Once the stress of moving into college ends, the next thing on the minds of many students is “how on earth do I get a job?” Luckily, Hope makes it easy to apply for on-campus employment, and I’m here to break the process down.
My Job
I work for Hope’s Public Affairs and Marketing department. I found the job listed on Handshake, which is where most job listings are going to be. Set the filters to look for part–time employment at Hope and you’ll find loads of potential jobs. You can also sign up to get email notifications whenever a new job is listed. If you don’t see any jobs that catch your eye on Handshake, don’t worry! Some jobs are posted on the digital screens around campus, so keep an eye on those, too.
The Application Process
I applied for my current job around mid-August, and heard back in September. I got brought in for an interview, and got a job offer the same day. However, everyone’s experience will look slightly different. Just know that sometimes it takes a little bit to hear back, so don’t give up if you don’t hear anything for a while. Also, apply to any job that appeals to you, even if you don’t meet 100% of the requirements. My job asked for a positive recommendation from a writing, business, or communications faculty member, which I did not have as an incoming freshman. So instead, I put down my high school yearbook advisor as a recommendation on my resume. Even if that hadn’t been enough, the worst that could have happened is not getting the job, so there wasn’t anything to lose by applying.
After Getting Hired
You have a job now. Great! Here are a few things to do now that you’re employed on campus:
- Sign up for direct deposit. Seriously, do it. None of my prior jobs ever had direct deposit, so getting my paycheck in my bank account without having to manually deposit it feels like magic. Plus, it’s super easy, and they give you the instructions on how to do it after you fill out the student employee paperwork.
- Sign up for digital tax forms. It’s the same deal as direct deposit. This is one thing I forgot to do this year. While it wasn’t terribly inconvenient to get it in paper form, digital is a lot better.
- Set reminders to fill out and submit your time sheet by the due date. It can be rectified if you forget, but it’s better to just remember.
If you ever have any other questions, don’t be afraid to ask someone. Your employer and fellow student employees are more than willing to help you. Student jobs are meant to be learning experiences, so nobody expects you to know everything. Good luck on the job search!