit for the position needing to be filled.

Honesty. Any form of lying is unacceptable in an interview. Some questions require you to reach into your professional past and find examples of skills that match the job you’re going for.

An intent to put experience to use. While your professional background may be a compelling story, there’s a reason beyond this that interviews ask about former experience.

When discussing your work experience, you should always be as specific as possible and connect your prior experience to your career goals:

Be specific about responsibilities and accomplishments. When discussing your previous professional experience, be specific about the role you served.

Don’t memorize an answer. A lot of candidates decide to prepare for their interview by memorizing their answers to questions about prior experience. This often produces a stiff response that’s unsatisfying to an interviewer.

Connect prior experience to future goals. An interview seeks to gather information about how an applicant intends to behave in their role if chosen for hire.

How can I describe myself through work experience?

You can describe yourself through your work experience by being specific about what you learned about yourself in previous roles. Providing details about what you liked and didn’t like about past responsibilities will go a long way in showing your unique personality and why you’re interviewing for this particular job.

What are examples of work experience?

Examples of work experience include specific responsibilities and the skills you used to carry out your tasks in previous jobs. Ultimately, the best examples of work experience are completely dependent on the job you’re applying for. It’s essential that you highlight the most relevant aspects of your former jobs, even if they were a smaller part of your last job than the new job you’re interviewing for.

Drexel University – How to Describe Your Work Experience

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Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

Denise Bitler has 30+ years of HR experience working in various industries and with all level of employees from hourly through C-suite, as well as company Board Members.She is the founder of Resume-Interview Success, LLC and is an expert in best practices related to resume, cover letter, and Executive bio writing, LinkedIn Profile optimization, job search strategies, and interview coaching.

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Writing a memorable Professional Experience Essay

W hile your MBA application resume will provide a summary of your education, jobs, and community leadership, you will likely have an opportunity to expand on your career in your MBA essays.

However, an essay about your work experience is not merely a list of roles and responsibilities. A Professional Experience Essay is a narrative essay that should bring the accomplishments summarized on your resume to life.

An effective Professional Experience Essay will give the Admissions Committee a sense of the career decisions you’ve made, your most significant achievements in each chapter of your career, and the skills and knowledge you’ve acquired on your career journey. This “walk through your resume” in essay form is your opportunity to provide admissions officers with evidence that you’ve made exceptional career progress and that you have clear potential for future advancement.

This article provides you with the insights and tools you need to build a powerful Professional Experience Essay.

First, we’ll talk about why some MBA application forms ask you to write about your career history, and we’ll share the characteristics of a great answer to this type of essay question.

Second, we’ll provide you with a set of building blocks for crafting a unique and robust essay that summarizes your career history.

Finally, we analyze a sample Professional Experience Essay to illustrate the principles we have taught you throughout this article.

How to Score Top Marks on Professional Experience Essays

You can think of this essay as an executive summary of your career thus far. You are providing the readers in the MBA admissions office with a holistic overview of your work experience, the skills and knowledge you’ve acquired, and how you’ve progressed in your career thus far. So what is the Admissions Committee looking for in an effective Professional Experience Essay?

To score top marks with your essay, you’ll need to provide evidence of distinguished academic and career performance in the top 10% of your peer group and demonstrate your potential for future advancement.

A well-designed essay recounting your professional history accomplishes multiple aims in a minimal amount of space. Your career story must be coherent, concise, and cohesive – it’s not unusual to have to discuss your professional history in 200 words or less as part of a multi-part essay question. If you have a limited number of words to work with, what should you focus on and what should you leave out?

To solve that riddle, we recommend that before trying to draft this essay, you should first define your career goals . Clarity about where you want to go in your career will help you select which elements of your past work experience to showcase in this essay.

That is because a successful Professional Experience Essay will connect the dots between your professional history and your career aspirations. You want your essay to present evidence that you are well-prepared for the post-MBA job you plan to pursue. Demonstrate to the admissions committee you have momentum in the direction of your ultimate career goals.

Of course, you also want to highlight the work experiences and qualities that business schools value , such as leadership, teamwork, and creativity.

Additionally, you want to give the reader a sense that your value to your employers has grown over time. Your overarching goal is to convince the Admissions Committee that you are well-prepared for an MBA and that you have interesting experiences and lessons to contribute to an MBA community.

Finally, let’s not forget that admissions officers will be assessing your “employability” and how well your career story might play with future recruiters.

How can you accomplish all of those goals in a compact and engaging essay? Follow the steps in the next section to construct an effective Professional Experience Essay. To illustrate our guidance, we’ll show you how “Adam,” a private equity analyst applying for an MBA, constructed the content building blocks for his Professional Experience Essay.

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Telling the Story of Your Career

Like a book, your career story should be organized into chapters. Typically a chapter will begin with your decision to take a new job, proceed to the most significant challenges and achievements in that role, and end with a brief recounting of your learning and growth. The bridge to the next chapter summarizes the reasons you decided to take the next step in your career journey.

