As you think about paying for college, you probably have tons of questions about jobs, like: Should I work during my college years?
Is it better to work on campus or off?
How many hours should I work? To find answers to these and other important questions, we spoke to three experts from different campuses: Jane McAfee, director of human resources at Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa Falls, Georgia; Bill Minnick, director of career development at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa; and Debbie Harp, director of career services and coordinator of leadership and community service at Cumberland College in Williamsburg, Kentucky. What should I think about as I decide whether or not to work during my first semester? Mrs. McAfee: Some students may decide to wait a semester to adjust to college life before working, but others may have to work their first semester on campus to earn spending money or even to help make school payments. Which should you do? Start by thinking about your circumstances. How many credit hours are you taking your first semester? Is academic work really challenging for you? What are your financial needs? How well do you think you'll adjust to being out on your own? There's a lot to take into consideration. What kind of on-campus jobs can I expect to find? Mrs. Harp: There are all sorts of jobs, such as office jobs, security, lab assistantships, being a tutor, maintenance, grounds keeping, cleaning services and food service. If I decide to find a job, where should I start looking? Who should I talk to? Mrs. McAfee: Some schools, like Toccoa Falls, list job opportunities on their websites. You can jump start your search by checking out those sites. You can then contact the different department heads listed on the sites and let them know you're interested in applying for the job. Mr. Minnick: Keep an eye on the Career Development office. At Northwestern, that's where we list on-campus and off-campus jobs. We also send students a form where they can check part-time jobs that they're interested in doing like babysitting or snow removal. Then when people in the community are looking to fill those jobs, I pass on the list of names so they can contact the student. If you're eligible for a work-study job (which is something you know from the Student Aid Report you received after filing your FAFSA), make sure you talk to the work-study administrator. Check with the financial aid office or the career development center to find out where to get information about on-campus jobs. I'm not quite sure what the federal work-study program is. Can you please explain it? Mr. Minnick: Work-study is a federally funded program that may be part of your financial aid package. The government provides the school with money for the job and the income the student makes is not taxed. Your financial aid form will say how many hours a week you're allowed to work under this program. If work-study is part of my financial aid award, am I guaranteed a job? Mrs. McAfee: We try hard to make jobs available for everyone, but having work study does not guarantee a position. If you start early and actively look for a job on campus, you should be able to find one. I'm panicking. I didn't qualify for work-study but I really need a job. Can I still find one on campus? Mr. Minnick: Many students who don't qualify for work-study jobs—or students who need more hours than their work-study job funds—can find other on-campus jobs. For example, our cafeteria hires students who qualify for work-study and those who don't. Mrs. McAfee: We ask our department heads to hire 50 percent work-study students. The other 50 percent of jobs are reserved for students who may not qualify for work-study. Once I find a job, how do I know if it's really the right one for me? Mrs. Harp: Obviously we want you to be comfortable, happy and feel like you're making a contribution in your job. Sometimes students have to try on many jobs. I've had some students who have switched departments every year to get different kinds of experiences. What are the advantages of working on campus? Mr. Minnick: It usually allows you to have flexible hours and to work around your class schedule. One of my student employees might call me and say they have a big test to study for and they can't come into work. I know that a test is more important than doing their work that day. So I try to work around that. I heard there are jobs on campus where you do homework. Is this really true? Mr. Minnick: It's true that some jobs do lend themselves to being able to do homework. For example, the weight room monitors sit at a desk and check student IDs. They'd probably go crazy if they didn't have something else, like homework, to do. Not all jobs are like this, though. I keep the student employees in my office pretty busy. Mrs. Harp: We always say that it's an hour's work for an hour's pay. A student shouldn't assume they can do homework while they're on the clock. You should always ask your supervisor if it's OK to do homework once you've completed your task. I'm really concerned about making ends meet. It seems like I could make more money working at a restaurant or grocery store off campus. Shouldn't I apply for those jobs instead? Mr. Minnick: When you're off campus you might make more money, but you always pay more taxes compared to a work-study job. The work-study wages, which are all on-campus jobs, are not taxed. Students can make $5.50 an hour at an on-campus job or they could make $6.50 an hour off campus, but when you factor in the time and taxes it pays less or the same. Mrs. Harp: One major disadvantage of working off campus is the transportation issue. With gas prices so high it may cost a significant amount of money to get to and from an off-campus job. What are some advantages of working off campus? Mr. Minnick: Working off campus offers a wider array of jobs. And some of them may really help a student who is focused on a particular field or career. For example, one of our students worked at a local hospital as a Certified Nurse's Aid. She earned a nursing degree, so her job really helped her career. What's a realistic number of hours to work? Mrs. Harp: I think about 15 hours a week should be the limit. I had a junior in my office who worked between 30 and 40 hours a week off campus. All those hours hurt her academically. It's OK to work full-time during the summer, but not during the school year. Any final thoughts or tips? Mrs. Harp: Working makes you a better time manager. It also helps you learn good communication skills. Your future employers will be looking for people with those skills. Mrs. McAfee: You have to be self-disciplined in college. It's easy to be working or studying and really wishing you were playing. And then the whole time you're playing it's easy to think that you should be studying or working. You need to be disciplined and plan time to work, study and play. Mr. Minnick: The one thing I would stress is to get a good foundation underneath you before you start working. Try not to bite off too much right away. Develop a schedule for your week, including study time, and stick to it. Know what your needs and limitations are, and figure out how many working hours fit into that. Copyright © 2004 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
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