There are lots of advantages to getting an on-campus, as opposed to an off-campus job. Among them:
- Accessibility: You don’t need a car; getting to work is just a short walk.
- Flexibility: Your on-campus employer understands that your first priority is being a student and will usually work around your class schedule and breaks, and may give you time off for class projects or trips. Off-campus employers may not be so flexible.
- Connection: Having a job on-campus can help you adjust to life as a college student by enabling you to makeconnections with others on campusand become knowledgeable about the campus.
How do you find an on-campus position?
- Find out if you qualify for work study. Work study is a federal employment program that is awarded to students on the basis of financial need. To apply, you must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to the Federal Government. A confirmation award letterthat indicates the amount of work study for which you qualify for will be sent to you from the Federal Government. Youmust either accept or decline the award offer by using your UWRF eSIS account. The campus has a limited number of workstudy positions; therefore, getting a work study award DOES NOT guarantee that you will have an on campus job to use theamount that you were awarded. However, having a work study award can be beneficial since some departments only hirestudents who have been approved for work study.
- What if you don’t qualify for work study?Some campus departments are able to hire student employees who are not awarded work study by hiring them as a “StudentAssistants”. Both work study and student assistant generally pay students the same wage and require the same types of skills;the difference is that the positions are funded from different sources – for student assistance jobs, the department pays all of student’s wage, meanwhile for work-study jobs, the federal government pays most of the job’s wage. Some departments areable to hire both work study and student assistant positions. You can and should apply for both types of positions-if you havework study .
- When should I start looking?Start NOW. Don’t wait until classes begin, since many positions will be filled by then. For fall semester, start your job searchas early as March. If you don’t get a position in the fall, don’t give up. Departments do hire for spring semester, also. ForSpring semester, begin checking for openings in late October, as soon as you have your class schedule.
- How do I find openings? Check your campus job board. Some, though not all, on-campusjobs are posted there. Check the system daily for new jobs, or see if you can have announcements of new jobs emailed to you.
- Talk To Classmates: Do you know anyone who currently holds an on-campus job? Ask them if their department is hiring.
- Find Departments: Student Affairs, Hunt/Knowles, Food Services, and the Lab Farms hire large volumes of students eachyear and call each departmenthat you are interested in applying to. Ask who hires students for that department. A listing of the department chairs is also available at at your campus website.. You can follow-up with an email or a letter inquiring about jobopenings. Include your resume and class schedule as an attachment with the e-mail. You can then follow up with a visit tointroduce yourself when you arrive on campus.
- Visit Departments: Make a positive first impression, dress up a bit, bring your updated resume and class schedule. Locate andstop into each department you are considering. Introduce yourself to the office manager and inquire about open positions. Ifthey say they have no openings at this time, ask if they know any other offices on campus who may be hiring. Request thatthey keep your contact information and let you know if a hiring need arises in the future. If your personal contact informationchanges, be sure to stop back and provide an update.
If you don’t find employment on campus, check area resources like local newspapers, Craigslist or our Free Internet Job Finder.