Your first step in crafting your Professional Experience Essay is to identify the “chapters” of your career.

1. Identify and Outline the Chapters of Your Career Story

Building Block Question: What are the major milestones in your career so far?

Start by asking yourself, “What are the major milestones in my career so far?”. Answering this question will help you to decide how to divide your career into phases. Changing companies is an obvious chapter break, but a step forward inside the same company, such as a promotion, a major increase in responsibility, or a high-profile project, might also mark a new phase in your career. Keep in mind that you won’t have time to detail each stage of your career in an essay – even if a chapter of your career lasted two or three years, you’ll need to summarize the most crucial information in that chapter in a few sentences.

Example: Our fictional applicant, Adam, has two significant chapters to highlight in his Professional Experience Essay.

Chapter 1 was graduating from college and accepting a 2-year analyst position at Deutsche Bank.

In Chapter 2, he took a job as an analyst at a Private Equity shop called Astrix Partners, where he worked for 18 months.

For the rest of this example, we’ll focus only on Chapter 2 of Adam’s Career Story, although Adam would need to write both chapters for his essay.

Once the chapters of your career are clear to you, you should outline each chapter’s contents. Each chapter in your career story should have a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning of one chapter (and possibly the end of the last) is usually denoted by your decision to take or leave a role. This leads us to the next step in building your Professional Experience Essay: explaining the professional decisions you have made in your career.

2. Explain the Reason(s) for Your Career Decision

Building Block Question: Why did you take the job or accept the new assignment?

For outlining purposes, each chapter begins with your career decision: “Why did you leave your old job and take the new one?” Admissions Officers can see what jobs you have had by reviewing your resume. In your Professional Experience Essay, you will explain why you decided to take the job or volunteer for a big assignment.

Ideally, each new chapter in your career was initiated by you and signified a step forward in your career action plan. Even if the career change was unplanned and outside of your control, that’s okay. For example, if you were laid off, focus on the positives instead of hiding the reality of what happened – it’s a chance to show resilience and that you can land on your feet after a setback.

Example: Adam plans to explain that he decided to leave Deutsche Bank and join Astrix because the move fit in with his long-term career plan to become a private equity investor.

3. Discuss Significant Challenges and Accomplishments

Building Block Question: What was the most significant challenge you faced? What did you achieve that you are most proud of?

The next building blocks are the significant challenges and accomplishments during this chapter of your career. Admissions officers enjoy hearing about the difficulties you overcame in this chapter in your career and about some standout moments where you made a real impact on your organization.

Identify the most significant challenge you faced and ask yourself, “What did I achieve that I am most proud of?”. In your outline, jot down quick examples of any standout moments and exceptional achievements at each juncture of your career.

Example: In terms of significant achievements, Adam plans to highlight sourcing a private equity deal, which is quite rare for a young PE analyst.

4. Share Major Areas of Growth

Building Block Question: How did you grow, and what did you learn in this phase of your career? How did you progress?

The fourth building block is your personal and professional growth. You might share knowledge acquired, lessons learned, or skills developed. Often, the most important and interesting things from an Admissions Officer’s point of view are what you’ve learned about yourself in your career so far: a new talent discovered, the emergence of new career interests, or clarity on an existing one.

Your objective is to highlight the skills, knowledge, and experiences from each chapter of your career that will contribute to your future success. By doing so, you ensure that your Professional Experience Essay will provide convincing evidence that you have already made significant progress on your future career path.

Example: Adam’s growth is relatively straightforward. He advanced beyond the transactional activities he performed as an investment banker and is now developing the strategic point of view required of a private equity investor.

After you’ve generated content for all of your career story chapters, take a step back and create a Lead for your story. A Lead is the story’s central message, the executive summary that communicates what your Professional Experience Story is about. If you had to sum up your career in a sentence or two, how would you do it? Some people call the central message of the career story your “elevator speech” – imagine that you had to convey the essence of your career story to an admissions officer during a short elevator ride.

Example: The lead for Adam’s career story is that he’s progressed from a green analyst to experienced private equity professional.

Below you will find an excerpt from the essay that resulted when Adam assembled his content building blocks.

Professional Experience Essay Sample

I was a quantitative economics major at Michigan. Although my education provided me with an excellent analytical foundation, I barely knew an income statement from a balance sheet the day I graduated from college.

(CAREER DECISION) I pursued a position in Deutsche Bank’s leveraged finance group, which provided an excellent foundation for a career in finance.

(CAREER GROWTH) Those two years with Deutsche Bank are where I learned the language of finance and the mechanics of investment banking.

