Many students work while they’re attending college—either to pay for tuition and room and board, or for some extra spending cash. Regardless of why you’re working during your time in college, you’ll have to think about where you want to apply for jobs. And one of the best places to start looking for jobs is close to home: on campus.
Benefits
One of the most significant benefits of working on campus is the convenience.
Instead of going straight from class to your car to drive to work, you can go back to your dorm, grab something to eat, and then walk to work. It’ll save you time, gas money, and some stress, all of which are in high demand during college years.
Being able to walk to and from work in a matter of minutes is a huge plus.
Another great advantage of working on campus is that your employer—be it the library, the development office, the mail room, or the cafeteria—is likely to be very understanding of your schedule as a student. They know that every semester brings new class hours, and that finals weeks are really hard on students.
Shifts are often very short and at convenient times of the day. They can also usually be switched around fairly easily to accommodate the needs of different students. This is often not the case in off-campus jobs, which don’t usually offer nearly as much flexibility.
Salary
While wages at on-campus jobs are often below those at off-campus jobs, it’s not usually by much. You might even find that you earn more, depending on your position and how long you’ve been there.
Many schools allow students to advance through the ranks fairly quickly if they want to and there’s space available, so keep your eye out for opportunities.
Just remember that increased pay means increased responsibility and almost always an increased time commitment. You’ll just have to decide if it’s worth it and if you can handle it at that time.
So working on campus sounds great, right? Now how do you go about finding a job?
Most schools have an employment section on their website, and that’s a good place to start. You can also talk to your career development center or just walk around campus and watch for flyers advertising openings.
Libraries, phone centers, mailrooms, cafeterias, sanitation departments, public safety offices, and a host of secretarial positions need filling, so you should be able to find something if you start looking quickly.
Just know that many other students will be looking as well!