If you are anything like me, the first thing you did after you got your college acceptance letters was check to see how much financial aid the colleges gave you. When I opened my letter from PC, I was excited to see that I had received work-study. Silly me, I thought this meant that I was guaranteed a job when I got to campus. That, however, is not the case. If they say you have work-study on your financial aid letter it means you qualify for it; it doesn’t mean you will actually receive it. This is because there are simply too many students who qualify for work-study to give them all jobs. This makes actually getting a job on campus extremely difficult.
To help people who are trying to find a job I thought I’d share the following tips:
- Make Connections-Sometimes the only way to get a job on this campus is if you have connections. Become familiar with your professors because if they need a TA or someone to do research for them, they are going to think of the students they know personally first. Also, ask your friends what jobs they have on campus and if their offices are hiring. Having a connection with someone already working in the office really helps in an interview because it gives you something to talk about, and your friend will talk you up to the boss.
- Meet Face-to-Face– Make an effort to go into the office where you applied and introduce yourself. This is one of the most important things you can do if you apply for a job online. So many people end up applying for jobs online that many offices only consider those who have made the extra effort of coming in and meeting with them. If you aren’t able to go and meet them, at least make the effort of calling in and asking about the position you are applying for.
- Make a Resume-Even if the job application doesn’t require this, it will show the employer that you care about the job and are making an effort to get it. If you submit the resume online with your job application, print one out too and bring it into to the interview. It will make you look organized before the interview even begins.
- Dress Up-This may seem obvious, but some people think that because they’re only applying to be a door-monitor or a campus escort that it doesn’t really matter. It does. It makes you stand out from your competition and shows once again that you care about the interview and the job.
- Follow-up- After your interview, email your interviewer thanking them for their time and expressing how lovely it was to meet with them. This kind of consideration will impress them, as well as keep you on their minds when they’re making the final decision.
These steps won’t guarantee a job, but they will significantly raise your chances. I know, since they helped me get the job of Recycling Assistant at the Office of Environmental Health and Safety.