Navigating Job Opportunities for University Students

Student employment is an integral part of the educational and professional development of university students. Working while in college not only helps students finance their education, it also assists in developing essential job and life-long learning skills, and provides opportunities to network and connect with faculty, staff, and fellow students who can help with the transition to life at the university. This article explores the various avenues available to university students seeking employment, encompassing on-campus jobs, federal programs, and online platforms.

On-Campus Employment

Many universities offer a plethora of job opportunities within their campus grounds. These positions are often designed to be student-friendly, with flexible hours that accommodate academic schedules.

University Departments

Each university department manages its own hiring. If you are interested in working in a certain department, contact that department directly to learn about potential opportunities.

Examples of on-campus jobs:

Academic Achievement Center: Employs students as undergraduate tutors, undergraduate office staff, and graduate assistants.
Animal Sciences: Employs students for Call Hall Dairy Bar, 17 labs and 10 research units.
Bramlage Coliseum: Hires students as ushers, ticket takers, security staff, clean-up workers, and stage hands.
Department of Agronomy: Hires student employees (lab workers, mowing, painting, and field work).
Facilities: Employs students for moving, hauling, and grounds.
Hale Library: Has positions for general clerical, patron service, computer support, shelving books and reference support.
Information Technology Services: Employs students as office assistants, help desk staff, application developers, and other technology positions.
K-State Student Union: Employs students for Chick-fil-A, Student Creative Services, Student Programs and Involvement, Building Operations, and many other units housed within the Union.

Human Resources

The Department of Human Resources advertises undergraduate and graduate student assistant positions, both on-campus and off-campus. These student positions are compensated on an hourly basis, with payments made via direct deposit for the student’s personal use.

Financial Aid and Graduate School

For opportunities related to educational expenses, it is recommended to contact the Financial Aid office to explore Work Study options or contacting the Graduate School for Graduate Assistantships.

Read also: Undergraduate Research at CU

Campus Job Fairs

Human Resources and the SGA partnered together in hosting job fairs. These job fairs are an excellent way for students to connect with potential on-campus employers.

Handshake

Find openings on-campus and in the community by activating your Handshake account.

Federal Government Opportunities

The U.S. Federal Government offers numerous programs designed to provide students with valuable work experience and potential career paths.

Department of Labor (DOL)

The Department of Labor (DOL) works collectively to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States, improve working conditions, advance opportunities for profitable employment, assure work-related benefits and rights, and much more. Students can review the Federal Occupations by College Major and How to Turn Your Education and Experience into a Career with DOL to help them determine what Federal Occupations correlate to their education. Students can also find their federal career fit by taking the USAJOBS Career Explorer quiz.

Pathways Programs

The Department of Labor (DOL) is seeking bright, innovative, and results-oriented individuals to join our Pathways Internship Program. As an Intern, students will have the opportunity to gain valuable on-the-job training and experience related to their field while pursuing their education. Internship can be seasonal (spring, summer, fall or year round). At the successful conclusion of this program, students may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a Federal career or career conditional position. Interns may work full-time or part-time schedules. Ideal candidates for DOL internships are individuals pursing undergraduate or graduate degree programs in various fields (e.g. business administration, management, economics, public policy, political science, international relations studies, accounting, financial management, medical, information technology/information systems, human resource management, pre-law and law.) Candidates will be considered on the basis of the applicability of their education and experience.

Read also: Your Career at Baylor University

The Recent Graduates Program

The Recent Graduates Program provides developmental experiences in the Federal Government. It is intended to promote possible careers in the civil service to individuals who, within the previous two years, graduated from qualifying educational institutions with an associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree as well as certificate from qualifying educational institutions. To be eligible, applicants must apply within the previous two years of degree or certificate completion except for veterans precluded from doing so due to their military service obligation, who will have up to six years after degree or certificate completion to apply. Exclusive job postings are stored within USAJobs but do not appear in USAJobs searches.

Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP)

The program connects public and private sector employers with highly motivated college students and recent graduates with disabilities who are eager to show their abilities in the workforce. DOL may use WRP to fill temporary and full-time positions in a variety of fields. If interested, inquire with your school's disability services or career services coordinator.

Student Volunteer Program

The Department of Labor (DOL) has a student volunteer program that offers students an opportunity to experience and support our important mission to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights. The programs are generally 8 to 10 weeks, and the work schedules are flexible. The program exposes students to DOL leadership and other officials. Ideal candidates for DOL student volunteers are individuals pursuing undergraduate or graduate degree programs in various fields. Participating student volunteers must receive course credit, credit towards graduation, or financial aid equivalent to $15.00 per hour, or the minimum wage rate for the geographic area in which the work will be performed, whichever is higher. Positions may be full or part time, and in a variety of fields.

Post-Secondary Student Hiring Authority

The Post-Secondary Student hiring authority is for students currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program at a four-year college/university or graduate school. This authority allows an agency to non-competitively appoint a post-secondary student who is enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an institution of higher education and pursuing a baccalaureate or graduate degree on at least a part-time basis to a temporary or term position at or below the GS-11 level. Appointments made under this hiring authority may convert a post-secondary student to a permanent appointment in the competitive service, within that same agency, without further competition if the student has completed the course of study leading to a baccalaureate or graduate degree and meets the qualification standards for the position to which converted.

College Graduate Hiring Authority:

The College Graduate hiring authority is for recent college and graduate students who completed their degrees within the past two years.

Read also: OU Careers: A Guide

Online Job Platforms

Several online platforms specialize in connecting students and recent graduates with potential employers.

WayUp

WayUp is a platform committed to connecting users to as many job offerings as they can find. Companies want to meet students, and WayUp helps students get hired in just a few clicks.

Here’s how it works:

Tell WayUp about yourself by creating a free profile to showcase your best self and get discovered by top employers.
Get applying. WayUp’s job matchmaker will show you jobs that match your vibe and interests. Search by company, industry, or location to find your perfect fit. WayUp also provides tons of tips and resources to guide students.

User testimonials:

"WayUp constantly has great job postings and recruiters working on your side. Furthermore, many employers reach out to you directly in order to gauge interest in a position, and every now and again, an offer to apply hits my inbox that I am so excited at the thought of applying!"
"WayUp is a great platform. I feel like you’re really committed to connecting users such as myself to as many job offerings as you can find. And you have wonderful employers that are reaching out every day trying to connect"
"I’ve never used a platform like WayUp before to apply for roles. I was pleasantly surprised by how simple the process was! Also, it felt a lot less intimidating and was less hassle than your traditional college career fair. I also really like the fact that WayUp recommends jobs to apply for that are aligned with your interests and previous experience."

Balancing Work and Academics

The multiple demands of classes, activities, and work can be stressful. It’s crucial to find a balance that allows students to excel academically while gaining valuable work experience.

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