By Randi Williams
Hello CLA Students!
Congratulations on making it to week five of winter term! I don’t know if you realize it but we are now halfway through the school year, keep up the good work! Now that you are experienced and seasoned college students it may be time to start focusing on some other aspects of life as well, like your finances. If you’ve found yourself running a little low on cash these days getting a job might be the right move for you. The task in itself can be overwhelming though, and if you’re like me when I found myself in that position you may not know where to start. There are options for student jobs on campus, but as you probably know those jobs can be very competitive and difficult to get. Before you lose hope though, consider another option, working off campus.
During my four years of living in Corvallis I’ve had multiple jobs off campus, and have had great experiences with all of them. But why do this you may ask, why arrange transportation and put that much more work into a job? While the task may seem daunting, I have found a lot of advantages to working off campus that probably don’t seem immediately obvious.
The first advantage that struck me when I got my first job was that I was again associating with people of different ages. On a college campus we tend to only interact with students who are near the same age as us, and while this can be fun, it’s nice to escape that environment every once and awhile and talk to kids, teens, and older adults. This reminds us what the real world is actually like and keeps us balanced. These interactions also provide us with networking opportunities. Jobs on a college campus are usually only that, jobs intended for students, but while working off campus you can make connections that will be beneficial after graduation as well.
Working off campus can also assist in your future, after graduation job hunt in other ways. As I’m sure you all know the economy is extremely competitive, and any advantage you can give yourself is helpful. The vast majority of working college students have jobs on campus, and working an off campus job could give you that edge you need to stand out among all the applicants. Working for a business not associate with your school can show balance and initiative on your part, and proves you have real world experience.
Now that you know all the advantages comes the real question, “How do I get an off campus job?” Luckily, it’s actually not as hard as you may think. Beaver Job Net is a great place to start looking. I found my first job there freshman year of college and to this day it is still the best job I’ve ever had. Employees post openings and many of them are intended to be filled by college students, you automatically meet some of the requirements! A similar place to look is the Help Wanted section of the Barometer. Again, employees will only post listings there if they intend for college students to apply. If you haven’t found your dream job in any of these places look through postings on Craigslist.com. Businesses all over Corvallis will post job openings here and you may find a career you had never before considered. Craigslist is how I found the job I have now, and it too has worked out great.
No matter how you find your job, keep in mind that any work experience is good experience and be open to different opportunities. The hunt may be challenging, but your hard work will eventually pay off. Good luck!