(ACHIEVEMENT) Even amidst lay-offs in other areas of the firm, I was fortunate to be the only one in my start group offered a 3rd-year analyst job

(CAREER DECISION) The 3rd-year offer was tempting. I loved the firm and my team, but I also had an attractive offer with Astrix Partners, a private equity firm with $2.0 billion in assets. I have a real passion for investing. Since junior high, I’ve been trading stocks, and I started my subscription to the Wall Street Journal on my 13th birthday. What’s wild is that I’m now working on the kinds of deals that I used to read about in the Journal.

(ACHIEVEMENT) I really enjoy working on Astrix deals because we have unbelievable access to information and expertise — I talk to industry experts and read phenomenal research reports. I’ve found that I’m good at asking and answering questions like, “What do we have to believe about this company’s position in the marketplace before we would be willing to invest?”

(ACHIEVEMENT) Six months ago, through a family friend, I even helped us source a deal with an optical drive manufacturer in Boston and presented the idea to our investment committee… (example continues)

Final Thoughts

There’s nothing particularly exotic about Adam’s career journey. He has followed a more or less typical path from tier-one investment banking into a private equity shop. Nevertheless, by carefully outlining his professional history, he created a robust Professional Experience Essay for his MBA application.

Although his career path is relatively traditional, he’s managed to connect the dots between his professional experiences and the capabilities he’ll need in the future. By doing so, he’s able to represent his “employability” in the private-equity field post-MBA. Adam’s Professional Experience Story is compelling precisely because it will provide admissions officers with evidence that he’s made significant progress towards his future career goals.

If your Professional Experience Essay indicates professional growth and charts your progress toward your future career goals, then you will instill admissions officers with confidence that you have the skills, knowledge, and relationships necessary to succeed in your career post-MBA.

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My First Work Experience and Knowledge I Gained Essay

When I was a child, my dream was to find the work connected with managing people and resources. The vision persisted until it became time for pursuing a college degree, where I opted for a business course in Human Resource Management (HRM). I intended to be in a position to lead people at the workplace. After graduating from school, luckily, I got an internship program with one of the renowned retail companies called Costco Retailers.

The first working experience was memorable because I finally managed to become independent and earn my first money. When I started working in the corporation, I changed my mentality to adapt to the new system. This paper will discuss the experience during my first job recruitment, skills, and knowledge gathered during this period. During the first working experience, recruits should apply the theoretical knowledge in practice to avoid difficulties in time-management, issue solving, and communication with clients and colleagues.

The time-management appeared to be a fundamental problem that I have faced during my experience. It was a requirement that all the staff report one hour before the opening of the stores. This was necessary to facilitate daily planning and arrangement of the work routine to enhance the efficiency of the operations. It was difficult for me to manage time properly and organize the activities of other people. I had to participate in various events and often failed to perform my duties correctly. There even was a period of time when I was at significant risk of being fired. I had to learn how to be time-conscious to overcome the pressure. I solved this problem thanks to applying some time-management techniques.

Besides the time factor, another issue was working under pressure. During the first few months, I was stationed at the customer care desk to attend to the clients’ queries. At this position, several problems emerged that required immediate attention from the top managers within the department. It was challenging to handle some inquiries because of the large number of customers and the nature of their needs. The intensity to meet their expectation was overwhelming, and it involved many commands from the senior staff.

Another problem that required theoretical knowledge from me was cultural diversity. Shoppers consist of people from different races, gender, culture, and profession. Communicating with customers was a nightmare, especially for those whose cultures tend to diverge at some point. Sometimes you might offend people from different cultures without noticing it. Nonetheless, thanks to their interactive nature and understanding, some clients helped me learn how to communicate appropriately.

Generally, working with customers entails fluctuating motions since they come in different moods with various expectations to be fulfilled. Meeting people from different backgrounds increased my exposure and understanding of individuals behave in relation to their culture. The race-tolerance strategies learned during my education helped me to adjust my communicational style.

I thought handling customers was the main challenge of this position, but there was another significant problem. Being a novice, young, and unfamiliar with the company’s system was another terrifying encounter. At the customer care desk, we had co-workers who had been in the institution for an extended period. These workers used to take advantage of the recruits by assigning complex tasks and overworking them. I became a victim and felt exploited since I could do twice what the other workers were doing. From one point of view, such pressure was rational, aiming to increase my working skills. From the other point, I had moral difficulties coping with a considerable amount of work while experienced colleagues did not offer me any help.

It is also essential to mention which new skills I have gained during my working experience which contribute to my professional development. Thanks to this organization, I gained valuable knowledge and skills helpful for developing in this work industry. First, I gained an understanding of how to communicate with customers and colleagues. Before joining the Costco team, I thought managing people was easy to perform and did not require any special knowledge. Thanks to this working experience, I have learned that communication and management is a whole science that requires profound knowledge and well-developed communicational skills. Therefore, I realized that it is critical to apply the behavioral analysis approach to maintain effective communication.

