Working on Campus: More than Just Serving Food

Let’s face it – working and going to school is never going to be a fun combination.  With most jobs, you’ll have to worry about conflicts.  For example, you may need to study for your final or write that huge research project on the same weekend you’re scheduled to work a double shift.  Or you may have to deal with employers who say they will work around your class schedule only to find out too late they didn’t really mean it.

Working on your college campus, however, can help alleviate some of the problems.  Because most of the jobs will be done through your college, you know they will be eager to work with your schedule.  However, many students think working on campus means slinging food onto a tray.

The goods news is that working on campus doesn’t mean a four year stint in the food industry.  There are plenty of other options – many of which will help give you experience for your future career.

Here are some jobs to look into:

• Working in the Offices – All colleges have offices – admissions, financial aid, liberal arts, etc.  And all of these offices have one thing in common:  they need friendly faces that can answer questions, do some typing and filing, and maybe answer telephones.  Students are perfect for these jobs.
• PC Help – Most colleges and universities have a number of computer labs on campus, but these labs need supervision so the equipment isn’t stolen or misused and in case students run into problems.  The jobs usually require someone with a basic knowledge of computers and someone who doesn’t mind sitting at a computer for a few hours at a time.
• RAs – RA stands for Resident Assistant.  These are students who live on-campus and agree to be available for students living in the dorms.  For example, if a student has a complaint about a party, he or she would come to you and you’d have to take care of it.  It may be a thankless job but in return colleges usually pay some or all of the costs of your room.  That could leave you plenty of extra money.
• Newspaper Staff – Although many college newspapers are run by journalism students who don’t get paid, some positions are different.  For example, our newspaper recently hired a student to be in charge of advertising.  The student earned $30 per issue (it was a weekly newspaper), plus a percentage of all the ad sales he or she made.  While the money wasn’t great, the job would be great preparation for a future in advertising, sales, or business.
• Tutors – More colleges are realizing that students need a little extra help sometimes – maybe with checking their grammar on a paper, maybe with working a few algebra problems, or even with preparing to re-take an important standardized test.  That’s why colleges are hiring students as tutors.  To be a tutor, you usually need to be strong in your specific subject area.  You may also need to go through training.  If you like your subject and people, then it’s a great job.  Plus, you can use the down-time to work on your own homework.

These are just some of the non-food related positions available on most college campuses.  If you’re not sure what’s available, pay a visit to Career Services or check out your college’s Human Resources page.  You’ll undoubtedly find more than “burger flipper wanted.”