On-Campus Student Employment
As you become more comfortable on campus and want to become more involved while making a little bit of money, campus employment is a great opportunity to do so. There are so many different jobs on campus, from retail and dining to residence halls, and even recreation and fitness. Purdue provides you with the information and training you need to be successful in these roles and can be a great way to build your community while also gaining valuable skills.
My Campus Job
After my first semester freshman year, I wanted to look for an on-campus job. At first, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do, but I found my current job because I really enjoy taking fitness classes at Purdue’s Recreation and Wellness Center (RecWell). Through that, I found the opportunity to become an F45 Fitness instructor. This job really interested me because I did gymnastics growing up and wanted to continue my love for fitness. I would get to coach people and help them reach their fitness goals, which is something I knew I would really enjoy. For this job, I had to go through a full 8 hours of training and afterwards, I had to audition to be a coach by coaching a mock class. This was nerve-racking for me. I was not super comfortable speaking in front of audiences, but this pushed me to get outside of my comfort zone and try something new. A few days later I found out I got the job and was able to start coaching almost immediately. My daily responsibilities include checking people into classes, running the class, ensuring safety, cleaning, and setting up the workout for the next day. I normally work 3-4 hours a week and really enjoy interacting with members every day. My favorite part of the job is getting to celebrate class milestones with participants and helping them reach their goals. We also have monthly staff meetings, which are combined with GroupX, the free fitness classes offered at RecWell; which is nice because it allows you to get to know people outside of your department. I really enjoy this job and constantly encourage others that love fitness to give it a try too!
Balancing a Job with Coursework
A lot of people think they won't have enough time to have a job as an engineering student, but on-campus jobs have a lot of flexibility. They understand that you're a student and are willing to be flexible to accommodate your schedule.
Other Campus Jobs
Nicki Demetris (ChE '28)
RecWell rock climbing/top rope wall Supervisor
What She Does:
Inspects equipment to ensure safety and manages other staff and patrons to ensure that rules are followed. If there’s an emergency, she is trained to deal with them. She keeps an eye on numbers and makes sure the climbing walls are not over capacity, and she always keeps an eye out for proper safety techniques.
Favorite Part About the Job:
The community with coworkers, patrons, and every climber that visits; everyone is so kind, willing to help other climbers, and the environment feels super welcoming.
How She Balances Job and Academics:
If she is working a closing shift, she makes sure to get all homework done beforehand, so she does not have to rush her homework at midnight. If she has homework on weekends, she makes sure to wake up early to do homework. If she ever needs to, she can always ask her coworkers to cover her shift because everyone here knows things come up, and that academics come first.
How She Has Grown in Her Community:
She made her closest friends at her job; it’s a great way to spend real time with people. In classes, she meets with people only once a week for a short time but gets to spend genuine time with people and gets to know them more at the climbing wall.
Many professional organizations and programs funded through Purdue also offer student employment. An example of this is through the Women in Engineering Program, as well as through the Honors College:
Olivia Varmo BME '28
Outreach Team Member in the WiE Program
“In my job on the Women in Engineering Program Outreach Team, I get to travel to local schools, kid camps, and events to introduce kids to engineering, the design process, and more! My favorite part of my job is interacting with kids to help them design different devices for the activities we do with them. I typically balance my job with academics by making sure that I get my assignments done early so I can fully participate and enjoy my shifts without worrying about having any homework due! I feel much more connected to my community having worked this job, since I’ve had the amazing opportunity to interact with so many passionate and curious kids who may want to be engineers one day! I also am incredibly proud to represent Purdue, and the Women in Engineering Program!”
- Oliva Varmo
Grace Chen ABE ‘28
RISE Fellow in the Honors College
“I work as a RISE (Research, Innovation, and Scholarly Excellence) Fellow in the Honors College, which is essentially a research peer educator. My job is to help promote existing research opportunities within the Honors College, so students are aware of available resources and how they can get involved in research and complete the college-required scholarly project! We do this by making educational social media content and tabling, so students can stop by and ask questions. We also represent the research unit at events and host workshops. I work about 5-10 hours a week, depending on how busy our workload is. My favorite part is getting to meet new students and learning about their passions! I am always amazed by how many cool research projects are happening on campus”
- Grace Chen
More than a Job and Building Your Skills
As you have seen from the previous examples of campus jobs, employment can help you find a community, build soft skills for your resume, and give you a sense of responsibility. Some jobs also require a CPR Certification which is a great skill to have. This ensures that you not only have the skills to do the job, but to also develop professionally and become better at the job. That is what is so great about employment on campus, because it will teach you something new and push you to do things you may have never thought of giving a try in the past. I also think jobs are a great way to meet people, because you end up seeing the same coworker's multiple times a week, which builds meaningful relationships which are crucial to help you find a community here at Purdue.
Advice for Finding a Job
If there is a job you are very curious about, don't be afraid to go up and ask if they are hiring, or what the steps are to apply. There are also student job fairs in the Spring and Fall semesters, so those can also be a great resource for learning about job openings and exploring different opportunities. Also, be open. You may not initially be interested in a job, or it might not be your first choice but giving it a try could lead to learning something new or meeting your best friends.
For more information about student employment openings visit: Purdue Student Employment
Gabby Loi, ChE ‘29
Recruitment Project Committee
Stay Connected With Purdue WiE Program!
Facebook: Purdue Women in Engineering
Instagram: @purdue.wie
Blog: purduewiep.blogspot.com
Email: welink@purdue.edu
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