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Where did you work during uni/college?

I am in uni, and am looking to volunteer/ work. #volunteer #job-search #college #internship

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John’s Answer

Research assistants and teaching assistants in a field of interest are a great way to build your network, learn a bit more about passion, and get exposure to the research process and synthesizing data. I also am partial to becoming an official or referee through your campus recreational sports department (you'll learn about handling tough calls, communicating decisions, and working in intense spots).

If you have a summer to do a in-depth volunteer experience, I'd highly recommend it. Getting in touch with someone at your career center can help align you with organizations that need an assist. - many of these smaller organizations will give you the opportunity to see and wear many different organizational hats. I got to spend a summer doing full-time service work in homeless outreach, and as part of that got to see funding, grant writing, capital improvements and overall supply chain - like finding and purchasing fresh food and managing donations.
Thank you comment icon Thank you for the detailed response. Anvi
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Erin’s Answer

I did a combination of jobs during University that I thought were all helpful towards realizing my career goals (some to show me what I didn't want to do for a living). It's easy to jump at the first paying job you see - but I would encourage you to think about a few things when identifying work you want to do.
- What is your schedule and how much time do you need to make sure you can study and meet your academic obligations? Based on that schedule what kinds of work is available during those hours (evenings / weekends / weekdays, etc)
- What career experience are you looking for? Maybe you want to consider a job in sales - working in retail or restaurants/bars/coffee shops is a great way to learn about what you like / dislike about customer service! I worked at a clothing store in the mall during college which helped me know that i didn't want a career in customer service!

- One of the side-jobs I did was taking notes for the classes I was in. My university's student office would pay me each week for notes to key classes that students with disabilities were in so they could provide those notes to other students. This was an easy way to make some additional money just for attending class!
- I also asked around with professors who I really respected and wanted to learn from to see if they had any part-time work available. I took a 5 hour a week job working for an amazing journalism professor and was able to learn a lot from that time with her.
- Internships! I found organizations (nonprofits and businesses) in my community who were doing interesting work and I asked if they would be interested in an intern (for free) - these free internships often turned into part time paid work and I learned a lot. It was through internships that I got my first job out of college which set me on my path.

Hope this helps you realize that there are lots of approaches you can take to working during university and the most important is to find out what works within your schedule and your goals!
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Zach’s Answer

I think John's answers are great. Teaching assistant and/or research assistant is a great way to volunteer and get to know some interesting people that could help you later in your career (i.e., the professors). Finding an organization to volunteer with for a summer or other semester would also be great (as John also suggested). Working as a referee/official is a great experience, you could also consider coaching youth sports (great way to learn some life skills and meet parents who may be able to help you get a job later).

If you're looking to volunteer I think there are MANY options and I'd encourage you, like John did, to start with what your school offers and then branch out. There are also a variety of online websites dedicated to compiling volunteer opportunities. But, I would recommend determining what you are interested in (not necessarily passionate about, just interested in) and going from there. My suggestion would be to consider starting with short investments of your time to get a sense of how volunteering makes you feel (for example, you could volunteer at a local charity event, or show up for a trash pick up day, etc.). You may also want to investigate businesses around you and see what sparks some level of interest and reach out to them about the potential to volunteer or even shadow their operations. Lastly, you may also want to seek to participate in some on or off campus clubs/groups related to interests of yours (for example, local rotary/community service clubs, entrepreneurship, environmentalism, athletics, etc.).

To directly answer your question though, when I was in college I wasn't able to volunteer much. I was a student athlete and worked part time to help pay for my schooling. During the school year I worked at the on-campus memorial union (i.e., where students went to eat during break) serving food, and during the summers I coached (sometimes as a volunteer) and lifeguarded. I worked an internship at the end of my college career with a local professional sports team and learned a lot.
Thank you comment icon Thank you, really for the advice Anvi
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Michelle’s Answer

I worked for my University's alumni development office and would call alumni and parents of current students and ask for monetary gifts. If was a fun job that allowed me to give back to my university while also making money. Also, it was really nice to talk to recent alumni or older alumni and hear them reminisce on the good times they had at the school.
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Giselle’s Answer

Like many folks, I worked a variety of jobs! I especially enjoyed the work study job I had on campus in the library. It allowed me flexibility to work several hours a week without getting in the way of my studies. At other times, I worked in retail customer service roles which was a good for me to get out and learn how to communicate with customers. Being able to talk to and work with people is a great skill.

Good luck!
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Fiona’s Answer

When I was a law school student, I volunteered at a student legal advice clinic at a local community (run pro bono by some qualified lawyers). This was very helpful to my career - it improved my confidence and I learned how to use my skills in real life. Also, this was very highly regarded by employers and often opened up opportunities for internships.
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Rebecca’s Answer

Personally, I did some freelance work while I was in college related to my interests! I was studying Multimedia, which included design, film, animation, sound design, etc. So I did a lot of small graphic design projects for a local band in my area, like designing merch & social media posts. I also worked regular gigs as an extra and doing photoshoots, which allowed me to speak with already established creative professionals in my field & build a network that way. While the money doing freelance jobs like this is not the most regular, I found it really helpful in other ways to get a better understanding of the field.

