Getting an On-Campus Job

       There is so much talk about how bad job market currently is in the United States. And its painfully low recovery rate has been inducing sleepless nights to people like common Americans to think-tanks and economists to President Obama. No doubt, finding a job is difficult than ever. Unemployment among teens is more than 25%, a record high in several decades. Fresh graduates are the hardest hit.

     But, make no mistake, no matter what's happening with the economy, finding an on-campus job has always been challenging. The fundamental law of economics about supply and demand could be used to easily explain this. On one hand, On-campus jobs are very limited while on the other, they are the coveted jobs among college students for a number of reasons. 

• They are not so demanding. Usually, it requires easy work such as filing, grading, shelving or checking out books compared to other manual jobs in restaurant or stores
• It saves time by cutting back on commuting. This is one of the most important factors
• Their pay is pretty competitive. Even though you could make more money working at high-paying jobs, most college jobs pay above minimum wage and because those jobs are easy, pay is competitive.
• You could expect an increase if you continue through next semester. This is almost guaranteed for an on-campus job but not elsewhere.

       Having pointed out why on-campus job is lucrative among college students, I want to talk about how to secure one even though it is always in short supply. Many colleges have two kinds of on-campus jobs:

1. Federal Work Study (FWS) (For US citizens and permanent residents)
2. Institutional (For International Students)

        Most on-campus jobs are financed through FWS but your family income has to be below a certain income bracket in order to qualify for FWS positions. Since International students are NRA (Non- Resident Aliens)- neither permanent residents nor US citizens- they have to apply for positions that are financed through institutional aid. Funds for institutional work positions are financed through university's endowment which is why they are always reluctant to allocate more institutional positions. FWS on the other hand is financed through the US government, hence taking off pressure university's funds that could be allocated elsewhere.

       The best place to start looking for on-campus jobs is through the University's Human Resources website. It lists job openings under each type, FWS or institutional. It should be noted however that some institutions do not discriminate and job positions are open to everyone, irrespective of their nationality. Of course, we are talking about Ivy League institutions and others that have huge endowments, taking a chunk of which for institutional positions makes virtually no difference.

       But, to stay competitive in search activity, it is never enough to rely on Human Resources website. Many job openings are never mentioned on its website, are entirely bypassed and students are hired through direct contact. So, it is always smart to check with department's secretary about available positions. Talking to friends and seniors is another smart way to locate jobs. Information Technology Services, Admissions, Physics Department, Mathematics Department and Athletics Department are among the leading hirers on any college/university. Never forget to check with them.

         You should also know that students pursuing a science related degree are more likely to end up with an on-campus job than their non-science degree pursuing peers. This disadvantage arises from the nature of these disciplines and imply nothing about their corresponding difficulties. Science and maths related courses often require graders which adds quite a few on-campus jobs. There are also positions for Lab TAs, unavailable for  non-science degrees. Admissions Office also hire a lot of student workers for filing paperworks, arranging applications, prospective student tours and others. So, be sure to check with them too.

        Please note that amateurishly written above article offering general advice on locating an on-campus job is based entirely on my experience with on-campus job search at Trinity University. I remained unemployed my first semester despite my best efforts in locating a job at Trinity. I talked to my friends and seniors and changed my strategy for search activity, which landed me with two jobs in second semester, one with Physics Department, another with Athletics Department. I hope it helps you too. Please feel free to add your suggestions, tricks or smart ways to locate an on-campus job at Trinity University (or elsewhere).