Hi blog readers! I know a common question that prospective students have is “How do I find an on-campus job?” and “What kind of on-campus jobs are available at Wellesley?” I know that the summer before I came to Wellesley, I too had a lot of questions about finding an on-campus job. Thus, I decided to dedicate this post to explaining how I have gotten my jobs here at Wellesley.
Firstly, we use the online platform Workday for many administrative duties here. On Workday, students can find on-campus job openings and apply to them. The type of jobs truly span many different kinds of fields and responsibilities. Common ones are administrative assistants or social media coordinators for academic departments and offices, and working at the desk of one of the libraries, mail center, or Keohane Sports Center. Before the academic year begins, if you are a work study student—which will be specified in your Wellesley financial aid package—you should be able to see jobs on Workday a few weeks before other students.
I started applying for on-campus jobs in August 2022, a few weeks before starting my first year here. I was definitely overwhelmed at first, but I eventually got the hang of it. Make sure to very carefully read the role descriptions and responsibilities of each job on Workday! Positions often require resumes and a cover letter, sometimes with role-specific questions. For example, this job as a Blogger required an additional short writing sample since this role is writing oriented. After you apply, sometimes employers will reach out for an interview and sometimes you might just never hear back from the position, which is tough but is an inevitable part of the job search.
After several applications, I got this job as an Admissions Blogger in mid-September of my first year! I literally remember happy dancing in my dorm room when I got the job offer 🥹 If it is your first on-campus job, you will have to undergo a brief onboarding process with the college’s Human Resources department and provide some legal documentation. Then, you should be ready to go to work on campus!
You can also apply for one time jobs. For example, I worked as a Greeter for Wellesley Friends and Family Weekend during my second year.
In my second year, I decided I had the time to work another job on top of blogging. So, I started applying on Workday again. I applied to become an Academic Success Coach (ASC) for the following academic year. The ASC job application was unique because it required additional things like a brief application video. I also did an in-person interview and found out I got the position a few weeks later!
I also tried applying for several social science research positions and one of them was a Research Intern position at the Wellesley Centers for Women. I submitted my resume and cover letter towards the end of my second year. I heard back and did a Zoom interview at the start of the summer. I did not get the Research Intern position but was told that there were open Research Assistant positions that I could apply to in the fall. So, I applied again in August and got the position.
I want to clarify that these are just the highlights of my experience with applying to on-campus jobs. I have also gotten many frustrating rejections. My sincere advice is you just have to persistently apply until something lands. And, keep a diligent eye out for job opportunities through word of mouth from friends or email lists!
Thank you so much for reading!