Towards the end of my freshman year of college, I had experienced an entire two semesters of exploring various academic fields, finding my place on campus through clubs and activities, and living on my own by my own schedule. What I had not yet experienced, however, was a heavier sense of responsibility nor the joy of giving back to a campus that had molded me into a more mature version of myself only within nine months: the kinds of experiences only possible through maintaining a job.
So, upon exploring various part-time job options available to me the following fall, I applied for a position as a Student Development Officer through Bucknell’s Student Calling Program. When I first came across the offer, I was instantly reminded of the countless phone calls my own parents had received from their alma maters throughout my childhood—phone calls that they immediately hung up on, complaining that ‘These universities already have enough money!’ Put off by the idea that my holding this position would be an unpopular decision amongst my family members and potential phone call recipients alike, I was nervous to pursue a controversial job where my efforts may not be perceived in a good light by all. Nevertheless, I reminded myself that at the end of the day, the bottom line was that holding an on-campus position would give me the opportunity to cultivate a work/life balance while still in college, and so, I decided to apply. In the time since starting my role as an SDO in August of 2022, here are the three greatest takeaways I have gained and lessons I have learned.
- Workplace Skills & The Importance of Time Management
First and foremost, the most obvious benefit of holding an on-campus job is, not surprisingly, the opportunity to obtain and enhance professional competency. As a college student, half of the reason for my being here at Bucknell is to develop abilities and strategies that will help me succeed in the workforce post-graduation. Of course I am also enrolled out of genuine curiosity to learn about the world and explore my deepest interests, but like many students, a large portion of my decision to attend Bucknell was the chance to cultivate expertise that will carry me well into the future of my potential career. Thus, it only makes sense that I take advantage of the resources available to me by getting involved in work opportunities and learning how the workplace functions prior to my adult life. What is more, partaking in a professional environment provides familiarity with the expectations of employers, and in keeping up with these expectations, one is bound to pick up personal soft skills such as time management, along the way. To sum up, in my own experience, having the chance to experience what a professional setting is like while still being a student has enabled me to think more critically about where I allocate my time and energy, as well as what aspects of my life are deserving of my efforts, thus enabling me to learn the importance of separating work for school and social life in order to maintain harmony in all that I do.
- Perspective On the College Experience
While the ability to pick up more tangible life skills such as a work-life balance and time management may be the more evident reason to pursue an on-campus job, there are various unspoken benefits to student employment, one of which is the prospect of discovering a newfound outlook on the meaning of college and the college experience. Many people associate college with studying diverse topics, participating in clubs and activities, and partying on the weekends, but working a job is rarely a part of that vision. Personally, I too had not previously considered work to be a vital part of my internal definition of college, so I decided to challenge my notion of what a “normal” college experience is by becoming an SDO. Now that I am on the other side of this belief, I can attest to the fact that incorporating work into the scope of my college life has given me a different point of view on what constitutes college than I previously had, as I have come to see that including work into my already-established spheres of academics, extracurricular activities, and social life enables me a healthier and more well-rounded college experience.
- Self-Awareness and Knowledge
In a similar light to the reason listed above, the final key advantage to working an on-campus job is that having the responsibility of holding a job can bring a person closer to him or herself, as the weight of accountability breeds introspection and reflection. For me, I noticed that once I added an additional task to my plate, I became more cognizant of my day-to-day routine, activities, and habits in order to balance all my to-do’s, as well as became more present and attentive to my duties on the job. What is more, my inclination to remain introverted and my initial fear of cold-calling both faded once I became more familiar with my role. Before I knew it, I had begun to let go of my worries over how holding this position would cause others to perceive me, as I realized that my own internal desire to do this for me far outweighed any possible opinion others might have on what I do. All in all, taking on a position—while a seemingly minimal undertaking—is a step up in the direction of living a truly and fully independent adult life; thankfully, one of those milestones along the way is an increased sense of mindfulness that eventually leads to a greater appreciation not just for the opportunities available at hand, but for what your university has done for you in particular.
Since part-time positions—whether they be a campus tour guide, teaching assistant, or SDO—are available at our fingertips as college students, I encourage anybody and everybody considering the possibility of taking up a job to follow through and discover a new way of understanding what it means to be a college student!