Find Fall’s Cash Flow Now!

It’s Never too Soon to Start Your Job Search.
If you’re entering college in the fall, chances are there are going to be many changes to your lifestyle. One of them doesn’t have to be your spending money income. If you like the freedom and cash that comes along with working while in school, you’re in luck. There are many ways in which students such as you can earn a living while getting an education.

If you have applied for financial aid, part of your package may include a work-study program. The Federal Work-Study Program provides jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses. The program encourages community service work or work related to your course of study.

Your federal work-study salary will be the current federal minimum wage, but it could be higher depending on the type of work you do and the skill requirement. Your total federal work-study awards depend on when you apply, your level of need, and the funding level of your school.

Federal work-study jobs can either be on- or off-campus. If you work on campus, you'll usually work for your school. If you work off-campus, your employer will generally be a private non-profit organization or a public agency and the work performed must be in the public interest.

Some schools have agreements with private for-profit employers for federal work-study jobs, which must be judged to be relevant to your course of study. The quantity of hours you can work are limited. The amount you earn cannot exceed your total work-study award. When assigning work hours, your employer or financial aid administrator will consider your class schedule and your academic progress.

Another option would be to look for a job either on- or off-campus on your own. The advantages to this would be that you may get paid higher than minimum wage (if you serve tables, the tips could really add up!) and you may have more work choices for what you’d like to do.

The down side to working off campus is that some positions may require that you work full time. Even jobs that want part-timers can still turn on the pressure. If the company or business only has openings for nights and weekend, that could put a damper on your studying time—and social life.

You should start now to plan for a non-work study job in the fall. If you know where you’re headed for school, there are several steps you should take now to ensure your future cash flow.

1. Get a subscription to your college or university’s campus paper. Most area business will run its job openings in the classified section. Checking the paper weekly can give you a jump-start on the rest of campus.

2. If you are still planning a campus visit this spring, make sure you keep your eyes peeled for “help wanted” signs posted in shop windows and on campus bulletin boards. If you’ve found something in the campus paper prior to your visit, make sure you set up interview appointments to speak with employers while you’re visiting.

3. Although most campus jobs are reserved for work-study programs, there are still some that are open for other hires. The campus dining halls and library are two good places to start. Find out which campus facilities are hiring by calling them directly or by looking for ads in the paper or campus bulletin boards on your visits. If you find out they aren’t hiring until the fall, make sure you get the contact’s name and number and call them as soon as you get to school. If they say they aren’t hiring at all, make sure to give them your name and number anyway (some students may quit a job soon into the fall semester if their work load is too heavy or they find out they don’t need the job). Also, don’t forget to ask your contact person if he or she knows of any on- or off-campus facilities that are hiring—and make sure to get names and numbers of these places!

4. If the company you currently work for has an office or franchise in the city you’re moving to, ask for a transfer! It may sound silly, but if you serve tables at an area Denny’s or work behind the counter at McDonald’s, ask your manager to put in a good word for you at your new city’s franchise. Why start all over at a job you already know?

5. Another way to earn money, respect, and experience is to work for a professor or faculty member. You can build up your résumé and your wallet by assisting a professor in your field of study. Some faculty members need help researching the molecular makeup of a moth, while others need help writing their dissertation in pig Latin. Whatever the cause, most professors can’t handle teaching and research without a little help. While some may not offer monetary compensation, it wouldn’t hurt to ask!

Whatever you decide, remember that most students do seek employment while in school. Most won’t think to start looking until the fall, so get a jump-start on your search now. Looking early will be especially beneficial to those of you attending schools in rural areas—jobs there are even harder to find without taking a long commute to the next-largest town. Good luck and happy hunting!