For many Portland State students, working is not a choice but a necessity. Others may not feel this same weight on their chests but may stress before each term waiting for loan disbursements.
If that’s you, take a second to imagine your future-self kicking your current-self for not subsidizing those loans with a job.
A part-time job may not be the golden ticket to a loan-free future, but it does have long-term benefits.
Beyond monetary value, balancing school and work will strengthen your resume by painting a picture of a multi-tasking, organized, responsible and well-rounded individual for potential employers post-graduation. It’s another tool in the tool belt.
If you are interested in discarding your slacker ways and becoming a member of the workforce, here are a few resources for finding on- and off-campus jobs for the upcoming fall.
Go to PSU’s CareerConnect to find work-study jobs and more
CareerConnect is the university’s expansive employment database with job opportunities, paid and unpaid internships, and even volunteering gigs. As a PSU student or alumni, you can log in with your student account and have access to over 1,000 job applications.
If you do the advanced search option, you can narrow down your pickings by industry, major, federal work-study, level of experience, type of position and location.
This website also provides an employer directory with over 10,000 employers listed with their contact information and if they are presently hiring, a resume-building template, and information about upcoming career events and workshops.
Check out indeed.com to find off-campus jobs in your area
Whether you are searching Indeed’s database on CareerConnect’s website or on Indeed’s, this wonderful resource will help you find jobs based on the position and location that you’re looking for.
The more you tinker with the website, the more it can cater to your specific needs by recommendations that match your searching pattern. Like CareerConnect, you can narrow down your search.
After creating a free account, you can upload your resume directly and allow employers to seek you out simultaneously while you continue your active search for employment.
Join a student organization that pays
Our student government, the Associated Students of PSU, sometimes has open positions that pay you in student scholarships called Educational Leadership Service Awards, which you can learn about by checking your student email or scoping out the bulletin board in Smith Memorial Student Union.
And if you have a creative niche you’d like to capitalize on, then let us shamelessly promote to you! You should check out the different student media organizations.
Between the Vanguard newspaper, KPSU radio station, PSU.TV and the Pacific Sentinel magazine, the opportunities range in compensation and commitment. It’s generally not a lot, but money is money!
Getting involved with a student media organization is a prime opportunity to build your portfolio, hone leadership skills and dial into what is going on at the university. We guarantee 100 percent of all your co-workers here are really cool, and some have even described participating in student media as a “godly, life-changing enlightenment” and that they had “[no] regrets.”
Check out Advising & Career Services on campus
Take advantage of the resources on campus and visit ACS online or in room 402 of the University Services Building at Southwest Montgomery Street and Sixth Avenue.
ACS directs students to CareerConnect but also has a lot to offer, including a schedule of upcoming career workshops such as Introduction to Interviewing on August 17 from 10:30 a.m. to noon and Writing Resumes and Cover Letters on August 24 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
You can also meet with a career advisor personally to discuss resources and opportunities. Their normal drop-in schedule is 1–3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
If you have any further questions or would like to schedule an appointment, you can reach them at (503) 725-4005.
Next step: get off your gluteus maximus and look for a job
There is no denying that the resources to find work not only exist, but are abounding for university students. Nevertheless, free-time does sing its siren song. When you are basking in the sun this summer debating whether to work or not to work, keep your future-self in mind. And then go find a job. Harder work today can make those debt payments a little easier in the future, and help you be better equipped to find that ultimate dream job.