Moreover, the company made me develop and improve my intrapersonal skills. Working with people having different ages and cultures requires self-understanding (Horak & Matoskova, 2018). To be able to relate effectively with other staff members and even customers, I had to learn how to communicate and listen. Communication is essential in advancing the relationship amongst the business affiliates. The on-the-job experience made it easier to comprehend and apply the skills. Here I also successfully applied the gained during my education knowledge.

Surprisingly, technological knowledge was vital during my working experience. Furthermore, being at the customer care desk exposed me to using the computer system to record, search, monitor, and even communicate with the administration. I developed deep insight into technology, and my computer knowledge increased. Through the period, I could use the system to perform critical tasks like monitoring the level of inventory, tracking customers’ purchasing records, and updating new valuable information for clients. In addition, I was able to analyze the trend of buyers, which was helpful for the administration for updating the stocks.

Another critical skill that I acquired during the period was the ability to solve problems. At the customer care desk, clients came with various issues ranging from sales of defective products to poor service delivery. I have analyzed different literature on the topic of problem-solving. Multiple techniques help the manager build good relationships with the customer and colleagues (Funke et al., 2018). One of them is the culturally-tolerant attitude towards the participants of communication. I developed a profound knowledge of managing different circumstances to generate a proper solution by handling such issues. Seeing and learning how the colleagues were regulating similar situations at work was vital and prompted self-confidence. To make a decision, self-reliance is essential as it allows one to find their own answers to the problem.

Generally, obtaining a job after completing coursework in college is beneficial because you can gain valuable experience. On the job, learning makes the whole perspective different as it comes with arrays of experiences both encouraging and demoralizing. Sometimes changing and adapting to a new routine is difficult for the new employees. Furthermore, interacting with various people at the workplace advance understanding and worldview of individuals.

The exposure also makes people gain the necessary knowledge and skills that are essential for further carrier development. Joining the proper organization could impact the level of experience individual gains. If people are ready to develop their knowledge and skills, asking questions, elaborate new ideas, then the chances of attaining new skills at work are high. It is also vital to implement the theoretical concept learned through education in practice. Thus, applying theoretical concepts and constant development contributed to forming a positive working experience.

Funke, J., Fischer, A., & Holt, D. V. (2018). Competencies for complexity: Problem solving in the twenty-first century. In Assessment and teaching of 21st century skills (pp. 41-53). Springer, Cham. Web.

Horak, M., & Matoskova, J. (2018). Comparison of training programmes and activities for cluster managers in Europe with respect to their focus on skills development. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Knowledge , 6 (1). Web.

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IvyPanda. (2022, November 25). My First Work Experience and Knowledge I Gained. https://ivypanda.com/essays/my-first-work-experience-and-knowledge-i-gained/

"My First Work Experience and Knowledge I Gained." IvyPanda , 25 Nov. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/my-first-work-experience-and-knowledge-i-gained/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'My First Work Experience and Knowledge I Gained'. 25 November.

IvyPanda . 2022. "My First Work Experience and Knowledge I Gained." November 25, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/my-first-work-experience-and-knowledge-i-gained/.

1. IvyPanda . "My First Work Experience and Knowledge I Gained." November 25, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/my-first-work-experience-and-knowledge-i-gained/.

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IvyPanda . "My First Work Experience and Knowledge I Gained." November 25, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/my-first-work-experience-and-knowledge-i-gained/.

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Tips to turn your teenager's work experience into a killer college essay, resume bullet

Editor's note: This is the one in a series offering expert tips on how teens can use their  summer job experiences to craft a winning college application essay or resume bullet point. 

Summer may be a time of relaxation for many, but for those looking to soon enter the workforce or attend college, it also can be a busy time. 

While some teens score lavish summer trips volunteering abroad, interning in labs or corporate offices, or become more worldly on trips paid by parents, many have more average experiences.

These experiences are still just as beneficial for their future. 

Many teens spend their summers scooping ice cream, working concession stands, taking movie tickets and other jobs that may not gleam in comparison to some of what their peers may be doing. These experiences still make for great college essays and resume builders. The key is being genuine about them. 

Colleges and hiring managers are looking for authenticity, something that can be gained from an ordinary-but-authentic job. How can you turn your real-life work experience into an killer essay or resume point?

We've lined up experts who share their best advice.

Name: Andrew Moore, 17, of Pleasantville 

Describe your job: 

"I come in [to the Jacob Burns Film Center] for around six hours a day, and what I do is I'm an usher, so I open and close theaters, I clean the theaters when the movies come out and when I'm not opening or closing theaters I help with concessions, where I make popcorn and prepare sodas and stuff for people. Other than that, if someone needs help getting to a theater or they're lost I'll show them. Or even when like a big figure comes in I can show them around." 

How did you get it?

I don't drive yet so I wanted a job that was relatively close to my house and I really wanted to branch out, I didn't want a typical job so I was like 'Oh, Jacob Burns, let me work there, let me try to apply for a job there.' And it was really interesting and it was different so that was what I was aiming for: getting a job that was different than what normal people get, like a lifeguard or something." 

