Does Work Experience Help for SLP Grad School Apps?

[hopefulslp2b!]

Hi all!

 

This is my first post on here so hopefully I am posting in the correct place. 

 

I am in the process of applying to grad school for Speech Language Pathology for the Fall 2020 cycle. Needless to say, I am SO nervous!! I've taken the GRE (154V, 141Q, 5 W), and am planning on retaking this month to hopefully bolster those scores a bit. I'm an out of field applicant but completed a leveling program last year and have spent this year volunteering to hopefully get some more experience to add to my resume.

 

My main question for anyone out there: does work experience help with SLP grad school applications at all?

 

I currently work in an unrelated field jut to make money to pay the bills, but I recently got a job interview for a position as a Behavior Interventionist at a nonprofit that for young adults with Autism. The pay cut would be...severe, honestly. But I am willing to do whatever it takes to be the best applicant I can be so I can get into a grad school for SLP. I'm just not sure if your work experience actually helps you stand out in the application process. 

 

Does anyone have any experience with this?

 

Thank you so much in advance for your help!! ?