Student Tips for Finding a Part-Time Job

Finding and landing a part-time job may seem as scary as a Halloween from your childhood, but it doesn’t have to be! There are many options for finding a job during the semester, whether it’s on or off campus.

For Students Seeking On-Campus Jobs

If you are looking for an on-campus job, begin your search the first week of school, even if you are just entertaining the idea of getting a job during the school year. Opportunities may arrive in the form of chalk on the sidewalks as you are walking to class, as four did for me in the first two weeks of classes. One was to check the website with a list of all on-campus jobs available, which is an invaluable tool - they were all in one place. If your campus doesn’t write ads on the sidewalks in chalk, be sure to check the bulletin boards. Among the various flyers, there may be an opportunity to work for the campus store, food service, or in your residence hall, among a lot of other opportunities posted. Additionally, if your school offers an online hub for a job search, don’t forget to check it multiple times as you are narrowing down what job you want. Some jobs disappear once they have been filled, or they won’t accept any more applications after a certain amount. Another tip is to check in with your school’s career center, who can also point you in the right direction with a friendly smile. If you have to make an appointment, don’t try to fit it in between classes in case it goes longer than planned - aim for after class, or if they have weekend hours, make an appointment then.

For Students Seeking Off-Campus Jobs

If you want to look for an off-campus job, search around and see who is hiring. Usually grocery and other stores are looking for workers during the new school year, and it can’t hurt to spend an hour looking around town for a job that could be flexible for your hours as a student. Another good place to look for an on or off campus job is an activities fair. During the first few weeks, it’s a useful place to score free items and information about all of the clubs on campus. Among all of the clubs and free candy, a few places on or off campus may have set up a booth and are eager to interact with students who are both looking for a job and looking at the company. If there aren’t any employers at the activities fair, there might be a job or career fair planned that you won’t want to miss! Whether you are looking for an on campus or off campus job, hopefully these tips will help you in your part-time job search.