What surprised you most about the work?

"Honestly, what surprised me most was the friendly environment. I've made many friends while working here and I really did not expect myself to. I connected with a lot of people through social media; it was really surprising how open and nice and friendly everyone was when I first started working here." 

Do you think this job will help you in the future?

"Oh yes, definitely. This job has really helped me develop a nice work ethic that I transferred over to school because I started working here last summer and going into my junior year I even noticed doing school work and doing homework and studying for tests was a lot easier for me because this was a good baseline for me. It really helped me develop my work ethic." 

Tips for Writing a College Essay

College Essay Expert: Robert Franek, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review: 

Tips for making working at a movie theater into a standout essay: "Working at a movie theater may give you a window into the general public that you could get nowhere else quite the same way. Noticing difference in what films people choose, how different ages, different types of people react to the films." 

"Take this opportunity, reflect on it, reflect on how your point of view about people may have changed over the course of your experience. You will have the basis for a very authentic, very personal essay in your own voice." 

Heighten the experience: Any job a teen may have is not only a great source of income but a source of life experience. It can work well as a base for your college essay, especially if you have thought about what you have learned at the job, about life, yourself, and about other people, Franek said. 

Tips for Creating a Resume 

Resume Expert: Amanda Augustine, career expert for TopResume. 

Tips to turn working at a movie theater into an eye-catching resume:  "Whenever you're in a role where you're interacting with masses of people, you're developing many interpersonal and communication skills from which you'll benefit over the course of your career," Augustine said.

The better you get at actively listening to and communicating with others, the easier it will be to do things like network and interview for future jobs, Augustine said. 

• Key skills: Working as an usher or at a concession stand in a place like a movie theater allows for the development of customer service skills, communication skills, and conflict resolution skills, Augustine said. 
• Work experience: Look to highlight instances that prove you were considered a dependable, hard-working employee, Augustine said. "Did you get your choice of shifts or did your manager specifically ask you to work on the more demanding days and shifts? In either case, it means you've developed a reputation at the theater for being a solid worker, which should be mentioned on your resume," Augustine said. 

More expert essay examples

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The Experience of the First Job

Growing up as a shy and self-contained person, I have never thought that I would be able to work with people. When I was offered an internship opportunity at a rehabilitation center, I was so frightened, I thought I would fail. The mere thought of constantly meeting new people and talking to them scared me, and overcoming this fear was the most difficult thing I have done in my life. The experience of the last six months has changed my perception of myself, turning me into a more open, friendly, kind, and confident person. Analyzing my journey, I now feel grateful for this opportunity and willing to share my experience.

When I came to work on my very first day, I felt extremely nervous and anxious. However, I was welcomed kindly and introduced to the staff who happened to be nice and friendly people. My job was to meet patients and answer their questions while they are waiting for their appointment. From the start, I encountered several problems due to my lack of experience. The first was always feeling unsure about what I was doing and saying. The second was communication difficulties that I have experienced for my entire life. As a shy person who had never worked with people, I had trouble finding the common language with patients of different ages and backgrounds. The third issue was the fear of new challenges that I had to encounter every day.

At this job, I learned several important things that changed my perception of my future career: how to deal with stress, how to communicate with people, and how to work in a team. When I overcame the initial anxiety of asking for help and realized that my colleagues are always happy to offer me their advice and support, I started to feel much more self-confident. I learned how to talk with patients, what to say and what to do when I am unable to help them, and I was surprised to see that, day after day, there were fewer and fewer problems that I could not solve. This experience has changed my personality, and I now feel that I have turned into a more confident, friendly, kind, and empathetic person that is not afraid to ask for help and meet new challenges.

Cite this paper

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StudyCorgi. (2022, March 20). The Experience of the First Job. https://studycorgi.com/the-experience-of-the-first-job/

"The Experience of the First Job." StudyCorgi , 20 Mar. 2022, studycorgi.com/the-experience-of-the-first-job/.

StudyCorgi . (2022) 'The Experience of the First Job'. 20 March.

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Essay on My Work Experience

Students are often asked to write an essay on My Work Experience in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on My Work Experience

Starting my job.

My first job was at a small bookstore. I was excited and nervous. My main tasks were to arrange the books, help customers, and keep the store tidy. I learned about different types of books and authors.

Working With Others

In my job, I had to work with other employees. We shared tasks and helped each other. We also had to deal with different types of customers. Some were nice, and others were not. It taught me patience and teamwork.

Learning New Skills

My work experience helped me learn new skills. I learned how to handle money, how to talk to customers, and how to manage my time. These skills are not only useful at work but also in my daily life.

Overcoming Challenges

At work, I faced many challenges. Sometimes, the store would get very busy, and it was hard to keep up. But I learned to stay calm and focus on my tasks. This helped me to overcome difficulties.

