Colleges and universities may offer on-campus jobs to help students gain experience and earn money.

Murray State currently has multiple job opportunities for students who need to boost their income.

Matthew Purdy, director of Career Services, said student employees form an important part of Murray State.

“Speaking for our department, our student workers—we call them peer career advisers—are truly the face of the unit,” Purdy said. “They are typically the first to greet visitors, in person or on the phone, answer emails, help with resume reviews and even give presentations to other students and families.”

Ideally students would find a position that complements their future career goals, Purdy said.

“You may not always find a direct correlation to a future position, but if you can find something even tangentially related, that would help in future professional development,” Purdy said.

Sophomore exercise science major Emily Enoch works in the Student Affairs office.

She said although the job does not connect to her future career plans,  some parts of the job she can use in her day-to-day life.

“I talk to students and faculty on the phone and try to problem solve on the spot,” Enoch said. “It has improved my professionalism and has eased my anxiety about talking to random people over the phone.”

Most departments are accommodating of student schedules, although the University limits students’ hours to a maximum of 20 hours per week, Purdy said.

Enoch also highlighted how helpful flexible scheduling can be.

“This on-campus job has given me so many opportunities to meet new people and build connections with staff that will help with networking in the future,” Enoch said. “I really enjoy working a student job because of the flexibility. They work around my school responsibilities and other commitments I may have.”

Compared to working retail, Enoch said her current job is calmer.

“I have more time to focus on my studies while at work when I am a student worker,” Enoch said. “In high school, the job was very chaotic, and I had no free time to work on schoolwork. Also, the management was far less organized than on-campus management.”

Purdy said while every job will have its nuances, it’s important to consider the soft skills a department may look for in employees, such as having good customer service skills and communication.

“Students should think like the department they are applying [or] interviewing with and think about what they can bring to that particular unit and be prepared to express those skills in an interview or conversation with the department,” Purdy said.

Enoch said she recommends students apply for an on-campus job.

“The skills you will learn and the connections you will make can often be used in positions after college,” Enoch said. “Some common skills you will learn … include communication, problem solving, customer service, time management and leadership.”

Purdy also suggests that if a student is curious about a different part of the department they work in, they should ask to gain exposure to that side of the operation.

“Look for ways to improve things and ask your supervisor for regular meetings to receive coaching and feedback,” Enoch said.

Sophomore journalism major Ania Boutin had a slightly different perspective on what to look for in a student job.

Although her student job as an administrative assistant to assistant professor Geoffrey Luurs in the organizational communication department does not connect to her future career goals, she said she really enjoys the work.

“It’s very stress free because [Luurs] is a very supportive person to work under,” Boutin said. “He’s very understanding of student workload and time constraints.”

Boutin recommends any students looking for a campus job consider who your boss and coworkers will be because having a supportive boss makes all the difference.

If students are interested in finding a student position, they can check on murraystate.edu/career or murraystate.joinhandshake.com for the latest information on campus employment opportunities.