Changing jobs yearly bad?

[Cptn Loko]

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Hey guys! I have a quick question. Would it look bad on my application if I seem to switch jobs ever year? Until summer before sophomore year I worked at Best Buy, now I currently serve as a campus tour guide.

While I enjoy my position a lot and have some very nice coworkers and an awesome boss, I can become an anatomy TA starting summer before junior year, which I think I would enjoy a lot since I like tutoring my peers in anatomy and since I already do research with the professor and we get along very well. Doing both is out of the question because in my contract as a tour guide I am not allowed to hold another job.

What do you guys think?

 

[CeeEstee0]

I think you'll be fine, it's not like you were fired. TAing is an awesome job to have, and I would take it over the campus tour guide position.

 

[theseeker4]

Hey guys! I have a quick question. Would it look bad on my application if I seem to switch jobs ever year? Until summer before sophomore year I worked at Best Buy, now I currently serve as a campus tour guide.

While I enjoy my position a lot and have some very nice coworkers and an awesome boss, I can become an anatomy TA starting summer before junior year, which I think I would enjoy a lot since I like tutoring my peers in anatomy and since I already do research with the professor and we get along very well. Doing both is out of the question because in my contract as a tour guide I am not allowed to hold another job.

What do you guys think?

You are a college student, right? That means your primary job is your coursework. There shouldn't be any problem at all with moving on from one opportunity to another, as long as you are not being fired from any of these jobs. Take the new TA job, progressing to bigger and better things will look better on your application than longevity, since you are a student and applying for medical school, not a job. Heck, even most employers would probably look at the increase in responsibility as a positive, and not focus on your frequently changing jobs.

 

[BiopsychStudent]

Changing jobs often is only detrimental if its your actual career and a significant investment is made in hiring and training you. No one cares that you worked at BestBuy for a year and moved on. A lot of people move on or up or away in those kinds of jobs.

 

[dougfunnie]

A lot of people that need to save space in their activities would combine Best Buy and campus tour guide into the same space on their application anyway. You could just title it "Non-Clinical Employment" and have the dates span two years. You will separate the TA position for sure though and list it under Teaching/Tutoring because that is an awesome activity that deserves its own spot.

 

[Kadava Reviva]

As a young person, especially as a student in the current economy, you are expected to change jobs every once in a while, especially if you have a good reason, such as better pay, working with people, more responsibilities or challenges (never the other way around). If your performance was good and it can be verified by your employers, you will be fine.

 

[Cptn Loko]

Thanks a lot for the feedback guys, it is greatly appreciated and has helped me make up my mind.

A lot of people that need to save space in their activities would combine Best Buy and campus tour guide into the same space on their application anyway. You could just title it "Non-Clinical Employment" and have the dates span two years. You will separate the TA position for sure though and list it under Teaching/Tutoring because that is an awesome activity that deserves its own spot.

Wow I had not thought of doing that, well that saves me one headache at least! Should I then differentiate them in that activity's description? Pardon the silly question since I haven't fully familiarized myself with the way activities are described in the app.

 

[dougfunnie]

Wow I had not thought of doing that, well that saves me one headache at least! Should I then differentiate them in that activity's description? Pardon the silly question since I haven't fully familiarized myself with the way activities are described in the app.

Exactly. Lots of people combine similar activities into one space if they have more than 15. This is handy for things that are less important in terms of description but need to be listed. The most important thing with that kind of stuff is to list the hours involved because it shows you can time-manage and balance a busy schedule.

There is an example of this in last year's applicant sticky:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=10877657
Post #2, under part 4.