Looking for a job as you enter university? Great! Working on campus as a student is a great way to gain job experience, open up career opportunities, and earn income. Here are some places to find job opportunities and skill-building resources at U of T, and some pitfalls to avoid as you look for your new job.
Finding jobs through U of T
The Career and Co-Curricular Learning Network — better known as CLNx — is the main place to find job openings hosted through the university. Here, you can find listings for both jobs around campus and jobs posted by external employers. You can also find work-study opportunities — paid positions only open to students who are taking U of T courses at the same time, which can range from lab work to office jobs.
Aside from job listings, CLNx hosts various career events, such as recruitment panels and graduate school programs. These opportunities may help you to better understand what opportunities are out there and to hear the advice of people in the careers that you are interested in. CLNx also lists resume and job interview workshops to help you apply for jobs, especially ones that are more corporate or academic in nature.
U of T Libraries and the U of T Student Union also post job opportunities for students on their websites.
Networking
Think networking isn’t important? Think again. Whether you are in a lecture hall, lab, or office, developing good relationships with the people around you can be key to securing new opportunities in your career and academic life.
Building relationships with professors and teaching assistants (TAs), though, can be difficult. They might see up to hundreds of students a week on campus and in lectures. To make a good impression, attend class regularly and participate in the lecture. Also, consider coming to your instructor’s or TA’s office hours.
Students looking for more opportunities can also participate in special networking programs such as the Arts and Science Internship Program and Backpacks to Briefcases.
However, networking is about more than just meeting people with fancy titles. Getting to know the people who are doing work that inspires and resonates with you can give you direction in navigating your own career, and exemplify qualities like good leadership and communication.
Beware of scams
As a university student on the job market, you are in somewhat of a vulnerable position. Fake job postings are everywhere, and it isn’t always easy to tell them apart from real ones.
Fake opportunities offering $600 or $800 a week for remote, entry-level work often make their way to students’ university email inboxes. The U of T community safety office has guidelines on what to do when you receive suspicious emails or if your email appears to have been broken into. A rule of thumb is to not share personal information in response to unsolicited messages, and keep an eye out for typos and suspicious links or attachments. Real employers will also generally require some sort of interview before hiring you — steer clear of anyone who asks for banking information right off the bat.
Managing the workload
Once you do begin a new job, learning to manage the workload is a challenge of its own.
Find a working environment that works for you. Consider factors like distractions, lighting, and the technology available, such as monitors and printers. Different environments, such as office spaces or campus libraries, will work for different people.
Setting boundaries is also crucial for maintaining healthy working environments and relationships. Communicate boundaries and schedules with your supervisor. Though this can be a daunting task, it might be easier if they are aware of your other obligations as a student before they hire you. Be aware of your schedule and limits when discussing your availability during the hiring process. As you work with others, also consider that they have their own boundaries.
Now you’re all set! Find the job listing you’re looking for, don’t get scammed, nail that interview, and set yourself up for success!
