How to get an on-campus job at Bradley University
Many students at Bradley University want to work, but for some students, especially first years, the process can be confusing. Here are some tips to help students get a job on campus.
The lives of American people revolve around work. It’s all about when their next paycheck will clear and if they can afford all the necessities of life. After that, they can contemplate buying any luxury items they’ve been eyeing,
People get sucked into this lifestyle from a young age. Getting first jobs at the age of 15 or 16 is a common practice. Everything is new and exciting at that point.
Teens can make their own money and spend it on whatever and however they want. The freedom is addicting.
If they go off to college, work is no longer something people want to do but something they need to do. Whether their parents are paying for school is semi-irrelevant. If they are, those students want to start paying off loans or making tuition payments as soon as possible. If they aren’t, the extra money goes toward supplies, food and alcohol.
Both private and public colleges and universities offer on-campus jobs for all students. Jobs are available off-campus, but on-campus tend to be more flexible.
Bradley University has positions available for students across campus, but the question many students have is “How?”
With the following guidance about where to seek out jobs, checking for a federal work-study and advice from people who are here to help, a student is bound to be successful in getting an on-campus job.
How to start looking for an on-campus job
The Part-time Employment Expo takes place in the Renaissance Colosseum at the beginning of each semester. This features both on and off-campus employment opportunities for all students looking for work.
All departments on campus looking for student employees are encouraged to attend.
Sarah Peters, the assistant director for the Springer Center for Internships within the Smith Career Center, runs the expo.
“I am definitely always encouraging as many students as possible to attend that event and I also, at the same time, am encouraging as many departments to attend as possible,” she said.
To prepare for the fair, students should have an up-to-date resume and know their availability around classes.
Attending the fair can help students make an in-person introduction, which can make a big difference come time for the interview process.
“When they start getting in tens and hundreds of emails again or applications, they’ve got a connection and they know who they’re really going to be looking for,” Peters said.
Job listings are also posted on Bradley netWORK if students miss the job fair or are looking for another or a new job. Postings are published throughout the semester.
How to use Bradley’s employment sites
The human resources department is responsible for publishing all on-campus employment and internship opportunities on Bradley netWORK. All students have access to the online career tool as soon as they are registered for the first semester of classes.
Students should use their BU NetID and password to login to the site. The website will open to the home page. A navigation bar is on the left side of the screen.
To find job listings, students should click on “OCI and Job Listings.” Once the new page has opened, students can choose to filter on on-campus jobs under the “Type of Job” drop-down menu.
Students can fill out applications right from this page.
On-campus job listings are also posted through ADP Workforce Now, Bradley’s payroll system. Students can find this site by looking up on-campus employment opportunities at Bradley. They will choose the “Student Worker” option on the right side of the employment opportunities page.
That will take students to the ADP recruitment page. After using their Bradley email address to log in, students can fill out applications.
How to check for a federal work-study qualification
It is important for students to know if they qualify for federal work-studies or FWS because some on-campus jobs only hire those students.
FWS can be beneficial because student compensation depends on financial need, not just minimum wage.
By logging into MySFS, students can see whether or not a FWS is part of their financial aid package. If a student does not qualify for FWS but feels they should, they can contact financial assistance in Swords Hall. The staff can decide if the student should receive more financial assistance and how much.
How to succeed in getting an on-campus job
Many students do not know that they can begin working on campus as soon as they are in Bradley’s system after they register for classes the summer before their first semester. This is beneficial for the departments that like to hire earlier than the Part-time Employment Expo.
“Any student who is local, especially, or if they’re going to be around campus for some reason and they come to orientation, they can start working even that summer,” Peters said.
There are also specific keywords that many employers look for when going through applications and resumes. If a student doesn’t use those words, their application is likely to be overlooked.
“A lot of times, most departments are looking for what we refer to as essential skills that are things like teamwork and communication and leadership abilities,” Peters said. “If a student can say they have some experience in that, and that’s what they’re looking to further develop, that’s what the different departments are really looking for.”
Networking is as important during college years as it is after. Students should be talking to their roommates, friends, classmates and professors. If one job isn’t hiring, the employer may endorse a student to another.
“I recommend talking to people in that job or that field already,” a student worker at the Markin Center, Andrew Wallace, said. “They can offer a lot of information about how you can approach applying for that job, how you can approach the interview for that job and give you a lot of different information about the pay, where you’re going to work, what you’re job entails while you’re on the clock and different things like that.”
Wallace also said that if it weren’t for him reaching out to his fraternity brothers, it wouldn’t have been as easy to get his position as a Markin Attendant.
While Associate Director at the Smith Career Center Kim Dunn agrees with Wallace, there are other important things she wants students to know.
“I would say be ready to go right at the beginning of the school year,” she said. “Otherwise, know your schedule, know what you can commit to as far as hours per week and when you’re available because that’s going to be everyone’s first question.”
Even though there has been a decline in the number of available part-time on-campus student jobs, some are still listed on Bradley’s sites.
The next Part-time Employment Expo will be held in the Renaissance Coliseum on Feb. 29 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.