Graduate Students and Work Experience

Students said they learned a variety of skills from their work experience, including problem-solving, time management, functioning under pressure, and communication. The perceptions of improved skills by graduates were more varied. The idea of a "hierarchy" of experiences is supported by the fact that students valued internships or work experience that was closely related to their studies the most. Semi-structured interviews with recent graduates revealed that they valued all of their experiences, including their extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, and volunteer work. Employers made it apparent that they valued a variety of experiences, and encouragingly, they were quick to emphasize that students would not be at a disadvantage if they lacked directly applicable work experience.