QC
October 24, 2026 | Quebec
A Job Can Provide More Than an Income
Working while studying often helps meet a financial need. But the experience can offer more than a paycheque: it can provide insight into the realities of the workplace and help you develop skills that may be valuable throughout your career.
A job does not necessarily have to be directly related to your field of study to be relevant. What matters is recognizing the skills you have developed and explaining how they can transfer to another professional setting.
Developing Transferable Skills
A transferable skill is a skill developed in one setting that can later be applied in another.
Depending on the job and your responsibilities, working while studying can help you develop skills such as:
- communication;
- organization;
- collaboration;
- priority management;
- customer service;
- problem-solving;
- following procedures and meeting deadlines.
Someone who works with the public, for example, may strengthen their communication skills. A job that involves managing multiple responsibilities at once may help develop organizational and prioritization skills.
These skills can then complement those developed through training.
Does Your Job Need to Be Related to Your Field of Study?
Not necessarily.
A job directly related to your field of study may provide particularly relevant experience. However, working in another sector can still help you develop useful professional skills.
Someone studying administration and working in a restaurant, for example, may not necessarily develop technical accounting skills on the job. They may, however, gain experience in customer service, communication, collaboration, and managing priorities.
At the same time, training provides an opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills specific to the profession you are preparing for.
It is therefore the combination of your training and the different experiences you gain that gradually helps you build your professional profile.
Turning Job Responsibilities Into Professional Skills
When reflecting on your work experience, instead of asking only, "What tasks did I perform?" it can also be helpful to ask: "What skills did I develop by performing those tasks?"
Responding to customer requests, for example, is a task. Depending on the situation, that responsibility may also demonstrate communication, customer service, or problem-solving skills.
Three questions can help you evaluate your work experience:
- What were my main responsibilities?
- What skills did I need to carry them out?
- Which of those skills could be relevant to the field I am pursuing?
This reflection can help you better understand the professional value of a job you held while studying.
Showcasing Your Experience on Your Resume and in an Interview
On a resume, you do not need to list every task you performed. Instead, focus on responsibilities that highlight the skills most relevant to the position you are applying for.
An interview allows you to go further. A situation you encountered at work can help you explain how you solved a problem, managed competing priorities, or worked with others.
Even experience that may initially seem unrelated to the position can become relevant when it provides a concrete example of a skill the employer is looking for.
The goal is not to make an experience sound more significant than it was, but to accurately communicate what you genuinely learned and developed from it.
Building Your Professional Profile Over Time
Your professional journey does not necessarily begin after graduation.
Previous experiences, jobs held while studying, and skills developed through training can all contribute to building your professional profile over time.
At CDI College, hands-on training allows students to develop skills specific to their field of study. Learning to recognize skills gained through other experiences can also help you present your background more effectively to a future employer.
Working while studying can therefore provide more than an income. The experience can become a valuable part of your professional journey when you know how to identify and showcase the skills you have genuinely developed.
FAQ
1. Is a part-time job worth including on a resume?
It can be, particularly when it lets you highlight responsibilities, experience, or skills relevant to an employer.
2. Does a job need to be related to your studies to be relevant?
No. A job in another field can help you develop transferable skills that are useful in many professional environments.
3. What skills can you develop by working while studying?
It depends on the job. Communication, organization, collaboration, customer service, and priority management are among the skills that can be developed in certain workplaces.
4. How can you identify your transferable skills?
Start by looking at your responsibilities and identifying the skills you need to carry them out successfully.
5. How can you showcase your work experience in an interview?
Use concrete examples to illustrate the responsibilities you handled, the skills you applied, and what you learned from the experience.
Explore Further
👉 How Can You Balance School, Work, and Family Responsibilities?
👉 From Understanding to Mastery: Developing Real Independence
👉 Going Back to School: How Can You Tell If It’s the Right Decision?
