| Written by Breanna R. |
Having a job on campus can lead to your development as an employee in ways that having certain other off-campus jobs cannot. Before I started working for Rutgers–Camden, I had what you might call odd-jobs (like part-time jobs that didn’t really contribute to my academic development or push me forward on my desired career path). I worked at Wawa as a cashier and in the deli; I worked at a liquor store as a cashier and stocked the shelves in the evenings; I worked at a speech pathology office doing in-take and keeping track of health insurance records; I worked as an administrative assistant for a flooring company; I worked as a dog-walker and house-sitter for people who had full-time jobs or were taking vacations; I worked as an after-school janitor, a babysitter, a water-ice-scooper, a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker. None of these things were what I wanted to “do” with my life and, although I’m grateful for the unique experience and lessons I gained from each of these positions, they were eventually dead-ends and unfulfilling. I didn’t yet have my Bachelor’s degree and, with the school schedule I had, it made it hard for me to find a position that suited me. Most of the jobs I wanted required me to have that sweet-spot 9-to-5 availability, but that just wasn’t possible while taking five-to-six classes as an undergraduate. Eventually, a colleague of mine recommended I apply for a position in the Rutgers–Camden Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Admissions’ Communications Department. I used RaptorLink to upload my resume and fill out the application.
At first I was really resistant to using RaptorLink. I had a hard time navigating it. I visited the Career Center to have an adviser, Kay (shout out to Kay), not only review my resume but also walk me through how to use the site. After she introduced the different features of RaptorLink I realized that the site was a really helpful and awesome tool that I had been silly not to have taken advantage of sooner. I applied for the job in the Communications Department that my colleague recommended and followed up with the supervisor a week later via email. (If you want a position, badly, make sure you don’t wait for the employer to get back to you because they may never get back to you. Instead, after some time has passed, follow up!) I scored an interview (and then a second interview) and was told I had the job. There are only so many jobs on campus and of course a ton of students want them, so it’s really competitive. Make sure you prepare more-than-adequately and bring your A-game.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get an on-campus job right away. Although being late to the game and not learning all I could about RaptorLink early on played a factor, I didn’t get my job in the Admissions Office until the summer after I graduated. I started working for Rutgers–Camden as a graduate student and continue to work in the same position today. One thing I learned from this experience was that, even though in my job searches during my time as an undergraduate I initially felt alone, I wasn’t—it was because I assumed I was. If I could go back and do things over, I would have become familiar with the Career Center and RaptorLink much sooner and would most likely have acquired employment with Rutgers–Camden much sooner, as well. However, everything happens for a reason, and I’m so happy to hold the position and work with the people I do. I’m also glad that I’m able to impart my learning experiences upon incoming undergraduate students so that you don’t have to learn the hard way like I did.
Rutgers–Camden jobs aren’t just administrative positions and don’t just take place in an office. I personally know students who work as Resident Assistants, at Starbucks, at the Impact Booth, in various positions for the Campus Center, as security staff, and more! Check out RaptorLink as soon as you have your RUID and see what’s available (and check frequently). One of the things I realized pretty quickly about the difference between working off-campus jobs and on-campus jobs is that Rutgers–Camden employers are careful to treat student-workers as real employees and not just as students or inexperienced young people. Off-campus jobs were suppressing because I wasn’t seen as someone with anything significant to contribute to the team or the team’s efforts. Rutgers–Camden employers have high expectations for their student-workers. At first this was pretty intimidating, but eventually you get over those nerves and realize that those high expectations ignite your ability to make significant contributions and work in a position that is fulfilling and furthers your development as both an individual and a team member.