Community Service/Jobs?

frenzymando

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How big of a factor is doing community service/having a job in the application process? Do you get any points for having either? I've done community service with JROTC and NHS, is it important that I list the specific things that I have done with each organization(I honestly don't know how many hours I've done of community service I haven't been recording it, but it's not like I've just done 10 hours or something) or can I simply say I did community service? Will not having any working experience hurt my application a lot(I just got rejected from the summer seminar and I had to put "None" under the working experience category)? Thanks.
 
My DD was in the same situation (no paid job) and the admission counselor advised her to be as specific as possible with the community service. For example, have you ever worked with children? Were you in positions of leadership? Were you in charge of money collected? It's not about the hours but the duties and responsibilities you had in the different programs.
 
My DD was in the same situation (no paid job) and the admission counselor advised her to be as specific as possible with the community service. For example, have you ever worked with children? Were you in positions of leadership? Were you in charge of money collected? It's not about the hours but the duties and responsibilities you had in the different programs.
So like instead of saying "did community service" I say
Participated in Breakfast with buddies program
Participated in Relay for life
Picked up trash on sides of road
Volunteered to work at street festival
Helped children write letters to Santa
etc
? I can see how that would look better than just saying I've done community service, but with JROTC I've done like 1,000 different things and it would be really long if I listed every single thing I've done.
I haven't really had any leadership roles in any community service things I've done, does that make them worthless?
 
So like instead of saying "did community service" I say
Participated in Breakfast with buddies program
Participated in Relay for life
Picked up trash on sides of road
Volunteered to work at street festival
Helped children write letters to Santa
etc
? I can see how that would look better than just saying I've done community service, but with JROTC I've done like 1,000 different things and it would be really long if I listed every single thing I've done.
I haven't really had any leadership roles in any community service things I've done, does that make them worthless?

They aren't worthless, because it still shows your commitment to service. Also sometimes you don't see it as leadership, but it still counts. For example at the street festival, were you in charge of a boot? Did you have to deal with any money? When you helped the children, did they split you in groups and were you in charge of helping a certain group of children?

Pick the ones that are more important, the one that have had the greatest impact. Also explain the ones that aren't clear by the name. If you aren't sure, don't be afraid to call the counselors. They are very helpful.
 
So like instead of saying "did community service" I say
Participated in Breakfast with buddies program
Participated in Relay for life
Picked up trash on sides of road
Volunteered to work at street festival
Helped children write letters to Santa
etc
? I can see how that would look better than just saying I've done community service, but with JROTC I've done like 1,000 different things and it would be really long if I listed every single thing I've done.
I haven't really had any leadership roles in any community service things I've done, does that make them worthless?

They aren't worthless, because it still shows your commitment to service. Also sometimes you don't see it as leadership, but it still counts. For example at the street festival, were you in charge of a boot? Did you have to deal with any money? When you helped the children, did they split you in groups and were you in charge of helping a certain group of children?

Pick the ones that are more important, the one that have had the greatest impact. Also explain the ones that aren't clear by the name. If you aren't sure, don't be afraid to call the counselors. They are very helpful.
Do you know if not having a paying job hurt your son's application a lot? I don't need or really want to get a job, but if it will help my application significantly I would be willing to get one for the sole purpose of boosting my chances of getting an appointment.
 
Do you know if not having a paying job hurt your son's application a lot? I don't need or really want to get a job, but if it will help my application significantly I would be willing to get one for the sole purpose of boosting my chances of getting an appointment.

I don't think in the end, the job made a big difference at all. She was given a LOA back in November to the prep school, but it had nothing to do with the job. Her grades are fantastic in school, but she simply can't do well in the English part of the SAT. She was a few points shy of what the USAFA wants.
 
My kids worked 20 hours a week at various jobs: grocery clerk, restaurant dishwasher, clerk at music shop, all sorts of things. They did it because they wanted MONEY, and it didn't hurt them any. They became very good time managers, which is a skill they still value highly as pilots!

Note though, that they did not neglect sports, academics, or community service. They just had pretty extensive calendars.

Lots of miles on that minivan - though I did NOT drive them to or from their employment, unless I was feeling particularly friendly as mother. So, maybe once a month, if the boy was working late on Saturday night (like 1 a.m. late), I would drive down to pick him up so he didn't have to walk home. Otherwise, they walked or rode their bikes or skateboards to our small downtown.

