I know that hunting for a student job isn’t exactly the same as hunting for a “real” job, but if you’re a junior or senior about to enter the workforce, then check out the One Page Job Hunting Guide (pdf) . The source of this guide is Chris Russell of Secrets of the Job Hunt. Check that out too if you get a chance!
And, as always, check out PSU Student Jobs — your source for finding student jobs at Penn State.
Today I interviewed a female student who has an on-campus job on the details regarding her job and how she landed it. I don’t want to include a name to protect her from google search results during her REAL job search (important!), but I think the message gets across even without it. Enjoy.
1. Where do you work and what is your position (or title)?
I work at the id+ Office. My title is Marketing Intern for the LionCash+ program.2. How long have you been working here?
Since March 20083. How did you find this job?
I found it through Smeal’s career website- Symplicity. There was a job posting and I submitted my resume online.4. Does it relate to your major? Explain.
It relates to my major in many ways. I get a lot of sales experience dealing with merchants and businesses in the area when I meet with owners and managers to discuss LionCash+ in their store. I also get to plan and organize LionCash+ promotions and do some of the graphic design for different projects. I am also going to get experience with online marketing when our Facebook campaign kicks off later this semester.5. Is the scheduling part time and student friendly (flexible, not forced to work weekends, etc)?
It’s very flexible. My boss understands that school comes first and we are allowed to make our own schedule at the beginning of the semester around our classes. We do not work weekends – we work during the week between the hours of 8 – 5:30.6. How long have you worked here?
I’ve been an intern since March 2008.
As always, if you’re looking for a Penn State Student Job, check out what’s available by clicking the hyperlink.
Just a quick post to say that I have posted a few flyers around campus advertising the PSU student jobs board with little tearoff sheets at the bottom of each flyer, and every time I walk by, more and more of those little tearoffs are gone. This means lots of Penn State Students are searching for employment, they just need to know where to find jobs.
Also, if you’re interested, I did a post today at PSU Alumni Network talking about the deep freeze at Penn State as well as a brief summary of this blog and the job board.
For the next two months, anyone that posts on the Penn State Student Jobs website will also receive a free blog post about their job. I will be blogging about the jobs on this web site as well as directing traffic to the employer’s posts. Other ideas for future blog posts include interviewing students with cool jobs, recommending resources for summer internships and full time jobs, and interviewing tips.
Speaking of interviewing tips, check out Cocktail Thursday, which has interviewing horror stories…don’t become the subject of one of these stories! Learn what not to do in interviews.
Stay tuned!
How much money can I make at a typical student job?
I wouldn’t expect much; but in a workplace that allows flexible scheduling, part-time hours, a casual dress code, and time to do homework, one can’t really complain. Many student jobs are desk based, anything from working at the library or swiping cards at the gym. The federal minimum wage is currently $6.55 per hour until July 24, 2009, when it raises to $7.25. I would expect anything from $7-8.50 an hour an “average” figure for student jobs at Penn State.
The Daily Collegian recently did a couple of stories chronicling the evenings of downtown delivery drivers. Are you thinking about a delivery job? There is certainly money to be made off of tips, but late night hours are a very real aspect of the job. Check out the Daily Collegian’s stories here :http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2008/09/02/drivers_rely_on_tips_to_fuel_c.aspx
and here: http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2008/09/02/local_drivers_conquer_college.aspx.
On average, Penn State students should expect to make a dollar or two above minimum wage for their student job. At 10-20 hours a week ,it’s enough to cover grocery money and still have a bit of ‘fun’ money, or textbook money (whichever way you want to look at it), left over. Not too bad of a deal.
If you are a college student or have ever been one, you will know just how much each week varies. Some weeks are wide open, with only classes and work on your schedule, and other weeks are full of meetings, interviews, and exams on top of everything else. At my job, we schedule at the beginning of each semester and pick our shifts. I typically work the morning shift and head to class afterward: I like to have my evenings free. However, I am the oddball: the majority of my co-workers like to work at night after their classes. Hey, at least I don’t have to battle for shifts!
When I first landed at job at Penn State, I was unsure about how many hours to take on. My major is not as time intensive as others, so about 12-15 hours a week seems to work for me. There are others at my job that work as little as 4 hours a week, and some people work over 20. It’s really about what you can handle with the workload of your major. Don’t forget to factor in if you will have time to do homework on the job: this will make a big difference in the amount of hours you can take on.
For additional tips, check out Collegeboard’s 11 Time Management Tips.
As fun as it would be to bar tend or wait tables, don’t forget that there are an abundance of jobs in and around State College that could relate to your major. If you put forth the effort to score one of these jobs, you will be rewarded with (most likely) better pay as well as awesome experience for the resume.
Another bonus I have found with the more professional jobs are little/no weekend hours and not being forced to work during football games. For example, I am an IST (information sciences and technology) student and I work for PSU’s Information Technology Services at a computer helpdesk. I do get some opportunity to get homework done at work and the experience I have gained there is invaluable.
I found my job though this webpage provided by ITS:
http://its.psu.edu/employment/
There are plenty of off campus jobs that would also provide professional experience. Are you a HRIM major? Work in a local hotel. Need medical experience? Call local physical therapist’s offices and see if they are hiring part time. The benefit is worth the job search effort, and many local businesses are happy to help out Penn State students looking for practical experience in the workforce.
When I first arrived at Penn State in Summer 2006, I had no idea where to begin looking for a job. There is only so long a student can last on money from mom and dad, and at some point, a job must be found. There are a few resources that PSU has online, however they are rarely updated.
Here are a couple University-based resources:
http://www.psu.edu/studentaid/aidprog/wage.shtml?reload
http://www.foodservices.psu.edu/student_employment/
This website explains how to check for work-study jobs on eLion.
http://www.psu.edu/studentaid/aidprog/workstudy_jobs.shtml?reload
If you would prefer to work off campus, check out the Collegian classifieds:
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/classads/
As far as I know, this is the *only* resource for off campus jobs. I don’t know about you, but I read the Daily Collegian online only. Therefore, I never even gaze at the classifieds. Up until now, your best shot at getting an off campus job was to run around downtown and fill out applications.
There has to be an easier way. There IS an easier way. Check out http://www.psustudentjobs.com to apply for student jobs online.
