UFV offers a huge variety of jobs for students who want to earn a little extra money while they are earning their degree. I have worked two different jobs here at UFV: one of them as a writer and editor at The Cascade, and the other as a facility attendant for Envision Athletics Centre (Building E). I even did a semester working both these jobs at once, on the side of taking five courses.
There are many benefits to working on campus: the flexible hours employers give you, as managers will often work your shifts around your class schedule; the community you end up building from meeting like-minded students in your workplace; and the non-existent commute time as you can go straight from class to work and vice-versa.
The types of jobs you can have and the departments you can work for at UFV vary greatly. Here are just a few of the jobs on campus you might consider applying for:
Student Union Society: The Student Union Society hires baristas to work at Fair Grounds, students to set up for events that occur in Evered Hall, three different programming commissioners (pride, gender equality, and ethno-cultural), and audio visual technicians. Members of the student government (president, vice president external, vice president internal, and vice president students) are not hired by SUS, but elected in by the student body.
Tania Smart, who has worked at SUS in various positions – a barista at Fair Grounds, a finance assistant, and now the vice president internal – said in an email interview that the best part of her current position was the freedom to choose her own hours, work from home, and receive a set number of vacation or personal days a year.
“The VPI position has also been a really valuable experience,” said Smart. “I’ve learned a ton, and really value how much my voice as a student has been amplified when talking to UFV. For more tangible perks, I also receive a parking pass and get priority registration.”
However, the perks that come with a SUS executive position come with a heavy workload and the possibility of entering into situations where there are a lot of emotions involved, Smart said.
All job openings and available student government positions are listed on the SUS website. You can also drop off a resume directly at the SUS office, or email it to hr@ufvsus.ca.
Academic Success Centre (ASC): The ASC near the library hires students to be peer tutors, working with students both face-to-face and online. You must be a third- or fourth-year student with a minimum 3.00 GPA to work as a peer tutor. You would work a minimum of six hours each week, earn minimum wage, and can use the job on your Co-Curricular Record (CCR). If you are a citation wizard, excel in editing, have keen organizational skills, and want to help other students succeed in their studies, being a peer tutor could be a good fit.
Michelle Murray-Schlitt has been working as a peer tutor since September 2019.
“Working there is great. It’s cool to be able to walk people through their assignments and papers and to be able to just be an extra set of helping hands through stressful school stuff,” said Murray-Schlitt. “I like developing longer-term relationships with some of the tutees that we work with throughout the semester; it’s really cool to see their growth in confidence in their own work throughout the semester!”
You can apply online to be a peer tutor on the Academic Success Centre’s website.
Student Life: The Student Life centre, located in Building S, has a multitude of jobs available under the Sexualized Violence Prevention Team, Peer Resource and Leadership Centre, UFV Lead, and more.
Hannah Scheidegger, a UFV alumni, thoroughly enjoyed her job as the food bank assistant at Student Life.
“The staff there invest a lot in their student employees with many training events and opportunities for personal and professional growth. Plus you learn a lot about the campus and how to navigate university life, while also getting to pass that onto others.” Scheidegger said in an email interview.
For more information about job openings at Student Life, visit the MyCampusLife website, as they are currently hiring for the 2020-21 season, or in person. There are also volunteer opportunities at Student Life, which can allow you to discover jobs in the department you feel you would be particularly good at.
Athletics and Campus Recreation: UFV Athletics department has many jobs available for students, including special events leader, social sport assistant, or game day staff. Despite what you may believe, you don’t have to wear yoga pants everywhere or even be slightly athletic to work for this department. If you already enjoy Campus Recreation events like Glow Yoga or drop-in sports, you could be a good fit here.
Sarah Heath is currently working as the fitness program assistant for Campus Recreation. She enjoys the fact that her job is so relevant to her kinesiology degree, and she appreciates that it opens her up to learning new skills, such as how to update websites, brainstorm marketing ideas, collaborate with coworkers, learn networking skills, and understand how branding works. Not only does working for Campus Recreation work around her schedule to not hinder her studies, but it helps her gain relevant knowledge she can apply in her future career.
“This position has made me see UFV as a community and has allowed me to meet new people. Being the fitness assistant has also helped me learn how to greet students and form relationships with them … I believe having the experience of working this position is what sets me apart as a future employee, and that social skills are key to building clientele and networking in my field of study,” Heath said.
If you’re interested in any of these jobs, visit the Campus Recreation organization on MyCampusLife for more information, or just stop by Building E.
Research Assistant: You can work as a research assistant for a variety of UFV faculty through the work-study program, which requires you to work 120 hours in a semester, be enrolled in nine credits, and maintain a minimum 2.00 GPA.
Maxina Spies, a UFV alumni, worked as a research assistant for the English language studies department, assisting in research which mostly consisted of conducting and transcribing interviews. She also worked for the Centre for Social Research, where she helped write articles and research grant applications, develop the faculty database, and plan events.
“These positions were great for engaging with academic skills in a more practical application,” Spies said. “I was able to network with a wide range of faculty and academics, and gained exposure to a wider range of disciplines and academic work than I otherwise would have,” Spies said in an email interview. “One of the downsides was that supervising faculty won’t always give enough to do, so you definitely need to be a self-starter and push a little bit to let them know what you’re capable of and take advantage of every opportunity.”
Visit the Career Centre website to find openings as a research assistant.
There are a multitude of jobs available for students here on campus, and most of them are listed on the Career Centre website, under the CareerLink for Students portal, where you can find many on-campus job options. If you need help putting together your resume, writing a cover letter, or perfecting your interview skills, you can book a 30-minute career coaching appointment with the Career Centre.
Something to keep in mind if you’re interested in working for UFV is that hours in the summer are often reduced, and many departments are looking for students to start work in the fall semester. Definitely start looking for research jobs you are interested in and even begin to make connections with potential future employers, but take your time in writing your cover letters and resume, as positions may not start until September.
Although working at UFV might not earn you the same amount of money you would get if you were waitressing, working on a dairy farm, or in construction, it can transform your university experience from being a commuter student to someone who is engaged and active on campus. It builds connections with your professors, who make excellent references for MA programs and future employers. As well, jobs on campus are generally very flexible and easy to maintain on top of your courses, so consider applying to work on campus for the upcoming school year if any of these jobs intrigued you.
Andrea Sadowski is working towards her BA in Global Development Studies, with a minor in anthropology and Mennonite studies. When she's not sitting in front of her computer, Andrea enjoys climbing mountains, sleeping outside, cooking delicious plant-based food, talking to animals, and dismantling the patriarchy.