If you’re a university student looking to earn some extra income, on-campus jobs are an ideal option! They’re catered specifically for students, meaning they’re accommodating to your schedule and other responsibilities as a student. These jobs can also be a great way to engage deeper in your area of study and gain great experience. Not to mention they often pay more than minimum wage! If you’ve got your sights set on landing a position, here’s some advice on how to get on-campus jobs for university students. 

The Job Search

Your first step is exploring the options available to you at your university! Every school will be different, but some examples of positions available to students include:

• Teaching Assistant
• Research Assistant
• Residence Advisor/Don
• Assistant Coach 
• Marketing Assistant
• Events Coordinator
• Social Media Coordinator 
• Photographer
• Peer Support Worker
• Tour Guide
• Office Assistant

To find what on-campus jobs for university students are available for you, here are some places you can look:

1. Your university’s website
2. Visiting your university’s career or student support centre
3. Contacting your program or faculty coordinator
4. Asking friends or older students on campus

Go through all the available positions and see which ones interest you! Make sure that you meet their minimum requirements to apply. However, don’t be afraid to also take risks and apply for those positions that you think are a long shot. You might still be the best candidate that applies and you could get the job!

Your Application

Once you’ve narrowed down a list of jobs you want to apply for, it’s time to get started on your application! Most on-campus jobs for university students require a resume and cover letter. They may also require you to provide written responses to a few other questions relevant to the specific position.

Resume

You want to have four main parts to your resume:

Profile— This is a two to three sentence description of your top skills and abilities. This can also be styled as “Key Competencies” instead of a profile, in which case you can provide 3-4 bullet points that show off your most impressive skills and experiences that relate to the job. List the relevant languages you speak at the end!

Education— You want to list the high school you graduated from as well as your current degree. Consider adding bullet points describing any awards you received and why, 2-3 of your key courses and the grades you achieved in them, as well as any key projects you accomplished while studying. 

Work Experience— If you’ve had jobs before, list them here! Add 1-3 bullet points describing what you did in this position to help the reader get a sense of your skills and experience. 

Volunteer Experience— Your volunteer experience is a great way to demonstrate your leadership and skills! It’s especially important if you don’t have much work experience to highlight. Again, add 1-3 bullet points for each experience describing your key tasks.

For more support in structuring your resume, check out our blog post on building the perfect student resume!

Cover Letter

Your cover letter is your chance to give them a deeper sense of who you are and pitch why you’re the best candidate for the position.

Your first paragraph should start with a hook that will grab the reader’s attention. A great way to do this is to begin with 1-2 sentences outlining a personal story that relates to the job. For example, if you’re applying as an events coordinator, you might want to talk about your own experience attending on-campus events and how that might motivate you to apply for this position now! 

The rest of the paragraph is a great chance to describe:

• Why you want the job (based on your interests and experiences)
• Why you’re a good fit for working at the organization (based on shared values, their workplace culture & mission, etc.)

You then want to include 1-2 body paragraphs that demonstrate you can do the job based on your skills and attributes. Be sure to mention your previous experiences that demonstrate these skills!

Finally, the closing paragraph lets you summarize your skills and explain why you’re interested in the position. Thank them for their consideration and invite them to follow up!

Your Interview

If you submit a strong resume and cover letter, you may be invited to interview! This is your chance to show them who you are and why you’d be a good fit. 

Three tips will help you succeed in your interview:

• Do your research 
• Know your application
• Be authentic

For more support on how to do this, check out our blog post on acing interviews!

Follow these steps and you’re sure to be a highly-ranked candidate for whatever on-campus jobs for university students you apply for!

If you want even more support, GrantMe can help you stand out. We provide personalized scholarship matches, essay editing, and mentorship from past winners to maximize your success. Complete our short scholarship eligibility quiz to learn more about how GrantMe can help you achieve your post-secondary goals.