Helping foot the bill

It wasn’t about building my resume or making contacts. It wasn’t about learning important career skills. The job I took as a lifeguard in college wasn’t about anything as noble as my future. It was purely about the money. My lifeguarding money bought my gas, paid my phone bills, helped with rent and took me on spring break.
You, too, can work while in college. Besides getting a much-coveted paycheck, you’ll meet new people. You’ll develop relationships with faculty and professionals. And did we mention the money? “You can’t afford not to work while you’re in school, whether it compromises your free time or not,” says career counselor Peter Vogt. “College students no longer have a choice about whether they should work or not while in school. They simply must gain some work experience in school if they hope to have a realistic chance at landing their first ‘real job’ after graduation.”
The types of jobs you can find as a college student vary in pay, convenience and career impact. Here are three options to consider.
Option: work-study
What: “On campus, many departments and offices hire student workers, often using what are called ‘work-study’ funds, which are part of a student’s financial-aid package,” says Edward Reiman, associate director of financial aid at State University of New York at Geneseo.
Work-study jobs often entail clerical activities, such as answering phones and e-mails or being a receptionist. Some jobs are community-service oriented, such as tutoring elementary school students. Or you could tutor, mentor or maintian the department’s Web site. You’re not guaranteed a job just because you qualified for work-study aid. Some schools merely OK you to find your own job on campus.
How: Work-study employees are paid out of special funds that are part of their financial-aid packages. To apply for work-study, fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (www.fafsa.ed.gov). You MUST fill out your FAFSA every year—it serves as your reapplication for your work-study job. How much: At Geneseo, the average work-study student works 10 to 12 hours per week, which is based on the school’s typical work-study award of $1,500. You’ll make at least minimum wage in your work-study job. “Regulations specify that a student has to be paid the same amount any other person would earn at the same job,” Reiman says.
Option: work on campus in a non-work-study job
What: No matter how much I needed the money, work-study wasn’t factored into my financial-need package. Instead I asked the pool supervisor for a work application. There happened to be jobs available at the pool that weren’t already allotted to work-study students. A week later, I was employed.
How: Just ask. Try asking at the library, cafeteria, recreation center, student union, admissions office or your favorite departmental office about any non-work-study positions needing to be filled. How much: You’ll make at least minimum wage. Option: work off campus
What: Working off campus can mean anything from baking cream puffs to building a career. “Future employers want to know that you have a work ethic, that you do quality work, that you’re willing to work,” Vogt says. “Having any sort of job in college will allow you to prove to future employers that you are indeed employable.”
How: You can find an internship on your own or ask about opportunities from your professors, friends or your school’s career center. Look in the classified section of the paper for advertised openings, and check out bulletin boards around school for more ads.

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