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 Here's the scenario. You're back at college and constantly calling up mom or dad to hit them up for money. It's a humbling and sometimes humiliating experience, but college life can be expensive. But one day it dawns on you that you don't really need their help and finding a college job is the respectable thing to do!
Yeah, right... Forget about respect, most college students would rather party than work any day of the week. You're probably thinking about getting a job because you'd like to sneak away from that campus food a couple of nights a week.
Work Study Options at College
If you qualify, one of your options would be to enter a work study program at your college. These are jobs that pay pretty well and the money can be used help pay for your tuition or expenses. If you look at this alternative make sure you completely understand the payment arrangements.
Since these programs are usually run out of your school's financial aid office, the rules on payment can be tricky. Sometimes the money is paid directly to the student; sometimes it goes into an account where it's used to pay for college tuition. If you're looking for a job to help pay for expenses at school, then work study is the way to go. If you're looking for spending money, you might have to look elsewhere.
Finding On-Campus Jobs
Since most colleges and universities already support work study programs for financial aid purposes, they've already got a process in place that supports employing students as part of their workforce. Once that support is in place, it's natural to leverage it to put even more students to work around campus.
So finding an on campus job just takes a little legwork. Once again, pay a visit to your financial aid office and ask them for some help in finding a job at your college.
After all, college students are a bargain. They don't have a college degree - yet and these kids are pretty smart. They can easily handle jobs with a decent amount of responsibility such as helping with campus security. An inexpensive and smart workforce, it's a great combination.
Locating College Jobs
So now that we all agree that there is a mutually beneficial arrangement for students and the school, how do you go about locating these college jobs? At the top of your list should be the financial aid office to find out if they have anything to offer. At the very least, they should be able to point you in the right direction. After all, they are in an office with the name FINANCIAL AID, and that's what you need - right?
If you draw a big zero there, then the next stop on your list should be your school's career center. If you've never been there before then you're missing out on something big and that's worth the digression here.
Your career center is THE place to be. After all, you are probably going to college so you qualify for a good job after your graduate. We're going to let you in on a little secret here - large companies love to hire college students. That's because it cuts down on their recruiting costs.
It's a natural, symbiotic relationship that you need to leverage. Even if you decide that working while you're in school is not for you, make sure everyone in the career center knows your name. They know where all the hot jobs are because they're in constant communication with companies trying to fill them. That knowledge is something you need to tap into and in the working world it's called job networking.
More Resources for Finding a College Job
If you haven't found a college job at this point, either your not paying attention or you're probably ready to flunking out of school. Either way, we've got a couple more tips to help you out. We're not big on repeating advice, so you might want to take a look at two articles we've already published.
The first is called Finding a Summer Job, where you will find sound advice on how you can find work in your local community. The second is Part Time Jobs, where we discuss strategies and resources for college students considering part time employment.
Resumes for College Students
Finally, if you're finding it difficult to locate a job at college, you might want to try local businesses in the communities surrounding your college. Many of these businesses may already offer jobs to local students and are prepared to accommodate their busy schedules.
If you're thinking about applying for a job near your college, you might want to take a look at our publication on Resumes for College Students. There we provide you many helpful suggestions, including a resume format that's just perfect for college students.
About the Author - Finding College Jobs
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