1. You’re making money.

This is ultimately why you work choose to work at all, right? Who doesn’t need money to live? Part-time jobs won’t necessarily sustain your every expense, however, they do usually provide a healthy amount of cash flow for small expenses such as gas or food, as well as extra spending money.

2. You’re learning to take responsibility for yourself.

Let’s face it, you’re not fully independent yet. It’s okay! You’re in college and you shouldn’t be expected to take full financial responsibility for yourself. However, this is not a free pass to unnecessarily bum off of your parents for life. Even now as a dependent, it is vital that you begin to learn the basics of what it looks like to work in order to make a living for yourself. This will help you transition into the real world after college when you begin to earn your own sustainable income, and trust me, your parents will appreciate it too.

3. You’re teaching yourself discipline.

You may only make eight dollars an hour, have a horrible boss who thinks he’s managing a Fortune 500 company, or have a job that is frankly miserable. While this can be daunting to go through, it can teach you such valuable lessons about how to handle employment when it really matters. No job is perfect, but most are vitally important in terms of providing for your needs. So, if you can’t keep yourself from biting your tongue when your boss tells you to clean the bathrooms, what makes you think you can when you’re asked to manage a difficult client in your real job?

4. You will appreciate your real job more.

You may wash dishes on weeknights like I do. Nothing brings me more fulfillment that using steel wool to scrub off dried queso from a plate that had the majority of its food still on it rather than in the user’s stomach. Actually, and quite honestly, this can become monotonous at times. But I get to rest in the comfort of knowing that if I enjoy this job I have now, I will surely enjoy my career even more.

5. You will become more well-rounded.

Resumés are a big deal in college. Future employers, organizations, and scholarships will likely request one from you. Your education is obviously the most important aspect of your resumé, but that doesn’t mean that a part-time job is insignificant.

This shows that you are focused on a broader spectrum than school alone, which companies like to see because most professional jobs require skills in multiple areas. A part-time job may be that extra piece your resume needs to land the job of your dreams!