Interview with UCR’s SOBA
Yesterday we had an exciting, albeit short, interview with a member of the Unversity of California’s School of Business Administration! We only had time to ask them a few questions, so hopefully they help!
1. Do you think volunteering looks good on an application?
Answer:
Yes! If you have no work experience to put on your résumé, having any volunteer experience can be a great way to demonstrate some of what you know to potential employers. In addition to that, having some volunteering experience on your resume shows that you have a drive to pursue your own interests, that you’re self-motivated, and that you willing do more than what is simply ‘required’.
2. Is there a ‘best’ type of volunteering people should focus on?
No, there is not any special type of volunteering that looks ‘better’ on a résumé than any of the others, at least for UCR. Obviously, if you are interested in pursuing a specific career, say in health care, it would be smart to pick a volunteering position that would give you some experience in that field. In general, though there is no specific type of volunteering that looks better or worse on an application.
3. How much is “enough”, is there a minimum number of hours people should have on their resumes?
That’s kind of a difficult question to answer. UCR has no policy on a ‘minimum’ requirement, so it comes down to the individual who is looking over the application. If pressed I would say at least fifty hours, as that shows that you are dedicated and did not simply volunteer for the sake of volunteering. Showing the willingness to put forward effort towards something that is not a requirement is an important quality to have.
4. Does UCR have an organization they recommend?
Not really. UCR has worked with several different organizations, we have one professor here who often has groups that work with Habitat for Humanity.
5. Any final advice for people who are interested in volunteering to gain more experience?
Do something you’re passionate about. If you are in an interview and they ask you about your time volunteering and you simply shrug and say “Yeah, I did it to fill time/to pad my résumé” or show no real interest in the work you did then it will not come off well to the interviewer. You really need to be able to talk about not just what you did, but why you did it and what you learned from doing it.
There is not a single ‘right’ answer when it comes to interviews and applications, it comes down to the individuals personal skills and experiences more than anything else.
END OF INTERVIEW
Thanks for reading! I hope this is helpful for anyone considering applying to colleges soon, or who is interested in volunteering! Please follow us on our Facebook and Twitter!
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