Part-time jobs can be beneficial to students regardless of their financial status and should be one of the first things they do when they get on campus. Students who work part-time jobs gain valuable real life work experience, develop interpersonal skills, and improve their time management. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics even found that students working less than 20 hours a week earn about 0.10 higher GPAs than those who don’t work at all. The bottom line is, part-time work can assist students in their professional development in many ways. Today, we’ll be discussing where you can find part-time work and how to get that job.
Finding Part-Time Work:
It might seem a little overwhelming at first, but finding a part-time job at K-State is easy! Handshake is an online resource you can use that can help you find who is hiring in your area and then easily connect with them. Through Handshake, you can search/ refine job postings, review career fair information, manage on-campus recruiting, and even find internships or full-time work. Students interested in setting up a Handshake account can do so with their K-State eID at https://www.k-state.edu/careercenter/handshake/.
Application:
Chances are, finding a part-time job, or any sort of job, will begin with an application process. The application is a critical part of the process. Before submitting anything, make sure to read the job description. This will have important details of what the employer is looking for and can help you phrase your resume and application appropriately. Additionally, the required qualifications can also help you tailor your resume to what your employer is looking for, but it can also help determine if this job is the right fit for you.
Work Study:
One way in which students can make themselves more marketable to potential employers is through the federal work study program. Students who qualify for work study through the FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid, are eligible to have their paycheck paid partially by the Federal government. This makes employers more likely to hire students and allows students to work part-time jobs throughout their education. Once you receive work study in your aid package, the next step is to secure an on-campus job and to let your department HR person know you have work study eligibility. They will then have to complete a Position Description form and submit it to the Office of Student Financial Assistance to begin applying your work study aid to the department to help fund your paychecks.
Benefits of Part-Time Work:
Aside from helping you professionally, one of the primary things employers look for in hiring full-time candidates is previous work experience. Often times, students find themselves in the vicious cycle of not being able to gain work experience due to their lack of previous work experience. Part-time jobs allow students to break this cycle by gaining valuable transferrable skills. Furthermore, students with part-time jobs have the opportunity to make connections that may be beneficial to them in the future and improve on their time management skills.
If you found this article useful or are interested in learning more about where you can find part-time work, then Powercat Financial can be an awesome resource for you! Peer Counselors can help you build a budget to plan how many hours you’ll need to work, can help you evaluate job offers, and can help you understand benefits. For more information, check out our website and schedule an appointment with us!
