From the ages of 16 to 23 I was firmly entrenched in the service industry. I’ve worked the Roy Rogers fast food drive-thru, called out blue light specials at Kmart, and served tables at Fridays. But you won’t find any of those jobs on my resume.
This isn’t because I don’t value the jobs, I think they were critical in my development. In many ways, I learned more as a server than I did as a research assistant. But for some reason, employers don’t seem to see it this way. If it’s something that “anybody can do” (i.e. no degree required) it’s not relevant. But when things get busy at work I always keep a clear head, because I know that being in the weeds never helps.
Same thing goes for the web. Knowing how to use Facebook, Twitter, and any number of social web tools might not appear all that valuable on a resume, but that doesn’t mean that knowledge is without value. I’ve been finding that the more web stuff I know, the more places I find to use that knowledge. It may not have helped me get my job but it is helping move my career forward.
I found this infographic during a random web search. It appears accurate enough, although if more servers/bartenders claimed all their tips they would probably move to the right a few spots. When looking at this visual, do you undervalue the experience from the zones on the left? What else do you undervalue?
Via: DegreeSearch.org
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