Value of Work

My work experience taught me the value of hard work. I realized that every job is important, no matter how small it seems. It also made me appreciate the effort that people put into their work.

250 Words Essay on My Work Experience

My work journey started when I was just out of college. I got a job as a junior programmer in a small software company. I was very excited and a little scared. But I was ready to learn new things.

Learning New Things

In the beginning, I had to learn a lot. I had to understand how to solve problems using code. I also had to learn how to work with a team. This was a new experience for me. But I was eager to learn and improve.

Challenges in Work

Work was not always easy. There were times when I had to work late to meet deadlines. There were also problems that seemed too hard to solve. But I did not give up. I kept trying and learned from my mistakes.

Growth in My Job

As time went on, I became better at my job. I was able to solve problems faster and work well with my team. I even got a promotion! I was happy to see that my hard work was paying off.

Lessons from Work

Working has taught me many things. I learned that hard work and patience can help you achieve your goals. I also learned that it’s important to keep learning and improving.

In short, my work experience has been a journey of learning and growth. It has been challenging at times, but also rewarding. I am grateful for the lessons I have learned and the skills I have gained.

500 Words Essay on My Work Experience

Starting my career.

My work journey started as a junior assistant in a local library. I was still in high school then. This was my first job and I was very excited. My main task was to arrange books and help visitors find what they were looking for. I also had to keep the library clean and tidy. My time at the library taught me the importance of being organized and helpful to others.

Working as a Tutor

After high school, I began tutoring younger students in their studies. I taught them subjects like English, Math, and Science. This job was more challenging than my library job. I had to prepare lesson plans, grade assignments, and help students understand difficult topics. This job taught me patience and the ability to explain things in a simple way. I also learned how to manage my time well.

Internship Experience

During my college years, I got an internship at a small company. I worked in the marketing department. My job was to help create advertising campaigns for the company’s products. I learned a lot about how businesses work during this time. I also learned how to work in a team and how to present my ideas clearly. This experience was very valuable for my future career.

Starting My Professional Career

After college, I started working as a project manager in a large company. This job was much more demanding than my previous jobs. I had to manage several projects at the same time, make sure they were completed on time, and within the budget. This job taught me how to lead a team, make important decisions, and solve problems quickly.

Learning from My Work Experience

Looking back at my work journey, I can see how each job has helped me grow as a person. I learned important skills like organization, patience, teamwork, and leadership. I also learned how to handle stress and meet deadlines. Each job was a stepping stone that prepared me for the next one.

My work experience has been a journey of learning and growth. Each job I’ve had, from being a library assistant to a project manager, has taught me valuable lessons. I’ve learned to be patient, organized, and a good team player. I’ve also learned how to lead a team and make important decisions. I’m grateful for all these experiences as they have shaped me into the person I am today.

Word Count: 500.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Job — The Importance Of First Job Experience

The Importance of First Job Experience

• Categories: Job Professionalism

About this sample

Words: 986 |

Published: Dec 16, 2021

Words: 986 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited

• Forbes. (2016). The Importance of Your First Job.
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2016/08/02/the-importance-of-your-first-job/?sh=3f7a99436378
• Johnson, R. (2018). Why Your First Job Is Critical To Your Career.
• https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/why-your-first-job-is-critical-to-your-career/
• Kram, K. E. (1985). Mentoring at work: Developmental relationships in organizational life. University Press of America.
• Lyons, P. (2018). Developing employability skills through work-based learning: A Case Study. Journal of Work-Applied Management, 10(2), 125-137.
• Marcus, M., & Buckingham, M. (2007). First, break all the rules: What the world's greatest managers do differently. Simon and Schuster.
• McCall, M. W. (2010). Recasting leadership development. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 3(1), 3-19.
• Noel, T. W., & Greenberger, D. B. (2011). The self-assessment 360-degree assessment process and executive coaching interventions: A descriptive analysis. The Psychologist-Manager Journal, 14(1), 1-23.
• Philips, J. J., & Gully, S. M. (2015). Organizational behavior: Tools for success. Cengage Learning.
• Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (Vol. 2). John Wiley & Sons.
• Tannenbaum, R., & Yukl, G. (1992). Training and development in work organizations. Annual review of psychology, 43(1), 399-441.

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Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: “We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?” They said: “Of course.” My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents’ savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn’t see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn’t interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn’t all romantic. I didn’t have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends’ rooms, I returned Coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn’t have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and sans serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can’t capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But 10 years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it’s likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backward 10 years later.

Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents’ garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4,000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn’t know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down — that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the world’s first computer animated feature film,  Toy Story , and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple’s current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I’m pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn’t even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor’s code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you’d have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’m fine now.

This was the closest I’ve been to facing death, and I hope it’s the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called  The Whole Earth Catalog , which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960s, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors and Polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: It was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of  The Whole Earth Catalog , and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

More From Forbes

Answering 'tell me about a time you failed' in a job interview.