Depending on your own vocation, there are many different ways to do this! You can search online for volunteer/PT work opportunities, join Facebook groups for this in your area, see what your Student Union has to offer, and don't be afraid to talk to your lecturers about what worked for them! Our lecturers would often send notices to our class about small, paid video projects that needed an assistant or second camera. So don't be afraid to start asking questions and putting yourself out there!
Thank you comment icon Thank you for your answer. Anvi
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Jayme’s Answer

Jobs with flexible schedules were a great fit for me in college. I volunteered as a tour guide, which I loved because it allowed me to meet new people and work on my communication skills with a variety of different people and backgrounds. It also allowed me to grow confidence in public speaking which was helpful in my career. I also volunteered at the Career Office which was helpful to have access to different employers trying to recruit on campus, or different network ideas. Good luck and remember to make sure to find the balance between work and school and keep your eye on the prize of getting your degree!
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Simeon’s Answer

During college, I volunteered for mostly ministry-related groups. For work, I did work at a front-office lobby and worked at the cafeteria during my graduate work. During the summers, I worked at summer camps, which included life-guarding and ropes courses work. I also did work as an RA in my college dorm work.
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Lei’s Answer

Like so many of the answers here, I also had a lot of jobs! Through 4.5 years of college/grad school (I ended with a masters in electrical and computer engineering), I worked as an on-campus tutor (for other fellow college students) for 4 years, a private tutor (for middle/high school students nearby) for 4 years, a computer lab and equipment manager for 3 years, and a teaching assistant for 3 years. I was working ~20 hours per week and was able to make enough money to pay for my own off-campus lodging and food.

My summers after my sophomore, junior, and senior (before grad school) years, I got internships as a business analyst, a front-end developer, and a hardware validation engineer, respectively. My last internship in hardware validation launched me into my career path going forward.
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Nilofar’s Answer

I worked as a receptionist during university at my university. I would recommend finding a admin positions as you are exposed to a professional work environment and they tend to be less physically tiring than retail/hospitality.
Thank you comment icon Thank you for answering. Anvi
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Jodee’s Answer

Hi Anvi,

I took best advantage of the career center at my university, and applied to any internship or Co-op jobs that looked interesting to me! And, for one of my summer jobs, I took advantage of friends of my parents that knew of positions that were relevant to my field.



Jodee
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Sheila’s Answer

Hi Anvi:

I worked as a Front Desk Clerk at one of the local hotels. I was customer facing and the experience was quite rewarding because I got the opportunity to meet some celebrities along the way. I had lots of fun meeting people and making new friends with my co-workers.
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John’s Answer

Great question!

I worked at a flower shop doing anything the Owner asked me to do. It was a part time job and then I was also offered volunteering hours by them after my shift was over to deliver flowers that did not sell to retirement homes, funeral parlors, and cemetery groundskeepers. It was an all inclusive deal for me. I learned how a single proprietor was able to manage her business, give back to the community, and provide a trade to an aspiring entrepreneur.

A few years after, I worked and volunteered at the retirement facility i delivered flowers to as a waiter, and running bingo and game night. I was fortunate with the volunteering and working piece.

Now, as I pursue my masters, I am volunteering by providing life advice to the future leaders of the world that are asking the same questions that I asked myself when I was in your exact shoes.
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Kathleen’s Answer

I did three completely different jobs in college! I worked at a nearby retail store, at a college as a graphic designer/event coordinator, and was a research assistant, interviewer, and then supervisor for a project in the psychology department. Look everywhere, and find something that interests you! Although I was a computer science student and now work as a software engineer, I still learned so much about time management, communication, and leadership from my jobs despite them being completely unrelated to my chosen career. I was even able to help in unexpected ways in my research project by working on some code for one of the applications they used. I don't know how your school does it, but my university had a job posting board where you could go in and search for jobs and research projects. Otherwise, I would reach out to your professors and see if they are offering any projects.

If you have any hobbies, you can also work on them, and possibly even make money doing them if that is a concern. If you want to do volunteer work, try to think how your unique skills can help a local non-profit. For example, if you like graphic design or programming, offer to update a local non-profit's logo or website. If you like photography and animals, you can help non-profits like animal shelters by setting up some time to come take photos of their animals to advertise their adoptions. If you can speak a second language, reach out to a group that works with people who speak that language, and see if you can volunteer in some way. You'll be able to build your skills while also helping your community.

Kathleen recommends the following next steps:

Look for a job board for your school
Reach out to professors in classes you find interesting
Look for local non-profits and reach out (email is probably easiest); let them know your skillset/experience!
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Samantha’s Answer

Hi Anvi,

I worked at Domino's Pizza i had the best time ever! I made lots of friends and it was great customer facing experience.

Would definitely recommend :)

Sam
Thank you comment icon Thank you for answering the question. Anvi
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