Student Employment | Resumes

Student Employment

Working while in college can help you develop a number of skills that are transferable to life after JMU. Part-time jobs provide an opportunity for you to gain work experience, develop confidence and good work habits, and earn money for tuition and college expenses. In fact, studies show that students who work while in college have higher confidence levels and better time management skills than those who do not. While working part-time may be too much on your plate in your first year, for some, it helps with time management, balance, and a sense of accomplishment. Take a moment to at least consider the opportunity and learn what is available.

Here are some questions to ask yourself if you’re considering student employment:

• Am I flexible and willing to make sacrifices? Am I open to cutting down on some of the things I like to do in my free time to fulfill my academic and work commitments?
• How does my family feel about me working
• Do I make effective use of my time? In other words, can I fit in work, maintain my academics, and still get enough sleep?
• Will the job be flexible around my life as a student?

On- and Off-Campus Employment

Looking for a part-time job? The Student Work Experience Center (SWEC) at JMU is an office dedicated to enhancing student learning by providing meaningful work experiences. They organize and maintain available part-time student employment opportunities.

There are many different jobs available on campus, including working in academic departments, student services, dining, etc. The benefit about working on campus is that the jobs are student-friendly in terms of working around class schedule and workload. On-campus work will be designated FWS, (Federal Work Study), or IE (Institutional Employment). Any student can apply for an IE position; however, students can only apply for FWS if a student is eligible based on their financial aid package.  Positions posted are only currently available positions, so keep checking back!

The SWEC website also lists available part-time off-campus job openings, important resources, frequently asked questions, and much more. If you have other questions, contact the folks in SWEC at studentjobs@jmu.edu, visit them on the 5th floor of the Student Success Center or call 540/568-3269.

Resume and Cover Letter Writing

Need help creating your resume or writing a cover letter? It’s not too early to begin thinking about your resume. No matter how much or how little experience you have, thinking about and creating a professional resume at this stage may help you imagine opportunities and set goals for the future. Take a look at the resume and cover letter resources we have available at Career & Academic Planning (CAP). Or, better yet, attend a Resume Writing Workshop. Find the dates, times, and locations of all the workshops on the Career & Academic Planning Calendar on our homepage.

Once you’ve put something down on paper, you can schedule a one-on-one appointment with me or any of the other advisors in CAP to get feedback on how to improve. Remember, once you’ve declared and moved on to your major advisor, I will still be here to help you with resumes, cover letters, the internship/job search, and so on.

Event Calendars

What’s Happening on Campus?

Last week’s post described some of the many ways JMU students get involved in clubs, organizations, sports, and more. Finding outlets for you to explore interests, socialize, and gain experience outside the classroom can be very rewarding. Whether you signed up to join 5 clubs or 0 clubs at Student Org Night last week, JMU still has awesome events and opportunities for you to meet other people, relax, have fun, and strike a healthy academic/social balance.

Campus Events Calendar

This public events calendar is chock full of recitals, concerts, art exhibits, speakers, poetry readings, and more. Many of these events highlight the awesome things JMU students and faculty are doing. Use the navigation links on the right-hand side of the campus events calendar to narrow your search.

UPB Calendar

The University Program Board (UPB) is a student-run, student funded organization that works to offer a variety of educational and entertaining programs to complement your academic experience while bringing programs to educate and enlighten the JMU student body. Events offered include concerts, movies, speakers, comedians, novelty acts, Late Night Breakfast, and many more which are open to ALL students and are often FREE!

Athletics Calendar 

Showing off your school spirit and “purple pride” is also a great way to meet new people, share a common experience, and support your fellow student-athletes! With our first home football game and many other fall sports team events right around the corner, now is a great time to check out the Athletics Calendar and mark down the games and events you want to attend.  And the best part? Tickets are FREE to students! For more information and important policies, check out the student athletic tickets website. Get ready to throw some streamers and sing the fight song!

Student Employment

Looking for a little extra money? Want to gain some experience? The Student Work Experience Office can help you find a job on- or off-campus. Check out the Part-time Student Employment Job Fair on Tuesday, September 9 from 1:30-4:00 p.m. in the Festival Ballroom.

Student Employment

Working while in college can help you develop a number of skills that are transferable to life after JMU. Part-time jobs provide an opportunity for you to gain work experience, develop confidence and good work habits, and earn money for tuition and college expenses. In fact, studies show that students who work while in college have higher confidence levels and better time management skills than those who do not. While working part-time may be too much on your plate in your first semester, take a moment to at least consider the opportunity and learn what is available. Here are some questions to ask yourself if you’re considering student employment: 

• Am I flexible and willing to make sacrifices? Am I open to cutting down on some of the things I like to do to fulfill my academic and work commitments?
• How does my family feel about me working?
• Do I make effective use of my time? In other words, can I fit in work, maintain my academics, and still get enough sleep?
• Will the job be flexible around my life as a student?

On- and Off-Campus Employment

Looking for a part-time job? The Student Work Experience Center (SWEC) at JMU is an office dedicated to enhancing student learning by providing meaningful work experiences. They organize and maintain available part-time student employment opportunities. 

There are many different jobs available on campus, including working in academic departments, student services, dining, etc. The benefit about working on campus is that the jobs are student-friendly in terms of working around class schedule and workload. On-campus work will be designated FWS, (Federal Work Study), or IE (Institutional Employment). Any student can apply for IE positions; however, only eligible students may qualify for an FWS position as these are based on financial aid package.

The SWEC website also lists available part-time off-campus job openings, important resources, frequently asked questions, and much more. If you have other questions, contact the folks in SWEC at studentjobs@jmu.edu, visit them on the 5th floor of the Student Success Center or call 540/568-3269.

Need help creating your resume or writing a cover letter? Take a look at the resume and cover letter resources we have available at Career & Academic Planning. Or, better yet, attend a Resume Writing Workshop. Find the dates, times, and locations of all the workshops on the Career & Academic Planning Calendar.