Internships and work experience are a proven method of getting your foot in the
Internships and work experience are a proven method of getting your foot in the door. —Duane Strauss, TV presenter and producer
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
- Identify typical job categories for college students
- Describe the pros and cons of working while in college
- Identify employment resources on campus and in the community
In this section, we will learn about the types of jobs college students have, the advantages and disadvantages of working during college, and resources for finding jobs.
Typical College-Student Jobs
College students can take on a range of jobs while in school, depending on their availability, experience, talents, and financial needs. For example, if a student is taking a lot of course credits in order to graduate early, he or she may not have time to work more than five hours a week. Let’s look at the types of jobs college students might have.
Work-Study Programs
Work study is part-time work that’s awarded to students as part of a financial aid package. Students can often find work study related to their areas of interest. For example, someone studying biology might have a work-study job taking inventory of lab supplies on campus. One drawback to work study is that because it’s based on financial need, students who have adequate resources for college but who want to earn extra money may not qualify.
Campus Jobs
Not all campus jobs are work-study related. Students may be able to ask their institution’s human resource director or individual campus departments to see if other work is available. For example, the office of the registrar might need help filing papers. It may also be possible to apply to become a resident adviser (RA) and get free room and board in exchange for living on campus and serving as a role model for students. Some students may prefer to seek work off-campus, instead, since they may be able to work more hours and avoid competing with other students for on-campus jobs.
Off-Campus Jobs
Students can certainly explore job opportunities in their communities. Such work might be related to a student’s field of interest—for example, a student interested in journalism might get a job writing ads for a local publication. Or it might be worth seeking a job that’s unrelated to school simply because it offers the most hours and pay. On the other hand, some may prefer on-campus jobs because their work supervisors are more respectful of their academic commitments and the need for flexible hours.
Internships
Similar to work-study opportunities, internships are usually related to a student’s area of interest. For example, a marketing student may get an internship working with a marketing director and contributing to the company’s social media campaigns. While internships can provide invaluable work experience, unfortunately it can be hard to find ones that are paid.
Summer Jobs
Students who are concerned about not having enough time to work during college may wait and find part-t