Contact Your College For an On-Campus Job.

There are distinct advantages to working on campus.  For instance, transportation is never an issue and on-campus employers are flexible with work schedules because they know school is your priority (employers know you have tests and final exams and that your schedule will change from one semester to the next).

Research on-campus jobs for the coming semester.  Go to your college’s website and search for “student employment.”  On-campus student jobs should be posted online 1-to-3 weeks before the start of the fall semester. 

When you’re searching online, if you find a job you’re interested in, see if there is contact information and call the contact person.  Express your interest in the job and ask if you can interview for it when you arrive on campus.  Ask if you can e-mail your résumé to the contact person.

Despite the minimum wage (or slightly higher) for on-campus jobs (including Federal Work Study), the NETWORKING or “meeting people” aspect of jobs is the most significant value to working on campus.  For instance, you may get a job in your college’s financial aid office and learn about a new scholarship.  As a result, you may be one of the few students that apply for this scholarship because no one else knew about it.  Or, you may work in the office of the Dean of Admission or University President and when you need a letter of recommendation for graduate school or a job, the Dean or President should provide you with a very valuable recommendation because they know you and work ethic very well.

If you work off-campus, you should find a job near campus for ease of walking or driving to work.  Take into consideration whether an off-campus job is located in a safe part of town before you accept employment.