By Cayenne Feng
University of California, Santa Cruz
November 5, 2024
What paid positions have you held on your college campus? How did you find each job?
I currently work as an Event Assistant for my residential college and as a Disability Resource Center (DRC) notetaker for one of my lectures. I found both of these positions through my school’s job site, Handshake. I know a lot of colleges utilize Handshake as a platform to find jobs for college students both on and off campus. It was definitely useful for me in my job search, especially for on-campus jobs.
Was it difficult to manage your studies, extracurriculars, and a job? How did you juggle all of these things?
Initially, I was worried about balancing my studies, social life, and a job all in my first year at college, but I tried to find jobs that allowed me flexibility around my studies. My Event Assistant position did not have assigned hours per week, but instead let me sign up for shifts that fit into my schedule. In my role in the notetaker position, I just had to upload notes that I had taken in my lecture for other students to reference. While it is daunting and a bit of an adjustment at first, to ensure I wouldn’t be as stressed, I tried to apply to jobs that worked for me and ones that I knew would give me more flexibility for my schedule. There are also Federal Work Study jobs for eligible students that are created to help students earn money while balancing school.
What do you wish you would've known about finding a job on campus?
I wish I was more aware of hiring timelines and the employment opportunities my campus offers. I missed a few application deadlines for jobs I was interested in initially, so I wish I had been a bit more proactive in my research for campus jobs. While it did work out for me in the end, I think I would have benefited from researching information about my school’s campus jobs.
What advice do you have for students who are searching for an off-campus job?
I believe that networking and connections are really important in finding off-campus jobs, especially for something like an internship. I would advise that you take advantage of campus resources that specifically help students with finding opportunities off campus because that is a great way to begin finding connections. I would also advise you to utilize Linkedin more, if you haven’t already. It is another great starting place to make connections and get advice. Finally, I believe the most important thing in finding an off-campus job is being proactive, especially if the job market you are in is competitive. At first you may experience many rejections (don’t worry I did too), but I think the important thing is to keep trying and being consistent.
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MEET THE AUTHOR
Cayenne Feng
Cayenne is a Matriculate Student Ambassador and current student at the University of California, Santa Cruz studying Cognitive Science with a focus in HCI/AI. With goals of going into UI/UX design, she constantly seeks opportunities to expand her experiences. In high school, she sought the help of Matriculate’s High School Fellows Program to apply to her dream colleges. Now, as a Matriculate alumni, she is passionate about supporting other first-gen and low-income students on their pathways to higher education.