We Can Work It Out

I’ll tell you a secret: I get paid to write these blog posts! How cool is that? Once a week, I get about $20 to sit down and write (one of my favorite past-times) about Carleton (one of my favorite places).

This year, I’m also the Admissions Blog Editor, which means I look through the posts my peers write, give feedback, and publish them! Plus I get three extra hours of work each week. As an aspiring writer or journalist or editor or what have you, that’s not a bad gig.

And it’s all through Student Employment at Carleton. As you’ll find if you click on that link, nearly 80% of students have a campus job! This means that most Carleton students are making money while they’re at school. Whether that goes straight towards tuition or gets used for personal expenses or future savings is up to you. And there are so many campus jobs to choose from!

Finding a Campus Job

The summer before I started at Carleton, I filled out the Student Employment Interest Form. If you have student employment as part of your financial aid package, you’re guaranteed to get a job by doing this! If you’re looking for a specific position, you can also take a look on the Student Job Postings page.

Between those two options, are always so many jobs available, ranging from Arb Crew to language center assistant to theater technical assistant. You can also do more general jobs, like working in the dining halls or mail services. Carleton’s Pathways website can help you find student employment for any area you’re interested in.

Since I indicated on my form that I had interest and experience with writing, Carleton placed me into two different part-time jobs: Admissions Blogger and Student Writer for Carleton News. If you’re reading this, you know what blogging looks like—but what about the other one?

My Life as a Student Writer

I get to write really cool articles for Carleton’s website. Some are about professors, like Barbara Allen, a political science prof who won an award for her book on lies in political advertising. Others are about alumni, like this Q&A about two successful video game designers from the Class of 2018! And some are just for fun.

I really enjoy being a student writer because it lets me talk to some of the most innovative and inspiring people in the Carleton community, and learn about all the awesome stuff they’ve been up to. It’s also super flexible: I can choose what stories I want to pursue and make my own schedule. It’s also easy to do remotely, which is super helpful this year!

What about non-Carleton jobs?

I’ve talked a lot about student employment, but Carleton also helps its students find employment or internships over breaks. I wrote a post about my first run-in with the Carleton Career Center last spring, when they helped me set up my summer employment. Over the past few weeks, they also helped me apply for a staple of Carleton winter breaks: externships.

No, I did not just mis-type the word “internship”. Externships are mini-internships during Carleton’s long winter break, between Thanksgiving and Christmas. They’re often conducted by Carleton alums at their workplaces, they’re project-based, and they involve shadowing the alums to get a sense of what their career is like.

This year, all the externships are virtual :/ But I don’t have anything else planned for December, and I need structure in my life, so I thought I’d give it a try! I applied for five: three involving oral histories in some capacity, and two in the publishing industry. I got help from a Student Career Assistant (another campus job!) with my resumes and cover letters, which was great.

At the beginning of November, I’ll hear back about my externships. And I’ve already gotten an email from the alum running one oral history project offering involvement in the future, whether or not it’s this winter! And he said I can reach out to talk about writing any time 🙂 Externships are such a great networking opportunity!

The moral of the story: you can reassure your parents that yes, Carleton will help you get a job — as a student, on breaks, and after graduation. Check back with me when I’m a senior to hear more about that last part! For now, I’m just enjoying my time as a student.

Greta is a proud Vermonter who is nevertheless so excited to be back at Carleton this fall! She’s making it through the pandemic by writing constantly, playing piano, and spending time outdoors. Then eating lots of chocolate. She wants to learn everything, but is particularly interested in Sociology/Anthropology, American Studies and, of course, English. Meet the other bloggers!