Attaining Part-time Employment

An important component of the collegiate experience is part-time employment. As a student at Cleveland State University, you will soon find that most students have at least one part time job on top of their academic obligations. Many have three or four.

For our students these jobs are the means with which educational, residential, and discretionary costs are paid. For some, those costs extend to family and other non-traditional college student obligations.

Naturally, the most convenient employment is located on or around campus and provides flexibility to intermix with classes or other obligations. However, finding a job on campus at Cleveland State University is challenging. There are part time jobs available, but the number is limited so the job seeker must look carefully.

First, understand a significant difference between certain types of jobs at CSU. A number of the best on campus employment opportunities are set up as yearlong terms. Most of these are student-leadership positions administered through the department of student life and include the editorial positions on Cauldron and Vindicator staffs, the campus activities board, and the student government association (elected).

These positions are paid in the form of student leadership scholarship (SLS) monies credited to your campusnet account. For the incoming student, most of these positions will be unavailable, because they are often filled in the spring or early summer of the previous academic year. However, one should always be aware of the postings in the Student Life office, where any available positions are advertised.

Other employment options include hourly positions in offices (like advising or academic departments) around campus, with dining services, admissions/orientation, information services and technology, the office of treasury services, and the tutoring center.

While this is not a comprehensive list, it provides a sample of the opportunities you may discover.

Be certain to inquire with professors, staff members and anyone who works in any on-campus office. In many cases, positions are not widely advertised, but rather considered for those who seek them specifically. Many of the student jobs on campus are attained through a simple conversation.

It should be known that Cleveland State does have a regulation preventing students from logging more than 20 on campus work hours per week. If you work at two separate offices on campus, your combined hours must stay below this threshold. However, certain employment opportunities, most specifically the recreation center and the resident assistant positions do not fall under this regulation.

This is because those facilities are managed by outside companies who contract with CSU for the services. Therefore, one can work at one or both of those locations as well as an on campus office and avoid the conflict of too many combined hours.  The bookstore is similarly situated.

If an on-campus job is not available, there should be no hesitation to inquire with area businesses like Café Ah Roma, Rascal House Pizza, the Playhouse and other local restaurants and bars. Many of them have a history of student employment and provide similar easy access to campus and flexibility with scheduling.

Those locations appreciate student employees because they have a large interest in marketing to the campus, as their number one consumer base. Therefore, inquiring at your favorite haunt is a most wise choice.

Finally, remember a few other resources for employment information: the campus mailbag, Cauldron, Vindicator, and Cleveland Stater advertisements, student life postings, department postings, Student Government newsletters and, most importantly, networking. The best method is always an inquiry.