It's the beginning of a fresh semester, and Jimmy Jumbo reaches into his wallet, only to discover his last remaining $5 bill. He mutters to himself, "Job ... gotta get a job." Trudging up the Tisch Library steps, Jimmy sees dozens of flyers advertising job openings on campus. He hops onto the Tufts Student Employment Web site, throws together a few applications and finds himself proof-reading students' papers for $9 per hour the next week.
Is it really this easy? Non-work-study students are discovering that the answer is no.
Some Tufts students' family income is high enough so that a hefty $46,500 bill is no cause for concern, let alone cause for seeking employment. Then there are those who qualify for enough need-based financial aid to be placed into the Federal Work Study program.
But where do those in the middle who don't qualify for work study but could still use some cash find financial solace? According to many students, not through on-campus employment.
Some on-campus jobs are open to both work-study and non-work-study students. However, according to Student Employment Manager Joanne Grande, that doesn't mean that both groups have an equal chance for the job. "Work study students know they have preference," Grande said.
Sophomore Alexander Schmieder said that he has experienced this issue first-hand.
"It's pretty much impossible to get a job on campus if you're not a work-study student; they get first dibs," said Schmieder, whose unsuccessful pursuits of finding an on-campus job have led him into Davis Square in search of cash.
"I might try to get a job at J.P. Licks," Schmieder added.
Budget concerns play a major part in Schmieder's and other students' difficulties. On-campus employers must pay full salary for non-work-study students, while they only pay a fraction of work-study students' wage. As a result, work-study students are often given higher priority when hiring, particularly among departments with smaller budgets.
"Employers typically take all of the federally funded students they possibly can and then use non-work-study students only to fill any remaining available spots," Grande said.
Students such as Schmieder are missing out on more than pocket money. Assistant Director of Tufts Career Services Donna Milmore explained that there are other benefits to being a working student besides just extra cash.
"I would say that both admissions professionals and recruiters would see value in a student's commitment to work," Milmore said. "The concept of juggling a rigorous curriculum and a part-time job sends several positive messages about a candidate's work ethic and multi-tasking skills. Both employers and graduate schools value these traits."
Despite the difficulties that non-work-study students face trying to find an on-campus job, some students have found a bright side through larger-budget employers such as Dining Services, the Tufts bookstore and Tufts Online, which require more employees and can therefore afford to hire more non-work-study students.
Non-work-study senior Danny Lutz, who managed to land a job at Brown and Brew, said he thinks there are factors more important than work-study when it comes to finding a job.
Getting hired is "more about knowing people than anything [else]," he said.
Recounting how he found his own job, Lutz emphasized the importance of scoping out the right places at the right times.
"When I applied [to Brown and Brew], they really needed someone to fill a certain shift, and I got hired right away," he said.
Grande agreed that employers consider other factors in addition to a student's work-study status. "It's a matter of skill: If you have some expertise or skill level, they'll hire you," she said.
Grande also emphasized that, while non-work-study students are at a disadvantage, finding a job shouldn't be such a daunting task. "There are also great off-campus jobs that are just as easy to get to as the jobs on campus," she said.
Non-work-study senior Sean Ryan, who works at a local bar in Porter Square, didn't fret about not getting a job on campus.
"I like working off campus, because it got me into a new circle of people. It's a great way to see different parts of Boston," Ryan said.