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Describing a failure can be a tricky in an interview.

Interviewing for a new job can be draining and stressful, especially when the interviewer asks tricky questions. Among the hardest questions to answer can be “tell me about a time you failed.” Just when you’re trying to present yourself in your best light, the interviewer is seemingly undermining your efforts.

Figuring out how to answer this question effectively is especially important. The job market is super challenging right now—and it’s also super stressful. But when you know how to answer the toughest questions, you set yourself apart, reduce your anxiety and increase your chances of success .

Why Interviewers Ask About Failure

Perhaps the biggest mystery about this question is why interviews ask about failure at all. Why is this an important question that’s included in interviews? And what are organizations looking for when they asak you about failure?

Smart employers know there will always be times when performance isn’t perfect. And great cultures reward appropriate risk taking—because it drives innovation and growth. And these conditions mean that some failure will be part of the work experience.

They want to know how you’ll handle it, whether you can learn from it and if you can bounce back when you encounter friction, frustration or setbacks.

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Leak reveals an etf perfect storm could be heading toward bitcoin after $6 trillion fed inflation flip unleashed a crypto price boom, google chrome gets third emergency update in a week as attacks continue, how interviewers ask about failure.

So, what are the different potential versions of this question?

You should listen for a few different ways potential employers will ask the question—so you can reinforce the right themes no matter how it comes across. They may ask,

• Tell me about a time you failed.
• Share an example of a time when you weren’t hitting the mark.
• Tell me when your work didn’t measure up.
• What was a time when things didn’t go as you had planned?
• How do you handle failure?
• What do you do when you’re frustrated?
• How do you work through failures?
• Tell me about a time when you struggled, and how you handled it.
• Describe a time when you had to pivot.
• What was a time when you had to change course because things weren’t working out?

No matter how the interviewer asks, be ready with themes that you want to emphasize—so you can be clear about your answer while you also connect it with their specific question.

Stay calm and professional when you describe a time you failed.

How to Answer an Interview Question About Failure

So how should someone answer 'tell me about a time you failed' in an interview? And what are key points, words or themes that should be included in the response?

Essentially, interviewers want to hear four things.

• First, they want to know how you handle failure. You’ll want to be sure to communicate that you’re self-aware—and also willing to be honest and admit mistakes. You will also need to answer in a way that shows you’re not overly negative—and that you can keep your cool in tough situations.
• Next, they want to know that you learn from failure and that you are able to not only reflect, but take action to continuously improve. Share how you consider your performance (but don’t obsess), and how you have adjusted your approach to do better next time.
• Also, they want to know you have the capability to be resilient and persevere . You’ll want to communicate that you are able to realize you’ve missed the mark, take action and stay optimistic. They will want to know you can bounce back and stay focused on the future.
• And finally, interviewers want to know you’re a team player. You’ll need to take responsibility for your failures and own your missteps—and avoid blaming others or throwing team members under the bus.

When you’re answering, be thorough, but also concise. Answer with four points: First share the situation and your role. Second, talk about what went wrong. Third, share what you learned. Fourth, talk about the adjustments you plan to make for next time. Put the emphasis on how your reflection helped you move forward and how you’re able to adjust, adapt and improve.

Use words like “reflection,” “taking responsibility,” “taking ownership,” “learning,” “improvement,” “teamwork,” “adapt,” “move forward” and “do better.”

Be clear and transparent about what didn’t work well, but also avoid going into unnecessary detail. Also avoid getting emotional. Instead, remain calm and professional.

Succeeding in Your Interview

Most people—71% according to survey by The Harris Poll conducted for Bloomberg —find the job search process to be complicated. In addition, 69% say they suffer mental and emotional effects of the job search including fatigue (84%), stress (77%), anxiety (75%) and frustration (46%), according to a survey by Monster ,

If you’re finding it tough, you’re not alone. But also know that you can reduce the negative toll the process takes by being ready for the most likely questions and boosting your confidence to answer effectively.

You’ll feel the pressure to perform brilliantly in your interview—but ironically when you can articulate times when things didn’t go well, you can shine in comparison to other candidates and get the job .

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• Frank Giampietro

Surprising insights from EY’s survey of its U.S. hybrid, full in-person, and fully remote employees.

We’ve seen how fully remote work can lead to a loss of connection and development opportunities, particularly those that require observational learning, or learning by watching someone else do it. However, people still want to work from home at least some of the time because of the greater work-life balance and personal productivity that they experience. But what is the right amount of time to be in person? How can corporate policymakers and team leaders get the best of both worlds? The authors discuss how Ernst & Young LLP (EY U.S.) has taken a data-driven approach to questions around hybrid work. Their data comparing the performance and well-being of hybrid employees with their fully in-person and remote counterparts has yielded (often surprising) insights from which other organizations may benefit.

