Since last week was Student Staff Appreciation Week at Scripps, I thought it would be a good time to reflect upon my on-campus job experience. Although attending classes, doing homework, and fulfilling extracurricular commitments can be very time-consuming and stressful, I have found that having an on-campus job has provided a a welcome balance to my college life.

From the first week of school, I knew I wanted to have an on-campus job. I have always been attracted to the idea of turning my time into money but did not have the time nor ability during high school to seek a job, let alone have one. But in college, finding and having a job became much easier, because there is a whole database of jobs in Handshake and there is no commute. As soon as I figured out how to use Handshake, I quickly researched various on-campus job positions. I was excited by all of the different options on-campus but nervous that I would not be chosen for an interview.

Overall, I applied for about four different positions on campus and heard back from two. I was very happy when I received notice that I had been chosen for an interview for a position as a Student Worker for the Office of Parent Engagement (OPE). The position involved both social media strategy and fundraising. I had interned with a wedding photographer over the summer practicing social media strategy and participated in Phonathon in high school, so this position was especially appealing to me since it would give me the opportunity to practice and expand both of these skills. After the interview, I was offered the position. I was thrilled – I had been in college only one week and I already had a job! I felt very proud of myself that I took the initiative to get a job so early in the year.

I have greatly enjoyed working at OPE this past school year. I have learned a lot about social media strategy and the inner workings of administrative offices. I have learned how to conquer the daunting CRM database of ThankQ and have recently learned how to maximize the office’s usage of MailChimp. In addition, I have gained experience working in a professional environment and interacting with co-workers. Since OPE shares a work space with other groups in the Institutional Advancement office, I have realized how important it is to collaborate with one another. For example, if someone from the Alumni Relations office needs help with sending letters, members of the other offices are always willing to help.

Although it can be intimidating and time-consuming to apply for on-campus jobs, I highly recommend that all Scripps students take advantage of the opportunity at some point during their college career.

What have you learned from your on-campus job?