Can The Final Year Dissertation Help You Land Your Dream Job?
Can The Final Year Dissertation Help You Land Your Dream Job?
Your final year dissertation can be the most demanding project of your entire college career, but the question remains of whether this challenging task is matched with potential benefit for your future? The definitive answer stands divided.
True or False: Writing a final dissertation will automatically place you ahead of other candidates during your job search. In it’s entirety, this statement is false. But, if we step back and think about the different aspects of writing a dissertation, we can find truth in the statement.
An article in The Wall Street Journal by Marisa Taylor says that many of the skills employers look for when finding the perfect candidate are skills that can be acquired when writing that grueling final dissertation. In a survey, employers answered that a combination of critical thinking, problem solving skills and the ability to think independently, were some of the most important skills they look for when hiring. Those skills also happen to be the skills that employers believe recent college graduates need to improve most.
A well-researched piece can showcase that you have those talents. It also shows employers that you are willing to go above and beyond what is asked of you, since many undergraduate degree programs do not require a final year dissertation. Writing a dissertation shows commitment, perseverance, self-motivation and initiative. You gain amazing skills in writing your dissertation that you will use throughout your career.
Better yet, you gain knowledge and become an information authority in a certain field. Gear your dissertation towards the area you wish to become employed in the future. If your dream is to be a social media coordinator for a large corporation, write a piece on social media. If you want to be an account executive at a public relations firm, write your dissertation on firm culture related to productivity. All of your research and knowledge will show employers that you are passionate about the field and that you are fully prepared to successfully take on a career in that area for their company.
So, with all of the benefits, where does the falsity in the statement lie, you may ask?
Writing an average dissertation on an average, overly researched topic will not automatically place you ahead of other candidates when you are applying for your dream job. Although you may still gain employable skills, your dissertation has to be well researched, well written and on a topic that you are sincerely passionate about, in order for it to be an effective quality piece that will impress employers.
Dissertations are not a guaranteed “front of the line pass” that will get you to the interview and into your dream job. Employers say that involvement in student organizations and real-world experience in the industry play a more critical role in the hiring process. Many employers say that they would hire a person with professional experience in the field, over a candidate who simply wrote a final dissertation. If you are not a well-rounded candidate, employers will merely look the other way; despite that dissertation you slaved over and worked so hard on your final year of school.
So, if you want to gain employable skills and become an information authority on the field you are interested in, writing a dissertation is the correct path for you! But remember that it may not be enough to land that dream job; participation in student organizations and relevant experience in your field can sometimes be just as valuable toward landing your dream job with your dream company!