Student Employment

Parent Questions

What is the Student Employement Office?

  • The Student Employement Office is dedicated to assisting students in finding  part-time employment. This job will help finance their educatiion and allow students to develop valuable work skills.
  • We provide an online Job Board tha can be accessed by students from any location, 24-7.
  • The Student Employement Office is a referral service. We cannont place students in jobs. We make every effort to make job postings available for both on campus and off campus employment.

Should a student work?

  • There is a positive correlation between a student's academic preformance and part-time employment. 
  • Studies conducted by the National Association of Student Employment Administrators show that "students who work, do as well or better academically as students who do not work".
  • Working allows the student to learn to use their time effectively, develop work experience, confidence, job skills, and may increase chances of staying in school.
  • In a survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers,  some employers complaiend that recent college graduates were lacking general "job ettiquette" - showing up on time, dressing appropriately, acting in a professional manner, taking responsibility for day-to-day tasks, etc. The college graduate with some kind of work experience and general "job ettiquette" is likely to have an edge with employers over inexperienced candidates.
  • Over 2,500 Grand Valley students are employed on campus .

 

What is Job Board?

Students find part-time employment both on and off campus by searching for jobs using our web based electronic Job Board.

While we make every effort to check the accuracy of job listings, we cannot guarantee that any opening will still exist, as posted, at the time a student inquires about it. We limit the time an employer can have a job posted but if that job closes before the listing expires it is the responsibility of the employer to close the position.

Encourage your student to interview with three or four employers when looking for an on campus position. Assist your student with their resume. Discuss typical 'job ettiquette' to help prepare your student for their position.

GVSU makes no representation or guarantee about positions listed and is not responsible for safety, wages, working conditions or other aspects of off campus employment. It is the student's responsibility to research the integrity of the organizations to which he or she is applying. The student should take all care and use common sense and caution when applying for or accepting any position.

What is On Campus Employment?

NOTE: The student is NOT guaranteed a job.

1. The student decides what job(s) he/she apply for. They may want to select jobs based on their individual personality traits, work experience, skills, education and interests.

2. On campus departments are usually very flexible about class schedule; Many prefer that a student be able to work at least a 3 hour block of time per shift. Most departments operate between the hours of 8am - 5pm Monday through Friday.

3. On campus employment opportunities fluctuate; more positions are typically available at the start of Fall semester. You will see these positions being posted on the Job Board beginning in July. So, apply early and often.

4. Most departments prefer to hire work-study students because it has less impact on their budget. However, there are departments that hire a number of students that do not have work-study, such as Food Service, Facilities, Public Safety, Bookstore (to name a few).

4. If a position a student would want cannot be found on the online Job Board, the student may try contacting departments directly for information on hiring in their areas.