Part-time employment

[DCJ]

I have 5 years of fulltime work experience but when I just graduated from college, I worked part-time for 6 months (a fellowship for recent college grads) and up until a year and a half ago worked part-time for 7 months (quit my fulltime job and couldn't get another fulltime job due to the tough economy). How and where do I address part-time work experience in my MBA application?

[Jon@Admissionado]

I'm not sure that it's something you need to address. If you were unemployed, then yes, but a part time job fills in the gaps nicely. Maybe a little less nice than a full time job. I feel that pointing this out in an essay will only bring unnecessary attention to it, where in fact you were working!

[DCJ]

Applications usually require listing annual salaries so for part-time work experience, should I list the actual amount I made or list what I would have made on an annualized basis. Also, applications usually ask for number of months of full-time experience and since I cannot count my part-time experience in this, is there still no need to explain it.

[Jon@Admissionado]

Still, of course they will KNOW that you did a part time job. The idea was not to pretend you had a full time job, but since it's a rather short time and you were employed to "play it cool". It's really "borderline" problematic, and that's why it might not be the best idea to bring it up.

[FutureWorks]

Hi DCJ,

Full time work exp should be taking major part of the application space. If you feel the part time you have something significant to add in terms quality of your work (what you did there like-what were your achievements, what initiative you took, what changes you drove in your workplace etc). If you feel in your part time you could showcase them strongly thn please add them.