Despite years of effort and copious amounts of thought leadership (some of it of questionable value), leaders across industries are still struggling to figure out how to create policies that balance their desire to see employees back in the office with employees’ undiminished desire for flexibility. Managers are also struggling to make these arrangements and policies work and keep their teams engaged in an era of unprecedented uncertainty and burnout .

• Heidi Grant is a social psychologist who researches, writes, and speaks about the science of motivation. Her most recent book is Reinforcements: How to Get People to Help You . She’s also the author of Nine Things Successful People Do Differently and No One Understands You and What to Do About It . She is EY US Director of Learning R&D.
• GC Ginnie Carlier is EY Americas Vice Chair of Talent.
• FG Frank Giampietro is EY Americas Chief Wellbeing Officer.

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Macomb students gain on-the-job training as medical assistants

Wednesday, May 15, 2024 12:00 AM

Macomb students gain on-the-job training as medical assistants 

Macomb students gain on-the-job training as medical assistants through the college’s Medical Assistants Apprenticeship program, providing them with skills that will lead from classroom to career. 

How to gain on-the-job training as medical assistants

Nicole Olszewski and Aisa Pisha may have come from different backgrounds, but at Macomb they’ve found a shared experience in the Medical Assistant apprenticeship.

“I feel like I have learned so much during the past year,” said Olszewski, a 2016 graduate of Chippewa Valley High School. “I won’t be terrified to go out on my own because of everything that I have learned [as an apprentice] at Cornerstone.”

Pisha graduated from high school in the Philippines and had to overcome a language barrier to effectively perform as a medical assistant for Cornerstone Medical Group. Because of the apprenticeship, she learned skills that she never imagined she would have, like how to more effectively communicate and listen.

“It [was] a challenging decision to go back to school,” said Pisha. “Because I choose to help people who are seeking [treatment] for their illnesses, however, it’s the best decision I ever made.”

What does a Medical Assistant Apprentice do?

As apprentices, the two have to split their time between a Cornerstone facility and Macomb. Part of their schedule is working in doctor’s offices as medical assistant apprentices where they learn practical applications for the knowledge they receive in their classroom and lab studies.

A schedule like this is overwhelming. However, for Olszewski and Pisha, some of the pressure is eased by a limited-time grant from the Department of Education that allowed them to concentrate on their studies.  It covers all of their instructional costs while they also receive a wage from Cornerstone. This means that as apprentices they are getting paid, staying out of debt and getting on-the-job experience.

For Olszewski, this has meant gaining the confidence to move forward in a career that had been recommended by her grandmother. 

“ She said it would be a good steppingstone for my way into the medical field,” Olszewski said. Which has been proven true as her goal now is to return to school to complete a bachelor’s degree.

For Pisha, it has taught her how to ease the fears of those who may be intimidated by a doctor’s office, which is what led her to the field in the first place. 

“The best thing [about] being an apprentice,” said Pisha, who hopes to complete her apprenticeship next year, “is while I’m going to school to be a medical assistant, I’m also gaining valuable on-the-job experience in my career.”

How can I become a medical assistant apprentice?

To learn more about the health care apprenticeships programs at Macomb please visit our Health Care Apprenticeships webpage for information on how to get started.

While museums, plays and, of course, libraries kindle my own creativity and curiosity, I worry that some of our students may not yet realize that there is so much more to “culture” than the obvious. Culture is everywhere we are and those of us at your libraries are proud to bring its multifaceted joys and discoveries to our students with an interesting mix of fall programs, including those developed by faculty as part of the Macomb Multicultural International Initiatives (MMII). MMII will be celebrating its 20 th anniversary next year and it aligns perfectly with the college’s recent Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) initiative. MMII was designed to increase understanding and acceptance of diversity through programming based on the Diversity Spectrum that it developed.  The spectrum consists of 18 cultural and social themes, including gender, global awareness, mental and emotional health/illness, national origin and sexual orientation. You will see a number of those themes reflected in the Library’s Enrichment Series for fall 2023. October Indigenous Peoples Day , photo exhibit showcasing the culture, land and leaders of Native Americans. We All Belong , town hall to hear ideas for creating a greater sense of belonging for all Macomb students. November See Me for Who I Am :  book discussion on real student veterans’ stories about war/coming home. Bulgaria the Beautiful , introduction to the traditions, history and art of one of Europe’s oldest states. December Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance , book discussion of 1974 classic about living a mindful life. Diversity Dialogues Available online through Nov. 30, these thoughtful discussions look at some important issues of our time.  This year, the dialogues include: International Art and Aesthetics Introduction to Diversity Studies Racial Inequalities in the United States The Social Consequences of Poverty LGBT + Civil Liberties and Social Rights Movement Please join me at one of these free events and we can learn something new together! For more events, as well as dates, times and locations, search Library Enrichment Series under the All Events category found on this webpage. Check out all our fall events now!