Greetings and salutations!
Jobs for college students... It's a pretty big topic. More recently, I have had a few friends and acquaintances looking for jobs, whether it be just for personal expenditures, or perhaps that they needed something to fill in the gap of time they have throughout their weekly routine. Whether it be in retail, the food industry, or perhaps at your University, there are plentiful opportunities around (mostly determined by the season also). Today I will be going over some recommendations in what I have personally worked with or seen, and can give some of my experiences as well!
Food Industry
First and foremost, the best experiences I have ever had were when I was working in the food industry. For this matter in particular, I am not talking about McDonalds, or Wendys, or really any fast food chain, but rather I am talking about the restaurant style environments, or those that you would go to sit down at eat at. This could include places such as Joe's Crab Shack, Applebees, or even perhaps Dennys. With places like these, there are plentiful opportunities of work, and the experiences could make it worth it as well. Whether you are working as a chef, or a server, or even a dishwasher, you are introduced into an environment where coordination and communication is key. You learn valuable skills in terms of time management and communication, all the while you could potentially work with customers to deliver a great experience. The better you do, the better it will go overall, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt, that working in a restaurant has been one of the greatest jobs I have ever had.
Secretary Work/Help Desk/Student Support
This feels like a vague term for a large line of work, but for what it's worth, it could still be a rewarding experience. If you excel in a particular skill, which would most likely be customer service or communications, it would be worth looking into a company or so that would need someone to be able to stand at the front lines of the establishment to greet people or direct them where to go. This could be involved in the universities as well, as there could be the student support desk, or perhaps acting tour guides as well, like we have here at UAT. Generally your university will have a couple opportunities across campus, and having the ability to work around our schedules is something that can't be beat!
These are just two, but I can go into more of them at a later date as well!
Over the course of my time as a student through high school and college, I've had the opportunity to possess four jobs. The first two I had available were in the food industry, working in restaurants through my sophomore to senior year in high school. It was there that I started off as a dishwasher/busboy for my initial month(s), but eventually made my way up to server once I showed my capabilities as a worker. It was there that I learned many valuable skills, such as customer service, food preparation, and the value of hard work. When I left home for college, I eventually started working here at the university as a Student Ambassador, where you will find us manning the front lines with giving tours, talking with perspective students, and keeping up with daily matters here at UAT! More recently however, I have landed into my career with working in Information Technology and Assurance, serving as active IT manager for a company back at home that I work with on the breaks.
There's plenty of opportunity all around, and the main key points I can offer are:
- Find your self worth. Know what you are capable of, and know what skills you have, that way you can gauge your worth to whatever company you go for, and can be confident in those interviews. Don't let anyone sell yourself short.
- Be humble but confident. They need the help, you have the skillset. You may be great at what you do, but don't try to come off as that too much.
- Be a team player. Being able to coordinate with your superiors and your coworkers is a must in almost any field.
- Find the job you would enjoy working with. Try to avoid doing something that you will dread waking up in the morning to go and do. If you have a job you enjoy, then each day will fly by like it's nothing at all.
Finding a job could potentially be a daunting endeavor, but with a little bit of luck, I'm sure you'll be able to find whatever it is you're looking for your job search for your time as a student!
Until next time,
-Nicholas "TAE"
