The last job I had was kind of a shot in the dark. I was a store management intern at Kohl’s. This past summer, I spent countless hours looking for internship opportunities. I applied to ones I was very excited about based on the job descriptions and others that weren’t my number one choice, but nonetheless, would still provide me with experience. I needed a job, even if it wasn’t ideal. I had been eyeing the position at Kohl’s for quite some time, but knew it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, so I put off applying for it. I had no history of working in the field and didn’t think it was well suited for me, but either way I told myself it would serve as an opportunity of growth and experience if need be. I eventually applied and went through the interview process, so when the option presented itself, I took the job. I ended up enjoying the position much more than I ever thought I would. I also learned a lot.
Although I don’t have the job description at hand, I do remember how vague and ambiguous it was. This was slightly concerning to me, but also gave me a sense of hope in that maybe it was flexible based on the individual(s) hired. Some parts of the job description were intriguing to me, but others I was very hesitant about. For example, I was excited to learn about what makes a store function, but was nervous about leading and being in charge of a group of individuals, most of whom were much older than me. I quickly learned on day one that there was much more to the position than what was stated in the brief job description.
4 replies on “The Influence of a Job Description”
I think situations like this happen all the time to students looking for internships. A lot of companies do not put a lot of time into their job description because they figure that all students want an internship, and that they will not care about the job. It sounds as if this job description may have been pretty boring, and did not stand out compared to that of others. I personally have not come across this, but it would be hard for me to apply to an internship with a misleading job title. I am glad the internship worked out and ended up being more fun than expected. Thanks for sharing!
I feel like a lot of us have face very similar situations where we are applying to as many places as we can to hope and get an option. I too feel that a lot of the job descriptions that are posted are normally pretty vague and they try to explain everything during the interview process. It is smart that you are still applying for these companies though because the experience is something that a lot of companies are looking for.
I agree with you point about how even though it wasn’t really what you wanted you would still be able to learn from the experience and continue to grow in a way that would better prepare you for future jobs. Having flexibility in a job like you noted is nice especially when it may not have been your first choice in what you wanted to do. Overall great job on your post!
I had a similar experience with my internship’s job description, or lack of job description. My internship’s job description was never in writing and was very vague and non-specific. I think that Brady had a good point about how companies don’t need to win over students for their internship program, so they don’t put much work into it. Thanks for sharing your experience!