Career Development

Kalamazoo College students may work in a variety of capacities for the College, as well as through some of our off-campus partnerships. Students, like yourself, can work on campus during the academic year or during summer vacation. There are some slight differences between academic year and summer campus employment, so make sure you are referencing the correct information when making the decision to work on campus. In most cases, prior experience is not a requirement for campus employment, as all positions offer you the training you will need to be successful in your job.

The Center for Career Development coordinates campus employment. Supervisors within different departments across campus post their open positions in our jobs database K-Connect and make hiring decisions for their position(s). Our staff does not select students for open positions.

Academic Year Campus Employment

During college, the question of "to get a job" or "not to get a job" often comes up. Whether you were told you will have to pay for your own midnight pizza runs or you have always worked and gone to school at the same time, this is a question you may ask yourself. You should consider your academic schedule and extracurricular commitments when making the decision to work on campus. You should also consider the benefits of working on campus during the school year. These benefits include:

• 1-4 hour(s) long work shifts
• Work shifts scheduled around your academic responsibilities
• Campus supervisors who may be more sympathetic to stressful academic weeks
• State minimum wage of $7.15/hour

Most students will work a total of 8-10 hours per week for the 10 weeks of a quarter. Some positions are designed to require less time, some a bit more, and most will flex around busy times - this all depends on the department, project needs, and academic workloads. With a consistent schedule, we actually find that students who work during the week manage their out-of-class schedules quite well, setting aside time to study, complete assignments, workout, or spend time on yourself. Talking with your academic advisor may help you in this decision-making process.

There are many ways that you can find a position on campus. Some jobs, like student leadership positions, are filled before the school year begins. Upon request, new students with Federal Work Study awards can receive referrals for campus jobs the month before classes begin, but all students can apply for campus positions. Returning students often retain positions they have held in the past.

Federal Work Study Students

The Federal Work Study program is a form of need-based federal financial aid that sets aside funding you can earn through a campus position, or an approved, pre-arranged off-campus service program. At Kalamazoo College the off-campus service programs are coordinated by the The Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Institute for Service-Learning.

Federal aid funds are not credited to your account; you must actually work in a campus job or through an off-campus service program to receive this funding. Every two weeks you work, you turn in a timesheet and receive a paycheck - it is up to you how you wish to spend this money. Additional questions about the Federal Work Study program should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid (finaid@kzoo.edu).

Students who have Federal Work Study awards are given priority for hiring consideration. Upon request, new students (first-year and transfer students) will receive a job referral from the Center for Career Development before postings go live to other Federal Work Study students in September (typically two weeks before the start of the quarter). All Federal Work Study students will have priority hiring considerations until the end of the first week of classes during Fall Quarter. After the first week of classes, the priority hiring considerations will no longer be in effect. Positions are filled quickly, so it is to your benefit to work fast if you are a Federal Work Study student.

Summer Employment

Summer employment at Kalamazoo College is different than academic year employment in that Federal Work Study awards do not apply. The other key difference is that students who work a minimum of 32 hours/week are eligible for on-campus housing at no cost, other than a refundable deposit.

Searching for Campus Employment

In order to know what positions are available on campus, take the following steps:

1. Visit K-Connect where openings are posted online.
2. After you login to K-Connect, select "Job Search" under the "Jobs" tab.
3. Under "Position Type," select "Campus Employment."
4. Open positions will be listed here. Click on any position to get more information.
5. Contact the supervisor listed in K-Connect to learn more about the application process for a specific position.

While many positions are posted on K-Connect, Student Leadership Positions are filled during Spring Quarter of the current academic year for the following year. These positions include, but are not limited to Resident Advisors, International Program Peer Advisors, Career Advisors, LandSea Leaders, and Academic Resource Center Tutors. If you are interested in one of these positions, please visit Student Leadership Positions for more information.

If you have any questions about Campus Employment, please contact the Center for Career Development or come in and see us!