The Best Top Secret On-Campus Jobs

By Tamiera Vandegrift on July 25, 2016

When you’re trying to make some extra cash as a college student with one of the many on-campus jobs available, your work literally seems cut out for you.

Afford that after hours, guilt-ridden order of Pizza Hut pizza and breadsticks by becoming a resident assistant for your residence hall or sacrifice your seemingly endless days of squalor by joining the incredible legion of food service workers at your closest dining hall.

Your options seem to be outlined with bright neon letters wherever you turn. However, if you would like to take a walk on the wild side of the employment world, read on to find some of the coolest (hidden) on-campus jobs to make some extra cash during your time in college.

Library Assistant

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As a college student, you probably spend a lot of your time at the library cramming study materials into your head on a regular basis, so why not get paid for it? Library assistants are typically responsible for loaning out study materials to fellow students and faculty members, such as books, laptops, iPads, projectors, and more.

You would essentially be the “face” of the library, making sure the shelves are stocked and organized, keeping your studious patrons quiet and respectful to others, and perhaps, even engaging in some fun projects behind the scenes, such as handling Kelmscott Press editions of older literature. The best part of it all is that you will always be guaranteed a spot somewhere in the library to catch up on some of your own responsibilities in your down time.

Fitness Instructor

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If you’re worried about your job cutting into the time you set aside to achieve your fitness goals, applying to become a campus fitness instructor is a golden opportunity. Most college gyms offer group classes or individual training sessions to help students burn off the stress of the college lifestyle.

As an instructor, you can help to motivate your fellow swolemates and annihilate the mythical freshman 15 before it even has the opportunity to strike. Campus gyms are always looking for instructors for be energetic, motivated, and enthusiastic about teaching a variety of fitness topics, like cardio party, yoga, pilates, or spinning!

Tutor 

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Exercise your inner teacher muscles by sharing your wisdom with your fellow students in a variety of subjects. Identify some of the topics that you’re the strongest with and market yourself to other students by either working with your campus tutoring center, or even going out on your own and establishing a business by creating flyers and sharing them online.

If you really want some extra credit, check out Wyzant, a website where you can create a tutoring profile listing all of your academic and personal credentials for students of all ages to view and potentially contact you to see if you’re a good fit! Wyzant can expand your tutoring brand past the boundaries of your campus. No matter which path you choose, making cash by tutoring your peers is an A+ opportunity.

(Psst … I personally take time to peer review essays. If interested, go ahead and reach out to me through any of my sources of contact below.)

UPS Store Clerk or Mail Room Attendant 

Image via: www.pomona.edu

What could be more relaxing than spending an afternoon sorting through envelopes and handing out packages to homesick college kids? If you can’t imagine anything else, becoming an attendant in your campus mail room might be your best option. As a clerk, your responsibility will be dispersing mail and packages to your fellow students.

Being a mail room attendant is a lot more lax than serving dishes at your campus’ dining hall, but you can still acquire the same important professional skills, such as customer service. Besides, seeing the smiles on other students’ faces as you reward them with an anticipated package from home might be worth even more to you than your next paycheck.

Call Center Employee

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For those who want to help their universities while making a little extra cash, applying to become a call center employee is definitely dialing the right number. As a call center employee, your job is to contact alumni of your university and ask for donations to help future and current students, like you, reach academic success. While the thought of personal contact with another human being over the phone may seem intimidating, the experience is definitely worth it as the position will teach you to develop your interpersonal skills in a context other than face-to-face contact.

Research Assistant

Image via: en.wikipedia.org

Professors in several different fields of study, ranging from chemistry to theatre, are always looking to guide students along the path of discovery and knowledge. While you’re on this path, why not gather some cash? As a research assistant, you could be spending time establishing a personal connection with a professor or faculty member while delving deep into your field of study.

The worth of the knowledge gained from the subject you’re passionate about equates to the funds you’ll be bringing home at the end of each pay period. Some universities offer honors credit or other academic honors for having participated in research. At the same time, you will have an edge later on when it comes to graduate school or internship applications.

These six on-campus job opportunities are barely scraping the surface of what you can find deep within the employment opportunities of your university. Before succumbing to the high demand of fast food workers and receptionists, check out some of the lesser known employment openings that your university may offer.

You never know what may stick and what may lead you further down the path of career success. Happy job hunting!

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