As long as your other pursuits don't suffer, learning uber-time-management techniques cannot harm you. And you can quit asking mom and dad for $20. Huge boost to your own ego.
 
Excellent fencer! I second you on everything. My husband and I have strong work ethics, and I believe it comes from providing all of our own spending money from the time we were 15. We were never given anything we didn't earn. My oldest (usma 2019) works 3 nights a week at minimum wage to buy his gas and pay for dates with his girlfriend. I am amazed by the number of high school seniors who have never held a job.
 
Excellent fencer! I second you on everything. My husband and I have strong work ethics, and I believe it comes from providing all of our own spending money from the time we were 15. We were never given anything we didn't earn. My oldest (usma 2019) works 3 nights a week at minimum wage to buy his gas and pay for dates with his girlfriend. I am amazed by the number of high school seniors who have never held a job.
I know how much it helps to learn to hold a job in HS. Sometimes I am amazed by some of my peers who can literally do nothing on their own!!! My parents made me buy my own car (in cash- which meant 8 months of walking to work in the CO winter), pay insurance, phone bill, etc. Not only did it teach me how to handle money, manage my time, work hard, and work with others, it also gave me a lot of confidence for the future. So to parents similar to mine, you guys are awesome for helping us learn these lessons!
 
In my humble opinion, Fencer, Spirit, and Bailey are spot on with their attitudes about jobs. No matter how you put it, JROTC/CAP/Boy Scouts/etc. leadership roles just aren't the same as a real job. I'm not saying they're not important (obviously they are!), but work provides even more of a "real world" experience that's hard to get any other way.

For example, work provides an opportunity to get a special kind of interpersonal skills. True, JROTC, etc., will teach you how to communicate effectively with others. But when you work a job, you learn how to effectively solve those vexing little problems which are frequently not included in high school activities. What if a coworker is having a bad day? How do you cheer him/her up and make a friend in the process? Trust me, it's not the same as coaching an unmotivated cadet, especially if the coworker in question is 35+ years older than you(!). You learn how to manage time, how to work with different types of people, and how to be accountable for your own actions (even more so than in HS activities). Oh, and Fencer said it best: it's GREAT to be earning your own allowance! :thumb:

Again, this doesn't mean that not having a job will necessarily harm your application, but working a job certainly won't hurt it! If you can fit it in somehow, I would certainly consider looking for employment. It's really a great way to learn life skills that will pay dividends down the road, regardless of your career choice.
 
In my humble opinion, Fencer, Spirit, and Bailey are spot on with their attitudes about jobs. No matter how you put it, JROTC/CAP/Boy Scouts/etc. leadership roles just aren't the same as a real job. I'm not saying they're not important (obviously they are!), but work provides even more of a "real world" experience that's hard to get any other way.

For example, work provides an opportunity to get a special kind of interpersonal skills. True, JROTC, etc., will teach you how to communicate effectively with others. But when you work a job, you learn how to effectively solve those vexing little problems which are frequently not included in high school activities. What if a coworker is having a bad day? How do you cheer him/her up and make a friend in the process? Trust me, it's not the same as coaching an unmotivated cadet, especially if the coworker in question is 35+ years older than you(!). You learn how to manage time, how to work with different types of people, and how to be accountable for your own actions (even more so than in HS activities). Oh, and Fencer said it best: it's GREAT to be earning your own allowance! :thumb:

Again, this doesn't mean that not having a job will necessarily harm your application, but working a job certainly won't hurt it! If you can fit it in somehow, I would certainly consider looking for employment. It's really a great way to learn life skills that will pay dividends down the road, regardless of your career choice.
Agreed! One of the biggest lessons I learned was how to deal with people who are just super unfriendly! I have had costumers treat me very unfairly, and at first, I would almost cry and it would ruin my day. Two years later, if the same thing happens, I can pretty much just brush it off. This is a skill that will definitely serve well in the military when we are all getting screamed at constantly!
Besides, I think it is great to work in the civilian world as a kid, because if we go straight into military and some of us decide to serve 20+ yrs in the military, we would be in our 40's with no experience working in the civilian world!
 
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