Student jobs on campus are the ultimate Win-Win situation. As a student you gain much needed experience, support, CASH… Faculty and staff gain much needed assistance.
What are student jobs?
Student jobs on campus range from serving as a research assistant or graphic designer or food service worker. Most student jobs are 8-15 hours a week and start at minimum wage. Some universities provide increased pay for working the same job for a second year or having supervisory duties.
Earnings from a campus job may appear on your financial award package as a “work-study award” to help reduce your out-of-pocket expenses. However this does not mean you are guaranteed a student job. You still need to apply and be hired. Pay is not necessarily applied directly to your tuition; you can determine if you want your pay checks applied to your campus bill or deposited into your bank account.
What are the benefits of working on campus?
1. Gain transferable skills.
Whether you are working in an office for your student job or on a lawn mower, you are gaining transferable skills for your future career. These skills include problem solving, customer service, communication skills and teamwork, all which serve to increase your experience working with others to accomplish a common goal.
2. Clarify your goals.
Sometimes it’s as important to discover what you don’t want to do as it is to discover your heart’s passion. For instance, a student working at a welcome desk may realize they don’t feel comfortable interacting with people all day and would prefer a job where they can work more behind the scenes.
3. Build your resume.
Look for a campus job that supports your personal interests and professional goals. A dietetics student may look for a job in food service, while a history major may be intrigued by a job in the archives. However, not all available campus jobs will meet your interests so neatly. Buildings and grounds hires many students as custodians and landscapers. Regardless of whether your campus job directly supports your career goals or not, you will be gaining transferable skills and building relationships.
4. Create connections.
Network with your supervisor and those you work with. They can serve as a mentor, a job reference and a support system. Someone to celebrate successes with you and provide encouragement during times of struggle.
5. Flexible hours/short commute.
On-campus supervisors are used to working around student schedules with classes, labs and practices. Open and honest communication is key. Your supervisor will work with you to set work hours based on your class schedule. Be sure to communicate early if/when your schedule changes.
6. Do better in school.
It sounds counter-intuitive, but adding work responsibilities to your day is shown to increase your performance in the classroom. This might be due to the additional support system, or the need to be organized and focused on time-management. Or it might be because students who take on campus jobs are more driven. Whichever, it is a good thing.
7. Walk around cash.
You’re not going to get rich on a student assistant paycheck. But it’s always good to have a little cash in your pocket for textbooks, gas, food, movies …
How to get a student job?
Your admissions counselor can point you to where to apply for a campus job. If you are already on campus, check the job board, network with professors, visit career services, ask friends and reach out to on-campus supervisors you are interested in working for.
At Bluffton University
Bluffton’s student job program is known as Learn and Earn. The expectation is that students learn much from working on campus while they earn a paycheck. Student jobs on campus are open to all students.
By Sara Kisseberth
Bluffton University web content manager
I’ve been both a student assistant, writing news releases for the Bluffton University public relations office back in the day; and a supervisor of student assistants working together to maintain the Bluffton University website. Bluffton’s public relations office heavily relies on its student writers, graphic designers, videographers and web assistants.