With the pressures from tuition, housing, and living costs, the student life is expensive. Finding the right job can alleviate some of the stress revolved around your finances. There are employers all throughout the city, but nothing beats a job on campus.
Georgia State offers students diverse opportunities to gain valuable experiences and earn some cash. You just have to know where to begin.
Utilizing the resources around you
The Career Services Center is a resource for students looking to broaden their horizons and secure an on campus job. Equipped with Career Counselors who are available for advisement, it provides future employees with valuable and personalized information.
“As a career counselor we help students explore their own interests and skills depending on what kind of skills they’d be doing in a particular field,” said Career Counselor Matt Henderson. “We help students choose a major and what kind of jobs might match their interests.”
Approaching the job hunt with a long term focus allows for students to get plugged into their desired field early on in the game. While building skills that can be applied to a future career this approach also provides opportunities to network with professionals.
“Connections you make will be helpful in developing network and skills. A job on campus can help develop professional skills and initiative,” Henderson said.
Initiative is an important part in getting a job. Not only is it an attribute that employers look for in candidates, but taking initiative opens up greater possibilities. Whether that means reaching out to Georgia State professionals or attending the Job Fair, pursuing your intent increases your chances of finding a job.
The Fall All Majors Fair is the next opportunity to take initiative. On Oct. 6, students will be able to meet with employers from various departments.
“Go to these fairs no matter what year you are in. Talk to professors and see what people are looking for. Seeing what’s out there is beneficial,” Henderson said. “Take initiative to suggest a new way of doing things based on what kind of skill you can contribute to the department.”
If you are unable to attend the upcoming fair, Henderson still encourages you to engage the resources and people that surround you.
“Don’t just explore online but go out and meet people who work in an industry you’d like to get into. Work through your professors and classmates because that’s your current network,” he said.
Resident Assistants at Patton Hall
As told by Jake Durham, Managerial Science Major, Junior
One of the most sought after positions on campus is Resident Assistant. The accountability is high and there is no clocking out.
Responsibilities
We have to do six programs a semester for residents, but our big responsibility is to create community throughout all of campus housing. So just get people together, make their experience great in housing.
The flip side is that we have to enforce university policy, so we’re on duty a few times a month. Being on duty means doing rounds of the building and making sure people are maintaining the quiet hours and all the policies about drugs and alcohol and that everyone has a comfortable living environment.
Challenges
For me I would say the hardest part is learning how to balance being a sense of authority as well as welcoming friend. You want your residents to want to come up to you and talk about everything. You want to really build that bond with them, but when you have to enforce [policies], that can kind of scare them away.
Benefits
It’s fulfilling to know that you’ve really impacted a resident’s life as far as what their direction might be in college. If we’ve helped create what you really like to do or helped you find your purpose, that’s kind of a big deal.
Jobs on Campus as told by Other Students
Resident Assistants at Patton Hall
As told by Jake Durham, Managerial Science Major, Junior
One of the most sought after positions on campus is Resident Assistant. The accountability is high and there is no clocking out.
Responsibilities
We have to do six programs a semester for residents, but our big responsibility is to create community throughout all of campus housing. So just get people together, make their experience great in housing.
The flip side is that we have to enforce university policy, so we’re on duty a few times a month. Being on duty means doing rounds of the building and making sure people are maintaining the quiet hours and all the policies about drugs and alcohol and that everyone has a comfortable living environment.
Challenges
For me I would say the hardest part is learning how to balance being a sense of authority as well as welcoming friend. You want your residents to want to come up to you and talk about everything. You want to really build that bond with them, but when you have to enforce [policies], that can kind of scare them away.
Benefits
It’s fulfilling to know that you’ve really impacted a resident’s life as far as what their direction might be in college. If we’ve helped create what you really like to do or helped you find your purpose, that’s kind of a big deal.
Textbook Advisor & Sales Associate at the University Bookstore
As told by Taylor Lindsay, Exercise Science Major, Junior
Working to provide students with the resources that we [the students] need are the University Bookstore staff.
Responsibilities
I help with customer service. I sometimes order books that we need. I shelve the books and bring them up from shipping when they come in.
Challenges
The rush during the first two weeks of school is crazy. Everybody is coming in at the same time and that’s probably the hardest part just because everything gets so busy. People sometimes get upset but not too much. It’s just the volume of people and trying to keep everybody calm. Like getting the right books and that sort of thing can get kind of stressful.
Benefits
Meeting people on campus is cool. I’ve met a lot of people who just come into the bookstore as I’m helping them out. You also get work experience while doing something different. A lot of times you’re not going to work in a bookstore, so that’s kind of cool too.
