Unless you plan to beg, borrow, and steal your way through school, chances are you are going to find a job at some point in your college career. The search for legal and gainful campus employment can be a challenging one, but textbooks, course packets, and kegs do not buy themselves, my friend. There are jobs for students out there if you look early and hard enough.



Before you hit the pavement, you need to decide whether or not you really want a job your first semester freshman year. Between academics, activities, and meeting a slew of new people, taking a regular job might mean sacrificing some important aspects of your first year. You might want to wait until second semester freshman year to start looking a job; a lot of campus jobs actually open up second term.

If you are a work-study student, there are probably several campus jobs designated as federal work-study jobs, meaning the government pays a percentage of your salary. As a work-study student, you probably need to have a regular term-time job first semester, so start looking as soon as you arrive on campus. Begin your job search late and you may end up serving vegan shepherd's pie in the dining halls. If your school has a student employment office, check it for job positions or listings. Your school may also have a World Wide Web site where campus employers can post job descriptions or announcements around campus, and follow them up with a phone call or visit promptly. Since most office and library jobs on campus do not require specialized skills, applicants often do not have to submit resumes, and are hired on the basis of an informal interview. Many employers fill spots on modified first-come, first-serve basis, so it is important to start your job-hunt early.

Depending on how much money you need to contribute to your teaching books and personal expenses, you will have to figure out what kind of job best suits your needs. You may need a steady campus job with regular weekly hours. On the other hand, you may need only to give your cash flow the occasional jump-start. Here are some of the most common types of campus jobs.

Steady Jobs

1. The Library

Library jobs are good because the hours tend to be flexible; librarians usually hire a large number of students to cover the many hours that they are open, and you are bound to find hours that work into your schedule. Working in the library generally entails shelving books, manning the circulation desks, or keeping watch at the exits for deranged book thieves trying to slip Hegel down their pants.

2. The Office job

Administrative offices and academic departments often hire students to do clerical work such as typing, filing, and running errands. These jobs tend to be pretty menial but if you do not mind paper cuts and need to work a lot of hours, they are not too bad. If you are applying for office jobs, keep your eye out for interesting prospects like the admissions office. Also, if you have computer skills and your office job requires extensive computer work, you may be eligible for a higher wage.

3. The Lab job

If you are interested in the sciences or just like cutting up rats, the lab may be the place for you. Chemistry, biology, and physics professors often hire undergraduates to help with their research. Do not get too excited; you would not be splicing DNA but washing test tubes. There is a plus side to lab jobs, though eventually you probably will get to contribute to interesting research. And working for a professor in a lab job can open up opportunities for summer research or future academic projects. Most technical lab jobs are paid; if you are doing more advanced work, you might receive school credits instead.

Quick cash, low commitment

4. Escort services

Some schools hire students, usually on a floating or rotating basis, to walk a student patrol and respond to calls for campus escorts after dark. These jobs offer pretty good money for just one evening of cruising campus in an ugly orange vest.

5. Tutoring

Find out if your school has paid peer-tutoring programs. If you have special expertise in some subject, you may be able to keep a classmate's grades out of the crapper while lining your wallet.

6. Babysitting

Professors have kids too, and those kids need their diapers changed. Sure, it is not the most glam job in the world, but it does mean fast cash and minimal commitment.

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