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A majority of college students are employed while enrolled. On-campus jobs paired with professional development can assist learners in advancing their career goals.
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The average college student holds a job while enrolled, often to pay for their education or support their future financial health.
Offering on-campus employment opportunities is one way for institutions to provide students with opportunities to earn wages, engage in campus operations and find a sense of belonging. The jobs can also kick-start students’ careers after college, if accompanied with professional development opportunities.
By the numbers: In a May 2024 Student Voice survey by Inside Higher Ed and Generation Lab, a majority (64 percent) of respondents (n=5,025) said they were employed in some capacity, and 22 percent were working full-time. Students enrolled part-time are more likely to hold a job, with 68 percent working and 38 percent working full-time. Of full-time enrolled students who were working (64 percent), 46 percent had part-time jobs.
A fall 2023 survey from Trellis Strategies identified similar trends, with 68 percent of respondents (n=56,574) working for pay and 41 percent of students clocking 40 or more hours in a typical week.
Previous research shows students who work more than 20 hours a week have lower educational outcomes, including lower GPAs, fewer credits earned and higher stop-out rates. However, for a growing number of learners, working while enrolled is how they pay for college, complicating how they prioritize their academics.
Fifty-nine percent of Trellis survey respondents said they use their current income to pay for college, compared to 35 percent who took out student loans and 50 percent who use scholarships to pay for college.
Enhancing work: Inside Higher Ed complied four examples of career development interventions for student employees to prepare them for their lives after graduation.
- Offer credit
Some colleges require students to complete a one-credit course alongside their internship or experiential-learning opportunities, incorporating metacognition and reflection into the experience. Similarly, awarding credit for students’ work on campus can validate their learning outcomes.
Institutions that partner with Saxbys, which runs experiential learning cafés for college students on campuses, award leadership credits to learners who work as the student chief executive officer. This also helps students maintain their full-time student title while alleviating some of their course load.
- Create intentional supervisor-employee conversations
Oftentimes, students need help identifying their skill development or setting goals for their work experiences. Supervisors can play a key role in dissecting the career competencies learners earn and in guiding their work to develop longer-term outcomes.
The University of Iowa created Iowa GROW, an intervention that requires students to meet regularly with their on-campus supervisor for career conversations. Iowa GROW, short for “guided reflection on work,” asks learners to connect work with their academic goals and vice versa, connecting learning across the classroom and their job. The initiative helps develop students’ communication skills, problem-solving abilities and general work habits.
- Break silos in employment support
Student employment can be a complicated program, because it extends across traditional job functionalities, equally a part of career development, academic learning and campus operations. Creating one-stop resources for support can enhance learner experiences with on-campus employment.
Ithaca College reorganized the Student Employment office on campus into the Center for Career Exploration and Development this past fall in hopes of streamlining support and communication for learners who work on campus. Additionally, the office provides insight and support for supervisors to mentor and develop their students.
Virginia Commonwealth University created an online platform, Rams at Work, to host relevant resources for students to identify employment opportunities, complete online professional development courses or engage in reflection and goal setting.
- Recognize student excellence
Many college leaders consider their time as a student employee to be the foundation for their careers in higher education, so creating a positive environment for student employees can impact their overall career progression—whether it’s within higher ed or elsewhere.
On-campus employers can identify ways to recognize employees for their efforts to spotlight students’ talents and build their confidence.
Do you have a career prep tip that might help others encourage student success? Tell us about it.