If you’re grappling with the daunting task of writing your Common App essay, we have some advice for you. If you’re a student who works, your job can serve as a great setting for crafting a standout personal statement. You don’t need a fancy pedigree to get into college. In fact, doing activities that were obviously expensive (say, traveling to a far-away place to do community service) can come across as, well, privileged.
Having a job in high school is not only normal, it’s commendable. And the working folks who are the gatekeepers to your college admission will probably find the fact that you work relatable. A mundane, everyday job can be just as impactful as the really classically impressive stuff. Maybe even more so. So, in this post, we offer some tips about how to write about your job in the Common App essay.
Showcasing Tenacity
First and foremost, writing about your job can showcase your tenacity and sense of responsibility. It’s not easy juggling classes, homework, and a social life with a job. Whether you're flipping burgers at a fast-food joint, babysitting neighborhood kids, or bagging groceries at the local supermarket, holding down a job while juggling your academic responsibilities is no small feat. It demonstrates your commitment to helping your household or having an entrepreneurial spirit, which are admirable qualities.
We also want to add that high school is a fantastic time to start your own business. If you have a business idea, high school is a really good opportunity to try things, learn, and yes, even fail! Not only can you write about all of it in your essay, but you will also have the flexibility to make some mistakes. Most high schoolers are not the head provider of a household working a 9-5 job. Starting your own business is not at all impossible later in life, but if you start young, you can work some of the kinks out when the risks aren’t nearly as high.
Keep It Casual
You’re still a kid. One thing you probably don’t want to do is delve into profound philosophical concepts in your essay. You also don’t want to use this space to write about tragedy or anything truly major that’s happened in your life. (If you need to address an incident or history that’s somehow impacted your schoolwork, put that in the additional information section).
Start off by brainstorming the mundane and the everyday with respect to your job. Make a list. It is perfectly okay to write about something as straightforward as your daily routine at work in an essay. In fact, we find that the simpler settings and scenarios are great backdrops for accomplishing what you should set out to in your essay: showcase your personality. So, begin with a list of things you do routinely at work.
Show Who You Are
Your essay should reveal a unique aspect of your personality that’s not evident from your resume or transcripts. Pick 2-3 personality traits. If you’re having a hard time landing on some, ask some friends to describe you in a few words. No doubt your personality has come through in your job somehow.
Think about the relationships you have at work. Think about some things that have happened with your colleagues, bosses or customers that might exemplify one or two of those personality traits. Look back at the list you created above. You should also feel free to write about your work routine, your commute to work, your post-work ritual or anything else that might seem really mundane. Pick a story from one of these scenarios that showcases your personality traits.
WRITE A STORY
Now, write about it in story form with a beginning, middle, and end. Bring us to work with you. Drop us into the middle of the scene. Maybe it is chaotic, maybe it is calm. We weren’t with you so you need to paint the background for us. Maybe you can use a colleague to showcase some sort of conflict resolution. Maybe you had to deal with a customer. Whatever you choose to do, remember to tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end.
When it comes to your Common App essay, don’t underestimate writing about your job. It’s a great way to showcase how and why you’re both unique and hardworking.
Need help crafting a great essay? Call us. We’re experts at coaching students through the writing process.